How to bid on public tenders in Norway
Norway is an EEA country that applies EU procurement rules, so companies from Poland, the Baltics and the rest of the EU can bid on equal terms in one of Europe's wealthiest public markets. This guide covers where tenders are published, the NOK thresholds and 2026 law changes, and Norway's rules on wages, HSE cards, language and registration.
Where are Norway's public tenders published?
Norwegian public tenders are published on Doffin, the national notice database run by the Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management (DFØ). Contracts above the EEA thresholds also appear on TED, the EU tender portal, which covers the European Economic Area.
Bids are not submitted on Doffin. Buyers run the competition in an electronic tendering tool (konkurransegjennomføringsverktøy, KGV), and communication is electronic as a main rule, so register early in the tool named in the notice.
Which rules and thresholds apply to public tenders in Norway?
Norwegian procurement is governed by the Public Procurement Act (anskaffelsesloven) and the Public Procurement Regulation (anskaffelsesforskriften), with separate regulations for utilities, concessions and defence. Thresholds are set in NOK, and the EEA thresholds were updated on 21 April 2026.
| Contract | Threshold (excl. VAT) | EU value |
|---|---|---|
| The Act applies (from 1 July 2026) | NOK 500,000 | None |
| National threshold, Doffin notice | NOK 1.3 million | None |
| Goods and services, central government | NOK 1.63 million | EUR 140,000 |
| Goods and services, other buyers | NOK 2.5 million | EUR 216,000 |
| Utilities, goods and services | NOK 5 million | EUR 432,000 |
| Works | NOK 62.9 million | EUR 5,404,000 |
Above the EEA thresholds, full EU-style procedures apply, while more flexible national procedures apply between NOK 1.3 million and those thresholds. DFØ keeps an overview of all Norwegian procurement thresholds.
What changed in Norway's procurement rules in 2026?
Amendments to the Public Procurement Act entered into force on 1 July 2026. The Act now applies from NOK 500,000 instead of NOK 100,000, and the social and environmental requirements were moved into the Act, with climate and environment still weighted at 30% as a main rule.
The wage rules known as the Norgesmodellen (the Norway model) are now part of the Act. In service and construction contracts at or above the advertising threshold (currently NOK 1.3 million), workers of the supplier and its subcontractors must receive pay in line with a generally applicable or nationwide collective agreement (tariffavtale), documented on request. Construction and cleaning contracts also require occupational pension, HSE cards (HMS-kort), wages paid through a bank and, as a main rule, no more than two subcontractor levels below the supplier. Service and construction contracts lasting more than three months, in trades with a shortage of apprenticeship places, must also require at least 10% of the work to be done by apprentices.
Which language and documents do you need for a Norwegian tender?
Each Norwegian buyer decides which languages it accepts, and tender documents are usually in Norwegian. Some buyers also accept bids in English, so read the language clause (språk) before translating.
Above the EEA thresholds, buyers use the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD), normally filled in inside the tendering tool. Norway has national exclusion grounds that go beyond the ESPD, such as accepted fines (forelegg) for certain offences. Buyers commonly ask for proof of registration in a company or trade register in your home country, and the supplier chosen for award must submit updated evidence before the contract is awarded.
What practical requirements do foreign suppliers face in Norway?
Foreign companies posting workers to Norway must pay at least the minimum wages set for industries such as construction, cleaning and electrical work, and workers on building sites and in cleaning need an HSE card. Employment contracts, pay slips and timesheets must be available at the workplace in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English, as explained by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.
- Registers: HSE cards can only be issued when the company and its workers are registered in the necessary Norwegian public registers. A foreign business that needs a Norwegian organisation number registers as a Norwegian-registered foreign business (NUF) at the Brønnøysund Register Centre.
- VAT: registration is required once taxable sales in Norway exceed NOK 50,000 over a 12-month period. Companies from Poland, Czechia, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and other listed countries need no VAT representative.
- Reporting: the Norwegian client reports assignments to foreign contractors of NOK 20,000 or more on form RF-1199, while the contractor reports its workers.
- E-invoicing: on contracts covered by the Procurement Act, suppliers to public buyers must send invoices in EHF or Peppol BIS format over the Peppol network.
Which deadlines and mistakes should you watch in Norway?
A late bid must be rejected even if the tendering tool failed, so plan for the upload to finish well before the deadline. After the award decision comes a standstill period (karensperiode) of at least 10 days above the EEA thresholds (15 days if the buyer does not communicate electronically), or a reasonable period below them.
The standstill is not a complaint deadline. Above the EEA thresholds, asking the district court for an interim injunction (midlertidig forføyning) within that period automatically stops the signing until the court decides. Complaints to the Complaints Board for Public Procurement (KOFA) cost NOK 8,000 for ordinary complaints, where KOFA gives an advisory opinion, and NOK 1,000 for complaints about illegal direct awards. They must be filed within 6 months of contract signature, or 2 years for illegal direct awards.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign company bid on public tenders in Norway?
Yes. Norway applies the EU procurement directives through the EEA Agreement, so a company from another EEA country bids on the same terms as a Norwegian one, although work in Norway may require local registrations and HSE cards.
Do I need to translate my bid into Norwegian?
Only if the tender says so. Some buyers also accept English, but some construction contracts require workers on site to have adequate language skills for safety reasons.
Do Norwegian wages apply to staff I post from abroad?
Yes, in sectors with generally applicable collective agreements, such as construction and cleaning. In public service and construction contracts the buyer can also ask you to document Norwegian pay levels for your own staff and your subcontractors.
Considering a tender in Norway?
TenderEurope works with local specialists who know Norwegian public procurement from the inside. They help you find the right tenders on Doffin, get registrations, HSE cards and documents in place, and write your bid in Norwegian.
Sources
- Regjeringen – Nye terskelverdier for kunngjøring av anskaffelser i EØS er vedtatt
- Regjeringen – Oversikt over justerte EØS-terskelverdier 2026–2027
- DFØ – Nye EØS-terskelverdier for offentlige anskaffelser har trådt i kraft
- DFØ – Terskelverdier for offentlige anskaffelser
- Regjeringen – Endringene i anskaffelsesloven trer i kraft
- Regjeringen – Endringer i anskaffelsesregelverket
- DFØ – Stortinget har vedtatt endringer i anskaffelsesloven
- Stortinget – Lovvedtak 26 (2025–2026), endringer i anskaffelsesloven
- KS Advokatene – Endringer i anskaffelsesloven
- data.norge.no – Doffin, kunngjøringer om offentlige anskaffelser
- European Commission – Tenders Electronic Daily (TED)
- DFØ – ESPD
- DFØ – Mal for konkurransegrunnlag, åpen anbudskonkurranse (del III)
- DFØ – Mal for konkurransegrunnlag (del I og del III)
- DFØ – Veileder til anskaffelsesforskriften: Avvisning
- DFØ – Veileder til anskaffelsesforskriften: Avslutning av konkurransen (del II)
- DFØ – Veileder til anskaffelsesforskriften: Avslutning av konkurransen
- Klagenemndssekretariatet – Levere klage til KOFA
- Klagenemndssekretariatet – Frister for klager og innklagede (KOFA)
- Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority – Posting employees to Norway?
- Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority – HSE cards
- Norwegian Tax Administration – Register in the VAT Register
- Norwegian Tax Administration – RF-1199 Information about contracts, contractors and employees
- Brønnøysund Register Centre – Norwegian-registered foreign business (NUF)
- European Commission – Norway eInvoicing Country Sheet
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so always check the tender documents and the official sources. Last reviewed October 2026.
