NUTS Level 1 (Major Socio-Economic Regions)

NUTS Level 1 is the first sub-national tier of the NUTS classification system. It groups EU territory into major socio-economic regions whose population falls broadly between 3 million and 7 million inhabitants, though exceptions exist for small member states and geographically distinct territories. For procurement purposes, NUTS Level 1 codes indicate that a contract covers a large but still sub-national area.

What are NUTS Level 1 regions?

Each NUTS Level 0 country is subdivided into Level 1 regions. The number of Level 1 regions per country varies considerably. Germany has 16 (one per federal state), France has 14 (metropolitan regions plus overseas territories), and smaller countries such as Malta or Luxembourg each form a single NUTS Level 1 unit that is effectively the same as their Level 0 territory.

NUTS Level 1 codes are three characters long: the two-letter country code followed by one alphanumeric character. For example, DE1 is Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany, FR1 is Ile-de-France (the Paris region), and PL8 covers Makroregion wschodni in eastern Poland.

The boundaries of NUTS Level 1 regions do not always correspond to administrative or political boundaries. In some member states they represent genuine administrative entities (German Lander, Belgian regions), while in others they are statistical aggregations created specifically for Eurostat purposes with no direct administrative counterpart.

Why NUTS Level 1 matters for bidders

A procurement notice listing a NUTS Level 1 code as the place of performance tells bidders that the contract scope is regional but broad. A facility management contract for all government buildings in northern England (UKD in the UK's predecessor ITL system), for instance, covers a large geographic area with significant logistical implications for service delivery.

For opportunity pipeline management, NUTS Level 1 codes are the most practical geographic filter for large suppliers with regional coverage. A civil engineering firm with operations across Bavaria can filter TED for DE2 (Bayern) to capture relevant notices without being overwhelmed by all German notices. An IT services provider covering Scandinavia might monitor multiple Level 1 codes across Denmark (DK0), Sweden (SE1, SE2, SE3), and Finland (FI1, FI2) as part of its regular market intelligence.

NUTS Level 1 is also significant in the context of EU Cohesion Policy eligibility. Certain transition and less-developed regions are identified at the NUTS Level 2 layer, but the overall policy architecture is designed around Level 1 groupings. Understanding which Level 1 areas fall within EU-supported investment zones helps bidders anticipate where co-funded contract opportunities are likely to concentrate. See NUTS and Structural Funds for more detail.

Example

An environmental services company headquartered in Lyon wants to identify wastewater management contracts across southern France. NUTS Level 1 code FR8 covers Mediterranee and FR7 covers Centre-Est, encompassing the Rhone-Alpes and Auvergne regions around Lyon. By searching TED for these two Level 1 codes, the company scopes its search to the relevant macro-region without having to list every individual department-level code.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many NUTS Level 1 regions are there across the EU?

The NUTS 2024 Classification defines 98 NUTS Level 1 regions across the 27 EU member states. The number has changed slightly over successive revisions as member states reorganise their administrative structures.

Do all countries have distinct NUTS Level 1 regions?

No. Small member states such as Luxembourg, Malta, Cyprus, and Estonia each form a single NUTS Level 1 unit identical to their NUTS Level 0 territory, because their total population falls below the threshold that would justify subdivision. In these countries, Levels 0, 1, and sometimes 2 share the same code.

Is NUTS Level 1 used in contract notices or only in statistical reporting?

Both. NUTS Level 1 codes appear in the place-of-performance field of TED contract notices when a contracting authority determines that the geographic scope of the contract corresponds to a broad regional area. They are also the primary geographic unit used in Eurostat economic reports and in EU funding eligibility assessments.