How do public tenders work in Finland?

Law and buyers

Public procurement in Finland is governed by Laki julkisista hankinnoista ja käyttöoikeussopimuksista (the Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts, 1397/2016), which implements the EU directives, and a separate act for utilities (1398/2016). The Act also sets national thresholds, so contracts between those and the EU thresholds follow lighter national rules. Buyers include state agencies, municipalities, the wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialueet) responsible for health and social services, and public companies. Hansel is the central purchasing body for central government, and several regional purchasing companies serve municipalities. KKV (the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority) supervises compliance, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is responsible for the legislation. Amendments adopted in June 2026 enter into force in stages between 2026 and 2029.[1][3][14][18]

Where tenders are published

Every procurement above the national thresholds must be announced in Hilma (hankintailmoitukset.fi), the national notice service maintained for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Hilma is free to search, and suppliers can set up free search alerts. Notices above the EU thresholds are forwarded automatically to TED. The tender documents and the submission are usually handled in a separate e-tendering system chosen by the buyer, most commonly Mercell's Tarjouspalvelu or Cloudia; suppliers register free accounts there. Many buyers also publish smaller purchases below the thresholds in Hilma or on their own websites. Strong electronic identification is not generally required to submit a tender, but the e-tendering platform may ask for it.[4][13]

Procedures and thresholds

Above the EU thresholds, buyers use avoin menettely (open procedure), rajoitettu menettely (restricted procedure), neuvottelumenettely (competitive procedure with negotiation), kilpailullinen neuvottelumenettely (competitive dialogue) and innovaatiokumppanuus (innovation partnership). Between the national and EU thresholds, buyers can design their own procedure as long as they announce it in Hilma and respect equal treatment and transparency. Below the national thresholds the Act does not apply (pienhankinnat, small purchases), though buyers follow their own rules. Framework agreements (puitejärjestelyt) and dynamic purchasing systems are common, notably through Hansel. From 1 October 2026, buyers must in principle divide EU-level contracts into lots and cancel an open procedure that receives only one tender.[1][3][14]

Documents and language

Above the EU thresholds buyers must accept the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD), which is often built into the tender form. Finnish buyers commonly ask for evidence under the Contractor's Liability Act (tilaajavastuulaki): an extract from the trade register, a tax debt certificate or tax certificate, proof of pension and accident insurance, and the applicable collective agreement. Many suppliers share this information through the Luotettava Kumppani service. Buyers may also ask for financial statements, credit ratings, references and certificates. Tenders are usually submitted in Finnish or Swedish, the two official languages; some buyers accept English, especially for international tenders, and the documents say so.[1][15][16][17]

Deadlines, award and challenges

In an open procedure above the EU thresholds, the minimum time limit is 35 days from sending the notice, reduced by five days when tenders are submitted electronically, with shorter periods possible after a prior information notice or in urgent cases. Between the national and EU thresholds the buyer must allow a reasonable period. Contracts are awarded to the most economically advantageous tender, based on price, cost or best price-quality ratio. Above the EU thresholds there is a standstill period (odotusaika) of 14 days after the award decision is served. Bidders can request a procurement rectification (hankintaoikaisu) from the buyer or appeal to the Market Court (markkinaoikeus), usually within 14 days.[1][5][11]

How to win a tender in Finland

Finnish contracts go to the most economically advantageous tender, judged on price, cost or the best price-quality ratio. Many buyers fix the price or score quality with points against a price, so read the comparison criteria (vertailuperusteet) and mandatory requirements in the invitation to tender closely. Ask questions in Hilma or the buyer's tendering system before the question deadline; answers go to all bidders and become part of the tender documents. Finland's openness rules give you a strong way to know the buyer: procurement decisions become public when signed, and tenders become public once the contract is concluded, except trade secrets. Request earlier decisions, comparison memos and winning bids, and combine them with the notice history in Hilma and TED. Write in Finnish or Swedish unless English is accepted, answer every comparison criterion with concrete evidence, and keep your Contractor's Liability Act certificates current, as buyers often require them to be no older than three months. Bids fail on missing mandatory requirements, conditional offers, late submission and outdated certificates. The procurement decision must always be reasoned, and as a party you can see the comparison and, apart from trade secrets, competitors' bids. Use the 14-day standstill to request a free procurement rectification (hankintaoikaisu) or appeal to the Market Court.[8][9][10][11]

1. Read the vertailuperusteet and every mandatory requirement before you start writing.
2. Ask questions in Hilma or the tendering system before the deadline.
3. Request the buyer's earlier procurement decisions and winning bids as public documents.
4. Answer each comparison criterion with concrete evidence in the accepted language.
5. Keep Contractor's Liability Act certificates no older than three months.
6. Study the reasoned decision and use hankintaoikaisu within 14 days if needed.

Clarification round: Lisätietokysymykset (questions for additional information)

Tips for bidders

Create a free search profile in Hilma, which covers all contracts above the national thresholds in one place. Collect your Contractor's Liability Act documents early, or join Luotettava Kumppani, because buyers often require certificates that are no older than three months. Check the language rules: Finnish is standard, but Swedish-speaking municipalities use Swedish, and English is sometimes accepted. Follow the 2026 reforms, as mandatory lot division from October 2026 should open more contracts to smaller firms. Read the award criteria closely, since Finnish buyers often use fixed price with quality points. If you see an error, use hankintaoikaisu first; it is free and faster than an appeal.[3][4][11][15]

Platforms in Finland

Share of the 6,620 TED notices from 2025 whose documents sit on this platform.

• Mercell (incl. TendSign, EU-Supply, ETHICS, Cloudia)79.4%

  Buyers using Mercell's tendering tools (TendSign, EU-Supply and others) publish openly; suppliers log in to submit, with country-specific support pages per market.

  How it works →Website

• Hilma7.7%

  Hilma is Finland's free notice channel; register (with a Business ID) only for search alerts, and bid in the tendering system named in the notice.

  How it works →Website

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Hankintalaki 1397/2016, Finlex
2. Hankinnat.fi: Kynnysarvot
3. Hankinnat.fi: Eduskunta hyväksyi hankintalain muutokset (2026)
4. Hilma, hankintailmoitukset.fi
5. Markkinaoikeus (Market Court)
6. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2152 (thresholds 2026-2027)
7. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2150 (utilities thresholds 2026-2027)
8. Hankintalaki 1397/2016, Finlex
9. Hankinnat.fi – Hankinta-asiakirjojen julkisuus
10. Hankinnat.fi – Hankintapäätös
11. Hankinnat.fi – Hankintaoikaisu
12. Hilma – Tarjouspyyntöön liittyvät kysymykset ja vastaukset
13. TED – Tenders Electronic Daily (EU notices and award notices)
14. Hansel - Etusivu
15. Laki tilaajan selvitysvelvollisuudesta ja vastuusta ulkopuolista työvoimaa käytettäessä (1233/2006)
16. Vastuu Group (Luotettava Kumppani)
17. European single procurement document and eCertis
18. kkv.fi

Checked on 15 October 2026. Made by TenderRender from official sources. Not legal advice: check the notice and documents of each tender.

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