Asset codification is the process by which a product being procured for the first time is named, classified into a NATO group and class, and identified (described) so that it can be assigned a product codification number (in NATO terminology, the so-called NATO Stock Number – NSN). Products that are already in use by the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of the Czech Republic and has been assigned an NSN are not codified again.

The easiest way is to contact us directly for advice, or to contact another codification agency.

More information, including guides, can be found on the Codification Department website.

All products intended for ensuring the defence of the state and purchased for the first time by the Ministry of Defence (first purchase of a product) or products of Czech manufacturers whose codification has been requested by a foreign codification department are subject to codification under Act No. 309/2000 Coll., on defence standardization, codification and state quality verification of products and services intended for ensuring the defence of the state and on amendments to the Trade Licensing Act.
The rules for asset codification are further specified in internal normative acts of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic.

The manufacturer’s/supplier’s code (known in NATO terminology as the NATO Commercial and Government Entity Code – NCAGE Code) is assigned by the Codification Department for the unique identification of an organization within NATO. In order to be assigned an NCAGE Code, a manufacturer (supplier) must have a contract for the supply of materials to the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic and fill in all the required information in accordance with Annex No. 3 of Decree No. 5/2001 Coll. of the Ministry of Defence. In exceptional cases, NCAGE Code is also assigned to entities other than manufacturers or suppliers. The NATO Stock Number (NSN) is assigned to the product by the Codification Department if the submitted proposal for draft item identification is complete and the product is intended for national defense purposes. Draft item identification is only processed for products for which a purchase contract, including a codification contract clause, has been concluded, or if a foreign codification authority has expressed interest in codification of the product. NSN is not assigned “in advance” (if no purchase contract has been concluded for the product, NSN is not assigned).

The draft item identification is processed by an agency. An agency is a natural or legal person that carries out business under Act No. 455/1991 Coll., on trade business (Trade Act), based on a certificate of competence to process the draft item identification issued by the Úř OSK SKJ (hereinafter referred to as the “certificate of competence”).

In accordance with Act No. 309/2000 Coll., the codification department is required to include a codification contract clause in the contract with the supplier for a product that has not been codified yet. In addition to the data listed in the table, which is part of the codification contract clause, the manufacturer (supplier) is obliged to make the technical documentation for the product available or to submit the basic technical parameters (properties) of the product to the agency for encoding.

The time required for processing of basic data for codification and draft item identification depends on the number of products submitted for codification and on the quality and preparation of technical documentation for the products. If these are simple commercial products (fasteners, tools, etc.), depending on the number of items (10 to 50), it can take 1 day to a week. In the case of more complex products and especially a larger number of items (100 or more), it is necessary to count on 30 to 45 days.