Swedish Competition Authority

What Swedish Competition Authority does

Konkurrensverket (Swedish Competition Authority) is Sweden's national government agency responsible for enforcing competition law, supervising public procurement compliance, and policing unfair trading practices in the food supply chain. Established in 1991 and headquartered at Ringvägen 100 in Stockholm, the agency operates under the Swedish Ministry of Justice with statutory powers to investigate anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position, illegal direct procurement, and prohibited trading practices between buyers and suppliers of agricultural and food products. Its supervisory mandate covers procurement activity that constitutes approximately one-sixth of Sweden's GDP, making it a structurally significant regulator across both private and public-sector market conduct.

The agency is organized into fourteen units led by Director General Marie Östman, staffed by approximately 200 specialists including jurists, economists, political scientists, behavioral scientists, and data analysts. Its core 'products' are regulatory services: competition supervision (with four dedicated units covering mergers, horizontal agreements/leniency, vertical agreements/Digital Markets Act, and abuse of dominance), public procurement supervision (two units plus penalty-fee methodology), unfair trading practices supervision, tips/whistleblower handling, and a public case diary (Diarium). Complementary dissemination channels include the Konkurrenten podcast, two subscription newsletters, the annual international 'Pros and Cons' conference, research funding (over 100 projects since inception), and published analyses on emerging issues such as electricity grid pricing and AI's competition implications. The agency also participates in the European Competition Network and EU Merger Working Group.

Its business model is entirely non-commercial: Konkurrensverket is funded through annual Swedish government appropriations (regleringsbrev) and provides all regulatory and supervisory services free of charge. It has no commercial revenue, no pricing model, no subsidiaries, and no ownership changes since establishment. Technology infrastructure consists of a public website (konkurrensverket.se) running on Microsoft Azure with ASP.NET session management, plus Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 e-invoice integration and a Visma Proceedo supplier portal for vendor invoicing. Recent strategic activity has centered on the entry into force of the new Act on Public Sales Activities (LOS, August 2026), an ongoing electricity grid pricing investigation, and consultations on updated procurement penalty fee methodology and prioritization policy.

Name

Swedish Competition Authority

Legal name

Konkurrensverket

Website

https://konkurrensverket.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket) is Sweden's national government agency enforcing competition law, supervising public procurement compliance, and policing unfair trading practices in the food supply chain, headquartered in Stockholm with approximately 200 specialist staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regulatory Enforcement

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (926130)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition/Antitrust & Market Conduct Regulators (BPAIAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Competition Policy, State Aid & Public Procurement Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAO)

Keywords

• Competition law enforcement
• Public procurement oversight
• Antitrust regulation
• Merger control review
• Unfair trading practices

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriation: As a Swedish government agency (myndighet), Konkurrensverket is funded entirely through annual government appropriations (regleringsbrev), not through commercial revenue generation. The agency's activities are mandated by law and directed by the Swedish government.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket) is Sweden's national statutory regulator that investigates anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position, and competition-restricting public sales activities; supervises compliance with public procurement law across municipalities, regions, and central agencies; and enforces the ban on unfair trading practices in the agricultural and food supply chain. It delivers these mandates through formal investigations, sanctions, and fines (including procurement penalty fees), supported by an anonymous whistleblower intake, a public searchable case registry, interpretive guidance (ställningstaganden), market analyses, research funding, and stakeholder outreach (podcast, newsletters, annual conference).

