The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code® (UNSPSC®) is a global classification system of products and services.
UNSPSC codes are used by UNGM to classify suppliers' products and services. Upon registration on UNGM, suppliers are required to provide information about their activity - by classifying the suppliers' products and/or services according to the UNSPSC code classification.
How are UNSPSC codes used in the registration?
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Based on the UNSPSC codes selected in the UNGM registration form, suppliers are matched with UN organizations that may procure this type of products and/or services.
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This classification enables UN staff members to effectively identify relevant suppliers for specific categories of products and/or services. The selection of UNSPSC codes to describe the suppliers' products and/or services is, therefore of critical importance.
How are UNSPSC codes used in procurement opportunities?
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When publishing procurement opportunities on UNGM, UN staff members use UNSPSC codes to classify products and/or services covered by the procurement opportunity.
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This classification enables suppliers to identify procurement opportunities for specific categories of products and/or services.
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UNSPSC codes are used to send notifications of relevant procurement opportunities to Tender Alert Service subscribers.
UNSPSC code structure
The UNSPSC code structure represents a four-level hierarchy with each level represented by two digits. The structure is hierarchical and the coding purely numeric.
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XX000000 the first pair of digits identifies the relevant Segment
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XXXX0000 the first and second pair of digits, combined, indicate the Family
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XXXXXX00 the first three pairs of digits identify the Class
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XXXXXXXX combined the four pairs of digits indicate the Commodity
TIP: For more information on UNSPSC codes, access the following resources:
The UNSPSC coding system has replaced the United Nations Common Coding System (UNCCS) coding system in 2012.