public procurement act

The Public Procurement Act (anskaffelsesloven, commonly abbreviated LOA) is Norway's overarching law governing public procurement of goods, services, and works. The Act is a framework law that establishes the purpose, fundamental principles, and enforcement rules for public procurement, while the detailed procedural rules are found in the public procurement regulation. The current Act dates from 17 June 2016 and entered into force on 1 January 2017.

How does the Public Procurement Act work?

The Act applies to all contracting authorities, including central government, municipal, and county authorities, as well as bodies governed by public law. It covers all procurements with a value of NOK 500,000 or more excluding VAT, the minimum value threshold. Until 30 June 2026 this entry point was NOK 100,000; it was raised following a parliamentary vote on 5 February 2026.

Since 1 July 2026, the Act's purpose (Section 1) is to promote effective and sustainable use of society's resources (economic, social and environmental sustainability), to safeguard security and preparedness, and to maintain public trust that procurement is carried out in a socially responsible way. The fundamental principles (Section 4) require that procurements be based on competition, equal treatment, predictability, verifiability, and proportionality. Parliament decided in February 2026 to repeal Section 4, but the repeal is postponed until new national rules for procurement below the EEA thresholds are in place, so the principles still apply. These principles apply across all procedures and threshold values.

As an EEA member, Norway uses this Act to implement three EU directives (2014/23/EU, 2014/24/EU, and 2014/25/EU) into national law, ensuring alignment with the broader European procurement framework.

Key provisions

• Purpose (Section 1): Effective and sustainable use of society's resources, security and preparedness, and public trust
• Scope (Section 2): Applies to all public authorities and bodies governed by public law, from NOK 500,000 excl. VAT
• Fundamental principles (Section 4): Competition, equal treatment, transparency, verifiability, and proportionality (repeal decided but postponed)
• Societal considerations (Sections 5a–5p): Requirements on procurement strategy, climate and environment, security and preparedness, pay and working conditions, apprentices, human rights, universal design and innovation, with sanctions for breaches
• Enforcement (Sections 8–12): KOFA handles complaints, while courts can declare contracts invalid for regulatory breaches

Tools like Cobrief can help suppliers understand how the Act's requirements affect specific tender procedures and stay informed about procurements where these principles are particularly relevant.

The Public Procurement Act is the foundation on which Norway's entire procurement regulatory framework rests. While FOA provides the detailed rules of procedure, it is the Act that sets the direction and ensures public purchasing happens in a fair and trustworthy manner. For suppliers, this means the Act's principles apply to every procurement from NOK 500,000, regardless of its size or procedure.