udbudsloven

Udbudsloven is Denmark's Public Procurement Act, the Danish counterpart to Norway's Public Procurement Act. It dates from 2015 (Act no. 1564 of 15 December 2015) and has been amended several times since. It implements EU Directive 2014/24/EU and adds Danish national rules for contracts below the EU thresholds.

How does udbudsloven work?

As in every EU/EEA country, the rules depend on the estimated contract value relative to the threshold values. Above the EU/EEA threshold, Part II of the Act (the directive rules) applies and the contract notice is published in Tenders Electronic Daily (TED). For 2026 and 2027 the thresholds are DKK 1,044,400 for central government and DKK 1,611,360 for other authorities (supplies and services), matching €140,000 and €216,000, and DKK 40,313,840 (€5,404,000) for works.

Below the EU threshold, the Act has separate tracks for supplies and services:

• Clear cross-border interest (Part IV, Section 191): If suppliers from other EEA countries could realistically be interested, the contract must be advertised before it is awarded. Notices go on udbud.dk, Denmark's national portal and the equivalent of Norway's Doffin.
• No such interest, from DKK 500,000 (Part V, Section 193): The authority must make sure the purchase is made on market terms, for example through a market survey. Advertising is not required.
• Below DKK 500,000: The Act sets no requirements, but public authorities must follow general principles of administrative law.

Works contracts below the EU threshold currently follow a separate law, the Danish Tendering Act (tilbudsloven). Up to DKK 300,000 the authority may ask one supplier for a bid. From DKK 300,000 to DKK 3 million it collects informal bids from two or three suppliers, and above DKK 3 million the contract must go to a formal tender ("licitation"). Bill L 113 (2025-26), introduced on 18 February 2026, would repeal the Tendering Act and move these rules into udbudsloven. Sections 191 and 193 would be widened from supply and service contracts to all public contracts, so that works are covered, and new Sections 193 a and 193 b would add a DKK 5 million limit for works with a requirement for at least three bids or a contract notice, while the DKK 500,000 amount in Section 193 stays. The changes are proposed to take effect on 1 January 2027, so check the status before you price a specific project.

The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (KFST) gives guidance, supervises compliance and runs udbud.dk. Complaints go to the Danish Complaints Board for Public Procurement (Klagenævnet for Udbud), which is comparable to Norway's KOFA but issues binding decisions. The board can annul decisions and declare contracts ineffective.

An example: A Norwegian civil engineering contractor wants to bid on a Danish municipal road project worth DKK 20 million. That is below the EU works threshold of DKK 40.3 million, so Part II of udbudsloven does not apply. The project follows the Tendering Act instead, and because the value exceeds DKK 3 million, the municipality must run an open or restricted licitation.

Why does udbudsloven matter for suppliers?

Denmark applies the same Public Procurement Directive as the rest of the EU/EEA, so procedures above the threshold will look familiar. Below it, the differences are bigger:

• Advertising: Whether a below-threshold contract is advertised depends on the authority's assessment of cross-border interest, not on a fixed national threshold. In Norway, by comparison, contracts above NOK 1.3 million are always advertised on Doffin.
• Works: A separate law (the Tendering Act) below the EU threshold, at least until a possible reform.
• Remedies: Binding decisions from the Complaints Board, while Norway's KOFA mostly gives advisory opinions.
• Evidence: Danish buyers ask for Danish certificates. e-Certis shows the equivalents from your own country. Above the threshold, notices use the same eForms standard as the rest of the EU.

If you are also looking at Sweden or Finland, see LOU and hankintalaki. Finland publishes notices in one national portal, Hilma. Tools like Cobrief help you find and assess tenders, so you spend your time on the ones that fit.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign supplier bid under udbudsloven?

Yes. Suppliers from other EU and EEA countries have the same right to take part as Danish suppliers. Bids are normally written in Danish unless the tender documents allow other languages.

What does clear cross-border interest mean?

That suppliers from other EEA countries could realistically be interested in the contract. The authority looks at factors such as value, type of work and where it will be carried out.

Where do I complain about a Danish procurement?

To Klagenævnet for Udbud. If you complain during the standstill period, normally 10 days, the contract cannot be signed until the board has decided whether the complaint has suspensive effect.

In short: udbudsloven is Denmark's procurement law. Above the EU threshold it follows the directive like any other member state, but below it Denmark has its own tracks, and works contracts still have their own law for now.