The rules and the market
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Offentlig upphandling | Public procurement. |
| LOU / LUF / LUK / LUFS | The four acts: general (LOU), utilities (LUF), concessions (LUK), and defence and security (LUFS). |
| Upphandlande myndighet / organisation | Contracting authority / entity. |
| Tröskelvärde | EU threshold. In 2026: SEK 1,589,140 (central government) and SEK 2,451,816 (others) for goods and services; SEK 61,340,804 for works. |
| Direktupphandling / direktupphandlingsgräns | Direct award, up to SEK 700,000 under LOU. |
| Upphandlingsmyndigheten / Konkurrensverket | The national procurement agency, and the competition authority, which supervises. |
Procedures and finding tenders
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Öppet förfarande | Open procedure: at least 35 days (30 electronically). |
| Selektivt förfarande | Restricted procedure. |
| Förhandlat förfarande | Negotiated procedure. |
| Konkurrenspräglad dialog / innovationspartnerskap | Competitive dialogue and innovation partnership. |
| Ramavtal | Framework agreement, about half of advertised procurements. |
| Skälig tid | A “reasonable time” to bid, the rule below the thresholds. |
| Annonsdatabas (registrerad) | A registered advertising database where tenders must appear: e-Avrop, KommersAnnons, Mercell, Konstpool and Clira. |
| Upphandlingsdokument | The tender documents. |
Qualifying and bidding
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Anbud / anbudsgivare | The bid / the bidder. |
| ESPD | The European Single Procurement Document. |
| Uteslutningsgrunder | Exclusion grounds. |
| Kvalificeringskrav | Qualification requirements. Turnover requirements are capped at 2× the contract value. |
| Åberopa annat företags kapacitet | Relying on another company’s capacity. |
| Grupp av leverantörer | A group of suppliers (consortium). No legal form is needed to bid. |
| Underleverantör | Subcontractor. |
| F-skatt | Swedish approval for business tax. Foreign companies can get it. |
| Arbetsrättsliga villkor | Swedish pay, holiday and working-hours conditions, required above the thresholds where necessary. |
| Anbudsspråk | Bid language: any EU language unless the documents say otherwise. |
Award and review
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tilldelningsbeslut | The award decision. |
| Bästa förhållande mellan pris och kvalitet | Best price-quality ratio. |
| Onormalt lågt anbud | An abnormally low bid, which must be explained. |
| Avtalsspärr | Standstill: 10 days (electronic) or 15 days. |
| Överprövning | An application for review, to the administrative court where the buyer is based. No court fee. |
| Förvaltningsrätt / kammarrätt | Administrative court / administrative court of appeal. |
| Skadestånd | Damages, claimed in the general courts within a year. |
| Dröjsmålsränta | Late-payment interest: the reference rate + 8 points (10% in the second half of 2026). |
Questions
What is direktupphandling?
A direct award without an advertised procedure: up to SEK 700,000 under LOU, the general procurement act, and SEK 1.2 million under the utilities and defence acts. Buyers must document the reasons for direct awards of SEK 100,000 or more.
What is avtalsspärr?
The standstill period after an award decision, during which the contract can’t be signed: at least 10 days if the decision is sent electronically, 15 otherwise. Applying for review extends it until the court decides.
What is F-skatt?
Swedish approval for business tax (F-skattsedel). A foreign company can be approved on the same terms as a Swedish one; without it, the buyer must withhold tax from payments for work done in Sweden.
Sources
- Upphandlingsmyndigheten: thresholds and direct-award limits
- Konkurrensverket: register of advertising databases
- Swedish courts: applying for review of a public procurement
This guide explains the rules in plain English; it isn’t legal advice. Procurement rules change, and each tender document sets its own conditions — it always prevails.