What LUP - Leverandørutviklingsprogrammet does

LUP (Leverand\u00f8rutviklingsprogrammet) is Norway's national program for supplier development and innovative public procurement, established in 2010 and headquartered at Middelthuns gate 27, Oslo. Jointly owned by KS (the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities), the Research Council of Norway (Forskningsr\u00e5det), and the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), LUP operates as a neutral intermediary between Norwegian public sector entities and the supplier market. Over 15 years, the program has facilitated the development of several hundred solutions and reports benefits worth several billion NOK for the Norwegian public sector.

The program's core product is a codified methodology for innovative public procurement, comprising four principal procedures: (i) market dialogue, in which the buyer communicates needs openly and suppliers propose solutions; (ii) competitive dialogue (konkurransepreget dialog), enabling iterative collaboration throughout the acquisition process; (iii) user story-based needs specification; and (iv) innovation partnerships with embedded innovation clauses. Supporting assets include a publicly accessible toolkit (templates, kickstart guides, financing guides) hosted at innovativeanskaffelser.no, a co-developed competitive dialogue template with DF\u00d8, and a growing portfolio of procurement playbooks across health and welfare, safety and emergency preparedness, construction, water/wastewater, and road/transport. Flagship procurements include electronic medication support across 29 municipalities (~1M residents, estimated 52-265M NOK NPV over 4 years; 1.6-3.0B NOK nationwide potential), electronic patient journals (EPJ) across 21 municipalities (Aidn awarded Nov 2025), and a Udir test/examination system handling 300,000+ annual exams.

LUP is a non-commercial, government-funded program. It does not charge public sector entities and has no pricing model or revenue stream. Distribution occurs through a formal partner network of 14+ municipalities (including Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Bod\u00f8, Drammen, Kristiansand, L\u00f8renskog), 10+ county councils (Agder, Akershus, Buskerud, Finnmark, M\u00f8re og Romsdal, Nordland, Rogaland, Troms, Tr\u00f8ndelag, Vestland, \u00d8stfold), and 15+ state agencies (Avinor, Lyse, NAV, NTNU, Nye Veier, Statens vegvesen, Skatteetaten, UiT, Helse S\u00f8r-\u00d8st, Helse Vest, Husbanken, Sykehusinnkj\u00f8p, Forsvarsbygg, Forsvarsmateriell, FFI, Kystverket). GTM is relationship-driven and advisory: a small core team of 7 employees (Daglig leder Ingebj\u00f8rg Harto plus regional and sectoral innovation drivers) engages public sector decision-makers via webinars, dialogue conferences, sector events, and content marketing. Marketing channels center on the innovativeanskaffelser.no website, a regular newsletter, LinkedIn, YouTube (recorded webinars and dialogue conferences), sectoral conferences, and policy publications such as the NOU 2026:6 white paper that endorse innovative procurement as a strategic instrument. The core supplier-side outcome surfaced in the data is Dignio's revenue scaling from 3.7M NOK (2015) to 44M NOK (2020) following award in the LUP-facilitated electronic medication support procurement.

Name

LUP - Leverandørutviklingsprogrammet

Legal name

Leverandørutviklingsprogrammet

Website

https://innovativeanskaffelser.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LUP (Leverand\u00f8rutviklingsprogrammet) is Norway's national supplier development program, jointly owned by KS, Forskningsr\u00e8

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Program Funding: LUP is a publicly funded national program with owners KS (Norwegian Municipal Association), Forskningsrådet (Research Council of Norway), and NHO (Norwegian Confederation of Business and Industry). It does not generate commercial revenue from clients. The program provides its services to public sector partners as a government initiative.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LUP is a Norwegian national program that facilitates innovative public procurement between public sector entities (municipalities, county councils, state agencies) and private suppliers. It provides a structured methodology centered on market dialogue and competitive dialogue, along with guidance, tools, templates, and a partner network to help public buyers develop better, more sustainable solutions through needs-based rather than specification-based procurement.

Product overview

LUP (Leverandørutviklingsprogrammet) is Norway's National Supplier Development Programme that facilitates innovative public procurement between public entities and suppliers. Rather than a traditional software product, LUP offers a methodology for innovative procurement centered on market dialogue, along with guidance, tools, templates, and a partner network. The programme connects municipalities, county administrations, and state entities with suppliers to develop solutions across sectors including health and welfare, safety and emergency, construction, water/drainage infrastructure, and road/transport. Key procurement solutions facilitated include electronic medication support (via Dignio and Evondos), electronic patient journals (EPJ), test and examination systems, and robotics/AI implementations. The methodology emphasizes competitive dialogue procedures where buyers communicate needs and leave solutions to suppliers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LUP Methodology for Innovative Procurement (LUPs Metodikk for Innovative Anskaffelser) A structured methodology enabling public entities to develop new, better, and more sustainable solutions through innovative public procurement. The methodology centers on market dialogue where the buyer communicates needs and leaves the solution to suppliers, challenging them to compete on functional requirements rather than detailed specifications.
• Guidance and Tools (Veiledning og Verktøy) A library of tools, templates, kickstart guides, procurement templates, and financing information documents that help public entities conduct innovative procurements.
• Partner Network (Partnerskapsnettverk) A collaborative network of 14+ municipalities, 10+ county councils, and 15+ state agencies that gain access to methodology support, innovation coaching, network events, and collaborative procurement opportunities.
• Competitive Dialogue Procedure (Konkurransepreget Dialog) A procurement procedure that allows for extensive collaboration and dialogue between contracting authority and suppliers throughout the entire procurement process, particularly suitable for complex digital procurements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Several hundred solutions developed through innovative procurement facilitated by LUP
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, flagship and minor.

