The Swedish Competition Authority has taken action against the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) for a breach of public procurement regulations. The investigation was prompted by a tip-off regarding a consultancy agreement signed in March 2024, which was intended to evaluate UKÄ's work on digital organisational development.

The contract, which totaled approximately SEK 1.2 million, was not publicly advertised as required by law. UKÄ initially estimated the contract's value at just over SEK 300,000, but the final amount paid was significantly higher, raising concerns about the authority's estimation practices.

Marie Östman, Director General of the Swedish Competition Authority, emphasized the importance of accurate contract value assessments to prevent unlawful direct awards. She noted that UKÄ's cited urgency for the contract was a result of its own actions, meaning that exceptions allowing for direct awards without prior publication were not applicable in this case.

As a result of these findings, the Swedish Competition Authority has mandated that UKÄ pay a fine of SEK 90,000 for the unlawful direct award of the consultancy contract.