The Swedish Competition Authority has taken action against the Swedish Police Authority for improperly purchasing shell garments, specifically rainwear, without adhering to public procurement regulations. This decision follows the Authority's market monitoring, which revealed that the Police Authority did not publish a contract notice prior to the procurement.

The previous contract for shell garments expired in January 2021, but a new procurement was not announced until two years later, which was subsequently cancelled in September 2023. To address the urgent need for rainwear, the Police Authority opted to place a direct purchase order with a supplier, resulting in a binding agreement in April 2024, valued at over SEK 47 million.

The Police Authority defended its actions by stating that the time required for a new supplier to begin production made it impossible to open the contract to competition. They argued that immediate purchases were necessary to meet urgent needs. However, the Swedish Competition Authority emphasized that procurements must be announced to allow all interested suppliers the opportunity to submit tenders, and exceptions to this rule are only permissible under very rare circumstances.

Marie Östman, Director General of the Swedish Competition Authority, stated that the Police Authority should have anticipated the need for shell garments as early as January 2021, allowing ample time for a proper procurement process. The urgency cited by the Police Authority was attributed to its own inaction, which does not justify bypassing the requirement to advertise the procurement.

As a result of this violation, the Swedish Police Authority has been ordered to pay a procurement fine of SEK four million. The decision can be appealed to the Administrative Court in Stockholm.