Kerfisboð

Kerfisboð is the Icelandic term for a public procurement system that governs the procurement of goods, works and services by state-owned and public sector bodies. The concept is designed to ensure transparency, competition, and equal opportunity for bidders through standardized procedures and criteria. Regulation of kerfisboð falls under the Public Procurement Act (Almannaverkalögg), which was enacted to align Iceland’s procurement practices with international standards such as the European Union’s Public Procurement Directives and the United Nations Marshall Plan.

The procurement process generally consists of several steps. It begins with the preparation of a tender dossier that specifies the technical requirements, evaluation criteria, and award conditions. Next, a notice of the tender is published on the national procurement portal, allowing interested suppliers to submit their bids. During the evaluation stage, bids undergo a rigorous assessment against predetermined criteria such as price, technical quality, environmental impact, and delivery time. Once a winning bid is identified, the contracting authority signs a contract and the trade is executed, subject to post-award monitoring to guarantee compliance with contract terms.

Key principles of kerfisboð include openness, equal treatment, merit‑based selection, and non‑discrimination. These principles aim to reduce corruption risk and to lower public costs. Kerfisboð is applied across a variety of sectors, from construction and infrastructure projects to IT services and public transport solutions.