Norwegian public sector procurement of goods and services, including building and construction services, are valued at about NOK 520 billion a year. The regulatory framework is intended to ensure that this expenditure delivers the maximum benefit, and that the procurements stimulate business sector competition. In recent years, the environmental aspects of public procurement have become an ever more prominent concern, which gives rise to new challenges and opportunities for both public procurement teams and suppliers.
Thommessen has very considerable experience in assisting both public procurement teams and suppliers in various sectors and industries with advice on public procurement regulations. Our procurement advice combines experience with, and knowledge of, the application of procurement regulations and other relevant regulatory provisions, with strategic and commercial understanding of the sector in question.
We assist public procurement teams with designing procurement strategies, preparing tender specifications and other documents, as well as planning and conducting procurement processes, including the handling of information access requests and administrative appeals. On the supplier side we assist with reviewing tender specifications, preparing tender bids, negotiation strategy, as well as the potential basis for lodging appeals against bid rejections or tender awards.
Our lawyers have broad experience with conducting proceedings before the Norwegian Complaints Board for Public Procurement (KOFA) and litigation before the ordinary courts – both petitions for preliminary injunctions and regular legal actions.
