Purchasing and procurement at SLU

Last changed: 10 September 2024

As a public authority SLU is obliged to comply with the law on public procurement, LOU. Purchases at SLU shall be coordinated on the basis of utility, cost awareness, business ethics and environmental considerations.

SLU procures goods and services for approximately SEK 1.7 billion annually. The central purchasing unit is responsible for signing framework agreements for the entire SLU and for carrying out major procurements. We also have an advisory function and provide information and training for SLU's employees.

SLU makes purchases in many different areas, such as instruments, chemicals and laboratory products, machines, analytical equipment, supplies and services of various kinds.

Procurements currently announced by SLU

Purchasing plan

SLU has a Purchasing plan for planned procurements over the next two years.

The goal of the purchasing plan is to create predictability. The predictability facilitates the distribution of resources in the Purchasing unit and increases the understanding of the time-consuming procurement process.

 

 

How to become a supplier to SLU?

All companies and organizations are welcome to submit tenders for our advertised tenders. We treat every tender equally, regardless of whether the tenderer has been a former supplier to SLU or is submitting a tender for the first time. One of the main purposes of public procurement is to promote competition.

In order to become a supplier to SLU, you must participate in the tender procedure and be awarded a contract in the procurement. In order to participate and submit tenders, it is important to keep track of the procurements advertised. Please see our current advertisements above.

To consider when submitting a tender

Below you will find some practical tips that may be worth considering before submitting a tender.

  • The purchasing unit uses electronic bidding, by a web-based procurement system called TendSign.
  • Carefully read the tender specifications and any attachments.
  • If the tender specification is unclear or if any of the requirements is unreasonable, abnormally cost-driven or restrictive of competition in any respect, it is important that the responsible procurement officer is contacted directly so that misunderstandings or inaccuracies can be avoided in an early stage. Requests for clarification/supplementation must be made in writing via the procurement system http://www.tendsign.com/.
  • Tenders are submitted in the manner requested and on the terms and conditions set out in the tender documents. Tenders deviating from the requested, or contain reservations against set conditions, may be rejected, i.e. they are not admissible.
  • And last but not least: Make sure that all information requested is included in the tender.

Our e-commerce system Proceedo

According to a government regulation, SLU, as a government authority, has to make orders electronically. This will lead to purchases with lower prices, ), streamlining of internal purchasing processes, and increased quality, contract loyalty and service.

SLU uses the e-commerce system Proceedo from Visma Commerce. The entire purchasing process is electronic, from order to registration of delivery and invoice processing. For contracted suppliers information about agreements, products and prices is available in the system. When a purchase is registered, a purchase order is created that is approved and posted directly to the supplier. When the product/service is delivered, a delivery receipt is registered in the system, and when the invoice arrives, it will be matched automatically against purchase orders and delivery receipts. Thus, if everything is in agreement, the invoice can proceed directly to payment.

Electronic invoice

Handling of invoices is described under Sending invoices to SLU on the web page SLU:s company information

Connecting suppliers to Proceedo

Contracted suppliers can be connected to the system in different ways:

  • Catalogue
    - For suppliers with a maximum of 10,000 products, a product catalog can be managed and imported into the system via a standard Excel sheet. The supplier is then given the opportunity to upload product catalogues without being electronically integrated.
    - An electronic catalog contains the agreed range of products. In the case of a large number of products, this directory is integrated into one of the communication methods that the system supports (FTP / SFTP or http / HTTPS), in the formats EDIFACT D96, PDO_FF_V6, PDO_XML_CAT_V6, VICE XML, Svekatalog, PeppolBIS or Peppol BAS. Or via supplier portal (Supplier center).
  • Punch Out 
    - An integration is made between the supplier's web shop and Proceedo's purchasing module. May be used in cases where the product range is very wide and need to be updated with short intervals, or if it  contains unique functionality. Based on OCI 3.0, OCI 4.0, cXML or STFI 6.5.3.
  • Order forms – Orders are created and sent via a unique form to the supplier, containing agreed information.

The order is sent to the supplier either by e-mail to the agreed address, or directly into the supplier's ordering system (if integrated).

When tenders have been submitted via the TendSign procurement system, any questions regarding the current procurement are raised in TendSign.

For other questions about purchasing, you are welcome to contact us, see contact information below.


Contact

If you have questions on purchasing please contact the Purchasing unit at upphandling@slu.se