Qualification requirements in Norwegian IT and consulting tenders

In short

Above the EEA thresholds a buyer may set only three kinds of requirement: registration, financial capacity, and technical and professional qualifications.
Qualification is pass or fail. The award criteria rank the tenders.
A turnover requirement may, as a rule, not exceed twice the contract value.
If you lack something, you can often rely on another company or bid together with others.
If a requirement is unclear, ask well before the deadline.

Three kinds of requirement

Above the EEA thresholds a competition follows part III of the Norwegian public procurement regulation (anskaffelsesforskriften). There the buyer may set only three kinds of qualification requirement (§ 16-1):

Registration and authorisations (§ 16-2), such as registration in the Register of Business Enterprises.
Economic and financial capacity (§ 16-3), such as turnover or a credit rating.
Technical and professional qualifications (§ 16-5), such as references, key staff and a quality system.

The Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management (DFØ) calls the list exhaustive. From 21 April 2026 the thresholds for goods and services are NOK 1.63 million for state buyers and NOK 2.5 million for other buyers, excluding VAT.

From NOK 1.3 million up to the thresholds, part II applies. The buyer has more freedom there (§ 8-7), but requirements must still relate to the contract, be relevant and be proportionate.

Qualification requirement or award criterion?

A qualification requirement asks whether you can deliver. You either meet it or you do not. The award criteria decide which of the qualified suppliers makes the best offer.

In part III the same documents may be used for both only when what is assessed differs (§ 16-6(5)). A company's general experience cannot be an award criterion; the experience of the people you offer can (§ 18-1(3)(b)). So a CV can both show that a minimum requirement is met and score points for competence.

In part II the regulation expressly allows the same topic as both a qualification requirement and an award criterion (§ 8-11(3)).

What evidence the buyer may ask for

Finances

The regulation lists, among other things, a bank statement, liability insurance, annual accounts and turnover for the last three years (§ 16-4). With a good reason you may prove it in another way.

A minimum turnover requirement must not exceed twice the estimated contract value unless the buyer justifies a stricter one in the tender documents (§ 16-3(1)(a)). For framework agreements it is based on the value of contracts that may run at the same time.

Technical and professional qualifications

This list is closed (§ 16-6). The most common items are references from the last three years for services and five years for works, a description of the staff, and the education and qualifications of the people doing the job.

A new company may, after a concrete assessment, use its key staff's earlier assignments as references (KOFA 2011/159).

Certificates

If the buyer asks for ISO certificates, equivalent certificates must be accepted. If you cannot get the certificate in time, you may prove equivalent measures in another way (§ 16-7).

Typical requirements in IT consultancy tenders

DFØ's guidance on consultancy services shows what comes up again and again:

A company registration certificate.
Turnover of at least twice the contract value, or a credit rating.
The three most relevant assignments from the last three years.
A description of your capacity.
A quality system, where a copy of the ISO 9001 certificate is enough.

The award criteria are typically the proposed approach, the competence of the offered consultants (the CVs) and price. The contract is usually SSA-B for assistance or SSA-O for a defined assignment.

Typical requirements in consulting engineering tenders

DFØ asks buyers to avoid requirements such as "at least three similar references from the last three years", because they shut out new and smaller firms. Common requirements are CVs, a commitment letter for subcontracted staff, and ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or EMAS.

Central approval (sentral godkjenning) cannot be required in public procurement (building application regulation § 9-1(2)). The scheme is voluntary, and its transition arrangement runs until 1 July 2027. Responsibility under the building rules, such as design in the right class, usually belongs in the contract terms, not in the qualification requirements.

DFØ's example award criteria are understanding of the assignment, organisation and competence, and price, weighted 20 to 40 per cent each. The contracts are NS 8401 for design, NS 8402 for advice paid by the hour and NS 8403 for site management.

When you lack something

If you lack turnover, references or a type of expertise, you may rely on another company (§ 16-10). This applies to the financial and the technical and professional requirements. You must prove that you actually have the resources, usually with a commitment letter from the other company.

The buyer checks the other company too.
If you rely on another company's finances, the buyer may demand joint liability.
If you borrow education or experience, the company you borrow from must do that part of the work.
Registration and authorisations cannot be borrowed (KOFA 2022/549).

You can also bid as a group of suppliers (§ 16-11). Each company then files its own ESPD. More in the guide to the ESPD and the tax certificate.

How to check the requirements against your company

Make a simple requirement table before you decide to bid:

Copy the requirement word for word from the tender documents.
Mark its type: registration, finances, or technical and professional.
Find your evidence: annual accounts, credit rating, reference, CV or certificate.
Set a status: met, partly met or not met.
Decide the action for everything not met: get the document, rely on another company, ask a question, or do not bid.

If a requirement says "not met" and you cannot fix it, the answer is simple. To weigh the rest of the competition as well, see the bid/no-bid guide.

Rejection and questions

The buyer must reject a supplier that does not meet the qualification requirements (§ 24-2(1)(a) in part III, § 9-5(1)(a) in part II).

A missing document is not the same as an unmet requirement. In part III the buyer may ask for it afterwards, as long as the tender is not improved by it (§ 23-5).

If something is unclear, ask. If the question comes in good time, a part III buyer must answer at least six days before the deadline, four in urgent cases, and send the answer to everyone (§ 14-2(2)).

Questions

Can the buyer require central approval (sentral godkjenning)?

No. The building application regulation § 9-1(2) forbids requiring central approval in public procurement. The scheme is voluntary.

How high can a turnover requirement be?

Above the EEA thresholds at most twice the estimated contract value, unless the buyer justifies a stricter requirement in the tender documents (§ 16-3). Below the thresholds there is no such cap, but the requirement must be proportionate to the contract.

We are a new company without references. Can we still bid?

Often, yes. After a concrete assessment, your key staff’s earlier assignments can count as references (KOFA 2011/159). You can also rely on another company under § 16-10.

Sources

This guide explains the rules in plain words. It is not legal advice: the tender documents and the regulations decide.

Qualification requirements in IT and consulting tenders: how to check them