Product overview

Konkurrensverket (Swedish Competition Authority) is a government agency, not a commercial technology company. Its 'products' are regulatory and supervisory services organized around three core mandates: (1) Competition Supervision handling anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominance, and merger control; (2) Public Procurement Supervision covering all procurement rule violations and penalty fees; and (3) Unfair Trading Practices Supervision in the food supply chain. The agency provides complementary services including a whistleblower complaint system (Tipsa oss), a searchable case registry (Diarium), subscription newsletters, the 'Konkurrenten' podcast, and the annual international 'Pros and Cons' conference. Research funding for competition and procurement topics is also provided. The agency does not offer commercial software products but publishes guidance documents, analyses, and reports including market studies on electricity grid pricing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Competition Supervision (Konkurrenstillsyn) Supervision and enforcement of the Swedish Competition Act for private companies, including investigation of anti-competitive agreements (cartels), abuse of dominant position, competition-restricting public sales activities, corporate merger control, and implementation of EU competition rules. Issued decisions can lead to fines and court proceedings.
• Public Procurement Supervision (Upphandlingstillsyn) Supervisory service covering all violations of public procurement legislation (LOU, LUF, the Defence and Security Procurement Act, the Act on Procurement Statistics, and the International Procurement Instrument). Includes supervision decisions, procurement penalty fees (upphandlingsskadeavgift) for both voluntary and mandatory cases, guidance to procuring entities, and registry authority duties under the Procurement Statistics Act.
• Unfair Trading Practices Supervision (Otillbörliga handelsmetoder) Supervisory service enforcing the Act on Prohibition of Unfair Trading Practices (LOH) in the purchase of agricultural and food products. Ensures that buyers (processors, wholesalers, retailers) do not use prohibited trading methods toward suppliers (farmers and primary producers), including unauthorised attacks on suppliers' trade secrets. Handles complaints and can issue formal orders against prohibited practices.
• Tips and Complaints Handling / Whistleblower Function (Visselblåsarfunktion) A dedicated intake service where the public can report suspected competition violations, procurement problems, and unfair trading practices, with anonymous reporting options available. Operated by the dedicated Head of Tips Function (Peter Alstergren) within the Unit for Tips and Monitoring, and feeds the agency's investigative priorities.
• Research Projects Programme (Forskningsprojekt) Funding and coordination programme financing academic research on competition and procurement topics across law, economics, and business administration. Stimulates research through an attached research council and has funded approximately 100 projects since inception, with a Head of Research Function (Joakim Wallenklint) and a dedicated Unit for Analysis and Research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue frames for electricity grid operators increased from 168 to 270 billion SEK during 2024–2027 supervisory period, with identified risk of uncompensated fees
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Energiföretagen SverigeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Met with Konkurrensverket as part of the agency's inquiry into electricity grid pricing. The organization represents energy companies in Sweden and provided input on the competitive dynamics and pricing concerns in the electricity grid market.
• SkogsindustriernaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Met with Konkurrensverket as part of the agency's inquiry into electricity grid pricing. The industry association for forest industries participated in discussions regarding grid pricing and competition concerns.
• Ellevio AB (Ellevio)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026One of three largest electricity grid companies met by Konkurrensverket during its grid pricing investigation. Ellevio, together with E.ON and Vattenfall, accounts for over 90% of regional network revenue frames and over 50% of local network revenue frames.
• E.ON Energidistribution AB (Eon)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026One of three largest electricity grid companies met by Konkurrensverket during its grid pricing investigation. Together with Ellevio and Vattenfall, accounts for over 90% of regional network revenue frames and over 50% of local network revenue frames.
• Vattenfall Eldistribution AB (Vattenfall)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026One of three largest electricity grid companies met by Konkurrensverket during its grid pricing investigation. Together with Ellevio and E.ON, accounts for over 90% of regional network revenue frames and over 50% of local network revenue frames.
• Upphandlingsmyndigheten (Swedish Procurement and Assets Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonkurrensverket cooperates with Upphandlingsmyndigheten to develop public procurement. The two agencies collaborate on awareness, guidance, and policy development related to public procurement, including providing guidance on state aid rules.
• Jordbruksverket (Swedish Board of Agriculture)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonkurrensverket cooperates with Jordbruksverket to combat unfair trading practices in the food supply chain.
• Livsmedelsverket (Swedish Food Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonkurrensverket cooperates with Livsmedelsverket to address unfair trading practices in the food supply chain.
• European Competition Network (ECN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonkurrensverket participates in the European Competition Network and EU Merger Working Group, cooperating with competition authorities across EU member states on cartel enforcement, abuse of dominant position cases, and merger control.
• Research Council (Rådet för forskningsfrågor)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA council with qualified representatives from universities, other research institutions, and government agencies is attached to Konkurrensverket. The council stimulates research in competition and procurement within law, economics, and business administration.
• Konsumentverket (Swedish Consumer Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonkurrensverket redirects members of the public to Konsumentverket for issues related to advertising, contract terms, price information, household economics, or product safety, quality, and environmental impact.
• Energimarknadsinspektionen (Energy Markets Inspectorate)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKonkurrensverket redirects inquiries about electricity grids, transmission of electricity, or district heating to the Energy Markets Inspectorate (Ei), with which it coordinates on electricity grid pricing monitoring.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM): Netherlands' combined competition, consumer and sector-specific regulator. Comparable in mandate, with overlapping jurisdiction over procurement, digital markets and energy sector competition.
• European Commission DG COMP: The EU-level competition directorate that sets EU-wide competition policy, coordinates the ECN, and directly enforces Articles 101/102 in cross-border cases. Operates above and in parallel to national authorities like Konkurrensverket.
• UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA): United Kingdom's competition and consumer authority with broad powers over mergers, markets and consumer protection. Comparable mandate but post-Brexit operates outside the EU framework and with greater regulatory discretion.
• Spanish National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC): Spain's national competition and markets regulator combining competition enforcement with sectoral regulation across energy, transport and telecoms. Direct functional peer in mandate, broader in sector scope.
• French Autorité de la concurrence: France's independent competition authority enforcing antitrust, merger control and procurement rules. Direct functional equivalent within the EU framework, with similar ECN coordination and broader sectoral specialisation.
• German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt): Germany's national competition authority with a much larger staff and broader enforcement footprint within the EU. Operates in the same legal framework and shares ECN membership, but on a significantly larger scale and with additional sectoral powers.

Direct peers

• Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (KFST): Denmark's combined competition and consumer authority with similar mandate over cartels, abuse of dominance, merger control and public procurement. Closely comparable in size, governance design and Nordic regulatory tradition.
• Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV): Finland's competition and consumer authority overseeing cartels, abuse of dominance and public procurement under the same EU framework. Highly comparable in scope and operational model to Konkurrensverket.
• Norwegian Competition Authority (Konkurransetilsynet): Norway's national competition and procurement supervisory authority. Direct peer: same statutory mandate, same ECN membership, comparable Nordic institutional design, and adjacent oversight of public procurement and food-supply UTPs.

Others

• Swedish National Board of Public Procurement (Upphandlingsmyndigheten): Sweden's sister agency responsible for procurement development, guidance and strategy. Complementary mandate rather than competitor: Konkurrensverket supervises procurement compliance while Upphandlingsmyndigheten drives procurement capability and policy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=Konkurrenten+podcast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/konkurrensverket

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Swedish Competition Authority