Örebro Airport performed illegal purchase of marketing services

In the spring of 2021, Örebro Läns Flygplats AB and Ryanair initiated discussions on establishing an airline route between Örebro Airport and London. The discussions also concerned purchasing certain marketing services from a subsidiary of Ryanair. In September 2021, Örebro Airport signed two separate contracts, one for establishing an airline route and one where it committed to purchasing marketing services, intended to promote tourism and business opportunities in the region.

Örebro Airport holds the view that a direct award of the marketing contract was allowed since there were no other possible suppliers of the services. The Swedish Competition Authority holds the view that the contract should have been subject to prior notice in accordance with the procurement rules.

‘A contracting authority that chooses to perform a direct award of contract, based on its own assessment that there is only one supplier that can offer what the authority is asking for, runs the risk of missing out on what the market has to offer. Exposure to competition means that more suppliers get the chance to offer more efficient, better and cheaper solutions’, says Rikard Jermsten, Director-General of the Swedish Competition Authority.

The Swedish Competition Authority is now petitioning the Administrative Court of Karlstad that Örebro Läns Flygplats AB be issued a procurement fine of SEK 1.4 million for the performance of an illegal direct award of contract.

Marie Strömberg Lindvall, Press Officer, +46 (0)76 542 15 92,
marie.stromberglindvall@kkv.se
Anna Görgård, Legal Counsel, +46(0)8 700 16 67, anna.gorgard@kkv.se

Read the application, dnr 600/2022 (in Swedish)