Finding public sector tender opportunities: A guide to CPV codes for psychology, coaching and consultancy services
Public sector organisations regularly commission external services across psychology, coaching, assessment, research, training and professional development. These opportunities can be relevant to independent practitioners, specialist providers and consultancies working across Occupational, Clinical, Forensic and Educational Psychology.
However, finding relevant opportunities can take time. Tender notices do not always use the terminology you might expect, and searching only for phrases such as “psychology services” or “educational psychologist” may mean you miss potentially suitable work.
One way to make your searches more effective is to use Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) codes alongside relevant keywords.
In this guide, we explain what CPV codes are, where to look for public sector opportunities and which codes may be useful when searching for psychology, coaching and related services.
What are CPV codes?
CPV codes are a standardised classification system used by public sector organisations to describe the goods, services and works they are looking to procure.
Each code relates to a particular category of service. When a contracting authority publishes a tender opportunity, it will usually assign one or more CPV codes to help describe what it is buying.
Searching by CPV code can help you identify opportunities that may not be obvious from the tender title or description alone. It can also help you broaden your search beyond the specific terminology used by your own profession or specialism.
Some codes are quite specific, while others cover broader areas such as health, education, research, consultancy and training. It is therefore worth using a combination of codes and keyword searches rather than relying on one code alone.
Where can you find public sector tender opportunities?
The main place to search for public sector procurement opportunities across the UK is Find a Tender.
Since 24 February 2025, the enhanced Find a Tender service has operated as the UK's Central Digital Platform under the Procurement Act 2023. It allows suppliers to search for opportunities, register their organisation, maintain core business information and set up alerts for relevant notices.
You may also find it useful to search:
- Contracts Finder – provides access to government contract opportunities and information about previous contracts. It remains useful as a supplementary search resource, particularly for historical opportunities and procurements operating under earlier rules.
- Public Contracts Scotland – for public sector opportunities in Scotland.
- Sell2Wales – for public sector opportunities in Wales.
- eTendersNI – for public sector opportunities in Northern Ireland.
It is also worth checking the procurement pages of local authorities, NHS organisations, universities and other public bodies, as well as any e-tendering portals they use.
A note on procurement changes: The Procurement Act 2023 came into force on 24 February 2025, changing how many public sector opportunities are advertised and managed. Find a Tender is now the central platform for new procurements covered by the Act. Older procurements and certain existing frameworks may continue under the previous rules, so you may encounter references to different processes and platforms. Healthcare service procurements in England may also fall under the separate Provider Selection Regime, rather than the Procurement Act. Always check the procurement documents and applicable process for the individual opportunity.
Which CPV codes should you search?
The codes below are intended as a starting point when looking for opportunities relevant to psychology, coaching and consultancy services.
Some codes are relevant across more than one specialism. For example, 85121270 – Psychiatrist or psychologist services is a broad classification that can apply to Occupational, Clinical, Forensic and Educational Psychology.
Other codes relate to wider services, such as education, health, research, consultancy and training. These may help you identify opportunities where psychological expertise forms part of a wider service, but they will not necessarily be relevant to every practitioner or provider.
Occupational Psychology
Occupational Psychology services can be commissioned across recruitment and selection, assessment and development centres, organisational development, leadership, coaching, employee wellbeing, workforce research and evaluation.
Potentially relevant CPV codes include:
CPV code and Description
85121270 Psychiatrist or psychologist services
71319000 Expert witness services
72221000 Business analysis consultancy services
73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services
73200000 Research and development consultancy services
73210000 Research consultancy services
79313000 Performance review services
79315000 Social research services
79400000 Business and management consultancy and related services
79410000 Business and management consultancy services
79411000 General management consultancy services
79414000 Human resources management consultancy services
79600000 Recruitment services
79634000 Career guidance services
79635000 Assessment centre services for recruitment
79998000 Coaching services
80500000 Training services
80510000 Specialist training services
80570000 Personal development training services
Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology services may be commissioned by NHS organisations, local authorities and other public sector bodies. Opportunities can include psychological assessment, clinical services, consultation, counselling, research and specialist training.
Potentially relevant CPV codes include:
CPV code and Description
85100000 Health services
85121270 Psychiatrist or psychologist services
85312300 Guidance and counselling services
85312320 Counselling services
79315000 Social research services
80510000 Specialist training services
Forensic Psychology
Forensic Psychology services may be commissioned by organisations working across criminal justice, prisons, probation, rehabilitation, secure settings and related services. Opportunities may include psychological assessment, expert evidence, rehabilitation, consultation and research.