• KS (Kommunesektorens organisasjon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKS is one of LUP's three owners (alongside Forskningsradet and NHO). KS represents Norwegian municipalities and county councils, making this a foundational partnership that gives LUP direct access to the municipal sector and ensures the program aligns with municipal needs and priorities.
• Forskningsrådet (The Research Council of Norway)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForskningsrådet is one of LUP's three owners, providing institutional legitimacy and research-based grounding to LUP's methodology. The partnership ensures innovative procurement is aligned with national research and innovation policy.
• NHO (Norges Handelshøykap)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHO is one of LUP's three owners, representing Norwegian business. This ownership stake ensures the program benefits both public sector buyers and the private supplier market, facilitating the supplier development goals of the program.
• Nasjonalt velferdsteknologiprogram (National Welfare Technology Programme)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUP collaborates closely with the national welfare technology programme on healthcare technology procurements. Larvik kommune was commissioned by this programme to lead the joint procurement of electronic medication support, and the two programs jointly funded the Oslo Economics effect analysis.
• Larvik kommune (Lead municipality for joint procurement)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLarvik kommune led the largest joint innovative procurement in LUP's history — electronic medication support for 29 municipalities covering ~1 million residents. LUP provided methodology support and the national welfare technology programme commissioned the procurement.
• Municipal Partner Network (Bergen, Oslo, Trondheim, Stavanger, Bodø, Drammen, Kristiansand, Lørenskog, etc.)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner14+ municipalities form part of LUP's formal partner network, sharing logos on the LUP website and participating in collaborative innovative procurements and knowledge sharing.
• County Council Partner Network (Agder, Viken/Akershus, Buskerud, Finnmark, Møre og Romsdal, Nordland, Rogaland, Troms, Trøndelag, Vestland, Østfold)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner10 county councils participate in LUP's partner network, enabling regional coordination and cross-county innovative procurement collaborations.
• State Agency Partners (Avinor, Lyse, NAV, NTNU, Nye Veier, Statens vegvesen, Skatteetaten, UiT, Helse Sør-Øst, Helse Vest, Husbanken, Sykehusinnkjøp, Forsvarsbygg, Forsvarsmateriell, FFI, Kystverket)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner15+ state agencies and public enterprises are partners of LUP, conducting innovative procurements in areas including defense, healthcare, transport, maritime safety, and tax administration.
• Trondheim kommunemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrondheim was a key partner in developing the electronic medication support procurement, contributing significantly to the competitive specification and serving as a sparring partner alongside Bergen, Lørenskog, and Skedsmo.
• DFØ (Direktoratet for forvaltning og økonomistyring)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDFØ developed a competitive dialogue template in collaboration with LUP to help public buyers structure dialogue processes and use the regulatory flexibility safely and effectively.
• Sandefjord kommuneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandefjord shared pioneering experiences with robot/chatbot 'Kommune-Kari' and participated in the national robotization conference organized by LUP with 120+ participants from public and private sectors.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Public Procurement Service (Korea): Korea's national procurement agency, operating the country's electronic procurement platform and providing centralized procurement services. A broad incumbent at far greater scale than LUP but shares the mission of professionalizing and innovating public procurement practice.
• CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply): CIPS is the global professional body for procurement and supply, offering standards, training, and certification across public and private sectors. A broader incumbent that overlaps with LUP's training and capability-building remit but operates commercially at global scale.
• European Commission DG GROW (Public Procurement): DG GROW sets EU-wide public procurement policy and strategy, including directives that member states implement. A supranational incumbent shaping the regulatory environment in which LUP operates; comparable in mission to promote innovative and strategic procurement across public buyers.
• Cabinet Office Procurement Policy & Capability Team (UK): The UK Cabinet Office drives the Transforming Public Procurement programme and oversees procurement policy across UK central government. It is a broader incumbent with a wider remit than LUP but shares the mission of embedding innovation and capability into public procurement practice.

Direct peers

• Innokumppanit (Kuntaliitto): Innokumppanit is the Finnish Association of Municipalities' innovative public procurement program, supporting Finnish municipalities and joint municipal authorities in conducting innovation-oriented procurements. Direct Nordic counterpart to LUP with a similar national mandate and methodology focus.
• PIANOo: PIANOo is the Netherlands' Public Procurement Expertise Centre, serving as a national knowledge hub and neutral advisor for public buyers. It is the most direct international analogue to LUP, offering methodology, tools, and training for innovative public procurement across Dutch government entities.
• Procurement Innovation Hub (UK Cabinet Office): UK-based innovation hub supporting public-sector buyers to adopt innovative procurement approaches, with training, case studies, and pilot programs. Direct functional peer to LUP's Norwegian partner-network and methodology-facilitation model.
• Sustainable Procurement Scotland: Scotland's national program supporting public bodies to deliver sustainable and innovative procurement outcomes through guidance, training, and case studies. Closely comparable to LUP's role as a national advisory and methodology platform for public-sector innovation procurement.

Regional players

• Sykehusinnkj\u00f8p: Sykehusinnkj\u00f8p is the shared procurement organization for Norwegian hospital trusts, conducting strategic procurement on behalf of the health sector. A regional Norwegian peer working alongside LUP on healthcare procurement innovation (including welfare technology).

Others

• Difi / DF\u00d8 (Direktoratet for forvaltning og \u00f8konomistyring): DF\u00d8 is Norway's Directorate for Public Administration and Financial Management, which has co-developed competitive dialogue templates with LUP and manages broader public-sector digitalization and procurement policy. An adjacent government enabler rather than a direct competitor; comparable in public-sector remit but covers a wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCx5mCnmKngUk3XGoOlVc7kw/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lup-leverandorutviklingsprogrammet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LUP - Leverandørutviklingsprogrammet