LOU

LOU (lag (2016:1145) om offentlig upphandling) is Sweden's main public procurement law, the Swedish counterpart to Norway's Public Procurement Act. It implements EU Directive 2014/24/EU and adds Swedish national rules for contracts below the EU thresholds. If you want to bid for a Swedish municipality, region or government agency, LOU is the law that applies.

How does LOU work?

As everywhere in the EU, the rules depend on the estimated contract value and where it sits relative to the threshold values. Above the EU/EEA threshold, the directive rules apply in full. Below it, the national rules in Chapters 19 and 19 a of LOU apply, with simpler procedures such as the "förenklat förfarande" (simplified procedure). Two sister laws cover other areas: LUF (2016:1146) for the utilities sectors and LUK (2016:1147) for concessions.

The values for 2026 and 2027 (excl. VAT):

• Below SEK 700,000: The authority may buy directly ("direktupphandling"), similar to a direct award. Under LUF the limit is SEK 1,200,000.
• From SEK 700,000 up to the EU threshold: Chapter 19 applies, and the contract must be advertised.
• Above the EU threshold: SEK 1,589,140 for central government and SEK 2,451,816 for other authorities (supplies and services), matching €140,000 and €216,000 in the directive, and SEK 61,340,804 for works. The notice is then also published in Tenders Electronic Daily (TED).

Sweden has no single national portal. Authorities publish their notices in "registrerade annonsdatabaser", advertising databases that are approved and registered by the Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket). The list of registered databases is available from Konkurrensverket.

The National Agency for Public Procurement (Upphandlingsmyndigheten) provides guidance and statistics, while Konkurrensverket supervises compliance. There is no complaints board. To challenge a procedure, you apply to the administrative court (förvaltningsrätten) for review ("överprövning"). You normally do this during the "avtalsspärr", the Swedish standstill period, which is 10 days when the award decision is sent electronically.

An example: A Norwegian furniture supplier wants to sell office furniture worth SEK 900,000 to a Swedish municipality. The value is above the direct award limit but well below the EU threshold of SEK 2,451,816. The municipality therefore runs an advertised procedure under Chapter 19 of LOU, published in a Swedish advertising database. The contract never appears in TED, so a supplier who only watches TED will miss it.

Why does LOU matter for suppliers?

Sweden applies the same Public Procurement Directive as the rest of the EU/EEA, so above the threshold most things will feel familiar. Below it, national details make the difference:

• Limits: Sweden's direct award limit of SEK 700,000 is relatively high. In Norway, by comparison, the Act applies from a minimum value threshold of NOK 500,000, and contracts above NOK 1.3 million are advertised on Doffin.
• Advertising: Several databases instead of one portal. Above the threshold, notices use the same eForms standard as the rest of the EU.
• Remedies: A court, not a board such as Norway's KOFA. The process is formal and the deadlines are short.
• Evidence: Swedish buyers often ask for certificates from Swedish registers. e-Certis shows which documents from your own country are equivalent.

If you are also looking at Denmark or Finland, see udbudsloven and hankintalaki. Finland uses one national portal, Hilma, while Denmark uses udbud.dk. Tools like Cobrief help you find and assess tenders, so you spend your time on the ones you can actually win.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign supplier bid under LOU?

Yes. Suppliers from other EU and EEA countries have the same right to take part as Swedish suppliers, and the authority may not discriminate on nationality. Bids are normally written in Swedish unless the procurement documents allow other languages.

What is direktupphandling?

A purchase below SEK 700,000 with no obligation to advertise. The authority may not split a purchase to stay below the limit.

Where do I complain about a Swedish procurement?

To the administrative court, by applying for överprövning. Apply while the standstill period is running, or the contract may already have been signed.

In short: LOU is Sweden's procurement law. It follows the same EU directive as other member states, but below the EU threshold you will find the contracts in Swedish advertising databases, not in TED.