How do public tenders work in Sweden?

Law and buyers

Public procurement in Sweden is governed by the Public Procurement Act, Lag (2016:1145) om offentlig upphandling (LOU), which implements Directive 2014/24/EU. Utilities follow LUF (2016:1146) and concessions follow LUK (2016:1147). Unlike many EU countries, LOU also contains national rules for contracts below the EU thresholds. Buyers include central government agencies, municipalities, regions and municipally owned companies. Central purchasing bodies include Statens inköpscentral at Kammarkollegiet for the state and Adda for municipalities and regions. Upphandlingsmyndigheten (the National Agency for Public Procurement) provides guidance, while Konkurrensverket (the Swedish Competition Authority) supervises compliance and can seek fines for unlawful direct awards.[1][10][11][15]

Where tenders are published

Sweden has no single government tender portal. Since 2020, contracting authorities must publish notices in a registered advertising database (registrerad annonsdatabas), and Konkurrensverket keeps the official register of these databases. The largest are commercial platforms such as Mercell (including TendSign), e-Avrop and KommersAnnons; some large buyers, such as Trafikverket, use their own systems. Registered databases must let anyone search notices free of charge. Notices above the EU thresholds also appear on TED. To download documents and submit a tender you usually create a free supplier account in the platform the buyer uses. A qualified electronic signature is not generally required, but some buyers ask for BankID or an e-signature at signing.[1][4][9]

Procedures and thresholds

Above the EU thresholds, buyers use the directive procedures: öppet förfarande (open procedure), selektivt förfarande (restricted procedure), förhandlat förfarande med föregående annonsering (competitive procedure with negotiation), konkurrenspräglad dialog (competitive dialogue) and innovationspartnerskap. Below the thresholds, chapter 19 of LOU has no named procedures since 2022: the buyer designs the procedure itself within the principles of equal treatment, transparency and proportionality, advertises in a registered database and gives a reasonable time limit. Very small purchases below the direct award limit can be bought by direktupphandling without a formal procedure, although buyers must document larger direct awards. Framework agreements (ramavtal) are very common, especially through Statens inköpscentral and Adda. The current amounts are listed in the threshold table.[1][3][11][12]

Documents and language

Above the EU thresholds, buyers must accept the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD), which Upphandlingsmyndigheten offers as a free online service. Typical evidence includes a registration certificate from Bolagsverket or the home-country equivalent, proof that taxes and social security contributions are paid (buyers often check this themselves with Skatteverket), financial information or a credit rating, and references or quality and environmental certificates. Tenders are usually required in Swedish, although some buyers accept English for certain documents or for international tenders; the procurement documents state this. Foreign bidders can use equivalent documents from their own country, and translations may be requested.[1][13]

Deadlines, award and challenges

Above the EU thresholds, the minimum time limit in an open procedure is 35 days from the date the notice is sent, reduced by five days when tenders can be submitted electronically, with shorter periods possible after a prior information notice or in urgent cases. Below the thresholds, the law only requires a reasonable time limit (skälig tid). Contracts are awarded on the most economically advantageous tender, which can be based on price, cost or best price-quality ratio. After the award decision, a standstill period (avtalsspärr) of 10 days applies when the decision is sent electronically. Bidders can apply for review (överprövning) at the administrative court (förvaltningsrätt).[1][14]

How to win a tender in Sweden

Swedish contracts go to the most economically advantageous tender, based on price, cost or the best price-quality ratio. Read the evaluation model closely: many buyers translate quality into a fictitious price deduction, so you can calculate what each quality answer is worth against your price. Mandatory requirements (ska-krav) are strictly applied, and missing one formal requirement usually means rejection with little room for correction. Ask questions through the procurement platform before the question deadline; answers are shared anonymously with all bidders and become part of the procurement documents. Sweden has a strong local tool for knowing the buyer: under the principle of public access to official documents you can ask any public buyer for earlier tender documents, evaluation reports, award decisions and winning bids, apart from parts covered by secrecy. Combine that with notices from the registered advertising databases and TED. Write in Swedish unless the documents allow English, answer each criterion with concrete evidence, and mark any trade secrets in your bid with reasons. Bids are under absolute secrecy until the award decision. After it, read the stated reasons, request the winning bid and evaluation, and use the 10-day standstill if you consider review (överprövning) at the administrative court.[1][6][7][8]

1. Work out what each quality answer is worth in the evaluation model.
2. Check every ska-krav twice; one missed requirement usually excludes you.
3. Request earlier winning bids and evaluation reports from the buyer as public documents.
4. Ask questions on the platform before the question deadline.
5. Mark trade secrets in your bid and explain why disclosure would harm you.
6. After award, request the winning bid and act within the 10-day standstill.

Clarification round: Frågor och svar (questions and answers)

Tips for bidders

Monitor several advertising databases or a search service, because Swedish notices are spread across multiple commercial platforms. Read the mandatory requirements (ska-krav) carefully: Swedish buyers often reject tenders that miss a single formal requirement, and there is limited scope for correcting errors after submission. Ask questions through the platform before the question deadline, as answers are shared with all bidders. Many contracts are frameworks with several suppliers and call-offs (avrop), so it pays to win a place on the framework. Check whether the buyer accepts English documents, and plan time for Swedish translation if not. Finally, consider subcontracting or partnering with a Swedish firm for local presence and language.[1][4]

Platforms in Sweden

Share of the 13,165 TED notices from 2025 whose documents sit on this platform.

• Mercell (incl. TendSign, EU-Supply, ETHICS, Cloudia)54.7%

  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

• e-Avrop20.7%

  A free supplier account is needed to download documents, ask questions and submit bids; searching tenders is free without an account.

  How it works →Website

• KommersAnnons13%

  Free notice database for buyers using the Kommers system (Antirio); each notice links to the buyer's own supplier portal, where you register and submit.

  Website

• Trafikverket (own portal)7%

  Trafikverket runs its own procurement system, Kommers (upphandling.trafikverket.se); you need an account to request documents and submit bids.

• Clira3%

  Swedish buyers publish via Clira eSource; you need a supplier account (free according to buyers) to see full documents and submit a bid.

  Website

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Lag (2016:1145) om offentlig upphandling, Sveriges riksdag
2. Tillkännagivande (2026:245) om tröskelvärden vid offentlig upphandling
3. Upphandlingsmyndigheten: Tröskelvärden och direktupphandlingsgränser
4. Konkurrensverket: Annonsdatabasregistret
5. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2152 (thresholds 2026-2027)
6. Offentlighets- och sekretesslag (2009:400), 19 kap. 3 § and 31 kap. 16 §, Sveriges riksdag
7. Länsstyrelsen Örebro – Upphandlingar (sekretess until tilldelningsbeslut, anbud public after)
8. Upphandlingsmyndigheten – Nationalekonomiska aspekter vid upphandling av kvalitet
9. TED – Tenders Electronic Daily (EU notices and award notices)
10. Offentlig upphandling | Konkurrensverket
11. Avropa.se (Statens inköpscentral, Kammarkollegiet)
12. Adda
13. European single procurement document and eCertis
14. Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement
15. upphandlingsmyndigheten.se

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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