Sigtuna Municipality faced a situation where the municipal director resigned, prompting the need for a temporary replacement while a new recruitment process was initiated. To address this, the municipality directly procured a consultancy contract for an interim director.

However, the Swedish Competition Authority found that this procurement was illegal as it was not publicly advertised in accordance with the Public Procurement Act (LOU). The municipality argued that there was an urgent need to fill the position, which they believed justified the direct procurement.

The Competition Authority disagreed, stating that the municipality was responsible for the urgency and that the exception for urgent circumstances could not be applied in this case. Consequently, Sigtuna Municipality was ordered to pay a procurement infringement fee of 800,000 SEK.

The authority noted that improperly conducted procurements for consultancy services are a common violation reported in their ongoing monitoring activities. They urged procuring organizations to be particularly vigilant when procuring such services and to ensure compliance with procurement regulations.