Potentially relevant CPV codes include:
CPV code and Description
71319000 Expert witness services
75231200 Services related to detention or rehabilitation of criminals
75231240 Probation services
85100000 Health services
85121270 Psychiatrist or psychologist services
85312300 Guidance and counselling services
85312510 Vocational rehabilitation services
79315000 Social research services
Educational Psychology
Educational Psychologists are often commissioned by local authorities to provide psychological advice as part of the statutory Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment process. Other opportunities may involve consultation, assessment, advice to schools and settings, wider SEND services, research and training.
For statutory EHC needs assessment work, 85121270 – Psychiatrist or psychologist services is particularly important. It has been used in actual public sector tender notices for Educational Psychologists providing advice and assessments as part of the EHC needs assessment process.
Potentially relevant CPV codes include:
CPV code and Description
85121270 Psychiatrist or psychologist services
85100000 Health services
80000000 Education and training services
80100000 Primary education services
80200000 Secondary education services
80340000 Special education services
85300000 Social work and related services
85311300 Welfare services for children and young people
85312300 Guidance and counselling services
85312310 Guidance services
79315000 Social research services
80500000 Training services
80510000 Specialist training services
The education and children's services codes are broader classifications. They may help identify opportunities connected with SEND, education or children's services, but they do not specifically describe Educational Psychology assessments. It is worth prioritising 85121270 when searching for statutory EHC assessment work.
Cross-specialism and wider consultancy services
Some opportunities may not sit neatly within one psychology specialism. For example, a contract might involve research, evaluation, organisational development, leadership, coaching, training or project delivery.
The following codes may be useful across several areas of psychology and professional development:
CPV code and Description
72221000 Business analysis consultancy services
72224000 Project management consultancy services
73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services
73210000 Research consultancy services
73220000 Development consultancy services
79315000 Social research services
79330000 Statistical services
79400000 Business and management consultancy and related services
79410000 Business and management consultancy services
79411000 General management consultancy services
79411100 Business-development consultancy services
79414000 Human resources management consultancy services
79998000 Coaching services
80500000 Training services
80510000 Specialist training services
80570000 Personal development training services
Please note: CPV codes are not exclusive to individual professions or specialisms, and the lists above are not exhaustive. Some descriptions cover broad service areas rather than a specific psychological service. Check the official CPV classification and the full tender specification before deciding whether an opportunity is relevant to your work.
Tips for making your tender searches more effective
Once you have identified some potentially relevant CPV codes, a few simple steps can help make your searches more productive.
1. Use more than one CPV code
Avoid relying on a single code. A local authority looking for Educational Psychology support, for example, may use a different classification from one commissioning a wider education or children's service. Searching across several relevant codes can help you identify opportunities you might otherwise miss.
2. Combine CPV codes with keywords
Try searching using a mixture of professional terminology and the language commonly used by commissioning organisations. Depending on your specialism, this might include:
- Educational Psychology, EHC needs assessments, EHCP, SEND and statutory assessment
- Occupational Psychology, assessment centres, psychometric assessment, organisational development and leadership
- Clinical Psychology, psychological assessment, psychological services and clinical consultation
- Forensic Psychology, expert witness, psychological reports, rehabilitation and probation
- Coaching, leadership development, workforce development, research and evaluation
It is also worth trying different variations of the same phrase. Tender notices do not always use consistent terminology.
3. Set up saved searches and alerts
Where the procurement platform allows it, create an account and save searches using your preferred CPV codes and keywords. Email alerts can help you keep track of new opportunities without having to repeat the same searches manually.
4. Look beyond the tender title
An opportunity may be described in broad terms, such as health services, education services or consultancy. Read the full description and specification before dismissing it. The detail may reveal that the organisation is looking for a particular type of psychological expertise or professional service.
5. Check whether the opportunity is suitable before investing time in a bid
Not every opportunity will be a good fit. Before committing time to a tender, consider:
- Whether the services requested match your expertise and professional qualifications.
- Whether the contract is for an individual practitioner, an organisation or a multidisciplinary provider.
- Whether there are specific registration, accreditation or professional membership requirements.
- Whether you can meet the insurance, safeguarding, data protection and other contractual requirements.
- Whether the timescales, geographical requirements and expected volume of work are realistic.
- Whether the contract value and payment arrangements make the opportunity commercially viable.
It can be helpful to review the selection criteria and specification early in the process so that you can decide whether the opportunity is worth pursuing.
A final thought
Finding relevant public sector opportunities is not always straightforward, particularly when services are described using broad or inconsistent terminology. Using CPV codes alongside keywords can make your searches more targeted and help you identify opportunities across different areas of psychology, coaching and consultancy.
The codes in this guide are a starting point rather than a definitive list. It is worth reviewing and refining your searches over time as you become familiar with the terminology used by different commissioning organisations and the types of opportunities they publish.
For further information, you can consult the official CPV classification and the latest procurement guidance on GOV.UK.
This article is intended as a general guide to finding tender opportunities. It is not procurement or legal advice. Always check the current guidance and the requirements of the individual contracting authority.
