New Procurement Thresholds Take Effect on 1 January 2026

Every two years, the European Commission revises the threshold values that determine when public procurements must follow EU-wide rules. These adjustments reflect changes in exchange rates and inflation, ensuring that competition across the internal market remains balanced. With the new values now confirmed, Sweden will apply updated thresholds under its procurement laws from 1 January 2026.

The values currently published on Upphandlingsmyndigheten’s website have been in force since 1 January 2024. However, as of 1 January 2026, new thresholds will apply for procurements carried out under the Public Procurement Act (LOU), the Utilities Procurement Act (LUF), and the Concessions Procurement Act (LUK).

 

Why the thresholds change

The threshold values are central to EU procurement law. They determine when a procurement must be advertised at EU level through the TED database and when it can be handled using national procedures. Every two years, the Commission reviews these values to keep them aligned with economic realities and ensure consistent purchasing power across the internal market.

For Swedish contracting authorities, this means that all procurements initiated after 1 January 2026 must follow the new thresholds. Authorities and suppliers should therefore take the opportunity to update their planning, documentation, and systems before the end of 2025.

 

Prisbasbelopp

Prisbasbeloppet för 2026 är fastställt till 59 200 kronor. Det förhöjda prisbasbeloppet är 60 500 kronor. Prisbasbeloppet används för att beräkna ett flertal ersättningar och bidrag, som exempelvis studiemedel, samt påverkar skatten. Det kan också användas som bas för lokala inköpspolicys.

 

New thresholds under LOU

The Public Procurement Act (LOU) applies to most public procurements in Sweden and sets different thresholds depending on the type of contracting authority.

For central government authorities, the new thresholds from 1 January 2026 are:

• Supplies and services: 1,589,140 SEK

• Works: 61,340,804 SEK

• Social and other specific services: 8,513,250 SEK
  
  

For other contracting authorities, such as municipalities, regions, and publicly owned organisations, the thresholds are:

• Supplies and services: 2,451,816 SEK

• Works: 61,340,804 SEK

• Social and other specific services: 8,513,250 SEK
  
  

The direct procurement limits under LOU remain unchanged. Contracting authorities may continue to make direct procurements up to 700,000 kronor for goods, services, and works, and up to 8,513,250 kronor for social and other specific services. These limits are stipulated directly in the law and will not change unless the legislation itself is amended.

 

New thresholds under LUF

The Utilities Procurement Act (LUF) applies to sectors such as energy, water, transport, and postal services—areas characterised by large, complex projects and long-term investments.

From 1 January 2026, the thresholds are as follows:

• Supplies and services: 4,903,632 SEK

• Works: 61,340,804 SEK

• Social and other specific services: 11,351,000 SEK
  
  

The direct procurement limits under LUF also remain unchanged:

• Supplies, services, and works: 1,200,000 SEK

• Social and other specific services: 11,351,000 SEK
  
  

As with LOU, these values are set by law and will not change automatically with each EU adjustment.

 

LUFS – thresholds remain unchanged

The situation differs for the Defence and Security Procurement Act (LUFS). The current thresholds under LUFS are the same as those introduced in January 2024, since the European Commission’s latest delegated regulations did not include adjustments for this law.

The applicable thresholds under LUFS therefore remain:

• Supplies and services: 4,789,982 SEK

• Works: 59,880,179 SEK

• Services listed in Annex 3 to LUFS: 4,789,982 SEK
  
  

The direct procurement limit under LUFS continues to be 1,200,000 SEK for all categories.

This means that the thresholds and their corresponding euro values published in November 2023 still apply. The Commission’s delegated regulation (EU) 2023/2510 amended the procurement thresholds under Directive 2009/81/EC, and the corresponding conversion notice still governs LUFS procurements.

 

New thresholds under LUK

The Concessions Procurement Act (LUK) governs the award of service and works concessions, as well as concessions for social and other specific services.

From 1 January 2026, the threshold for all concession types under LUK will be 61,340,804 kronor. The direct procurement limit is calculated as a percentage of that threshold — specifically, five percent according to Chapter 15, Section 6 (1) of LUK.

This means that from 2026, the direct procurement limit for concessions will increase to 3,067,040 kronor, corresponding to five percent of the new threshold (61,340,804 × 0.05).

 

What will not change

Although the thresholds for LOU, LUF, and LUK are being updated, the direct procurement limits for goods, services, and works remain exactly the same. These figures are set in Swedish law and remain constant until amended by Parliament.

This provides stability for contracting authorities and suppliers when planning smaller procurements, as these limits do not fluctuate with the EU’s biennial revisions.

What this means in practice

For contracting authorities, it’s essential to:

• Review procurement plans for 2026 early. Projects that cross the year-end could fall under new thresholds.
  
  
• Update templates, internal guidelines, and digital platforms to ensure that publication and selection criteria match the new rules.
  
  
• Inform procurement teams and project managers about the changes. Awareness prevents costly procedural mistakes.

For suppliers, the changes can open up new opportunities. When thresholds increase, some procurements can shift from EU-level to national procedures, which often means simpler tenders and fewer administrative requirements. For small and medium-sized enterprises, that’s a chance to compete more easily for public contracts.

 

Mercell’s perspective

Changes like these can seem daunting, especially when procurement teams already juggle multiple regulations and internal policies. That’s exactly where digital tools can make a difference.

In Mercell’s platform, threshold updates are automatically reflected in the procurement workflows, meaning your processes stay compliant without manual recalculations. You can quickly identify when a tender crosses a threshold, apply the right procedure, and maintain a full audit trail.

For suppliers, Mercell’s tender alerts and category filters make it easy to stay on top of relevant opportunities, whether they’re national or EU-wide. As new thresholds take effect, the platform helps you focus on the tenders that truly fit your business scope.