Procurement barriers limit tech industry innovation and contribution to societal benefits 

A new report from Almega, released on TechSveriges members' responses, points out what needs to happen for more tech companies to contribute to the development of society. Focus on lowest price, ttime-consuming formalities and too many and irrelevant requirements are listed as some of the main obstacles.

The public sector in Sweden is facing significant challenges. The need for public services is increasing as the population grows and ages, while citizens are demanding higher quality. Digitization has a key role in meeting these challenges. 

- To manage the sustainable transition and ensure strong welfare, digitalization must accelerate. Close cooperation between the public and private sectors is crucial to take advantage of the market's solutions," says Frida Faxborn, industrial policy expert at TechSverige. 

The results of the survey show that the problems surrounding public procurement continue to exist, despite reforms and regulatory changes. In total, 130 of TechSverige's member companies responded, and the results point to several obstacles to participating in public sector procurement. 

Ökat missnöje med prisfokus och krångliga processer 

Undersökningen visar att 70 procent av företagen har deltagit i offentlig upphandling de senaste fyra åren. De vanligaste skälen till att avstå är tidskrävande formalia (57 procent), irrelevanta krav (35 procent) och ett överdrivet fokus på lägsta pris (24 procent). Trots en viss minskning av klagomål på irrelevanta krav, har missnöjet med prisfokus ökat – 73 procent undviker upphandlingar som styrs av pris, jämfört med 66 procent år 2020. 

60% of respondents think that procurement processes are cumbersome, and 58% see no improvement despite new rules from 2022.  

- This signals the need for further simplification and better guidance from the public sector," says Frida Faxborn. 

Dialog uppskattas, men är för sällsynt 

Dialog mellan upphandlare och leverantörer är efterfrågad. Endast 1 procent upplever att dialogen alltid fungerar bra, och mer än hälften anser att den nästan aldrig sker. Detta hindrar både kund och leverantör från att förstå varandras behov och marknadens förutsättningar. 

- The public sector is missing out on major opportunities to benefit from the innovation and delivery capabilities of the tech industry. Especially for smaller companies, the extensive requirements and resource constraints become a barrier," says Frida Faxborn. 

Till rapporten: https://techsverige-wordpress.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/app/uploads/2024/10/30125454/Deltagande-i-offentlig_TechSveriges-medlemmar.pdf