SMBs can win public tenders too
Yes, small and medium-sized businesses can win public tenders, and the rules are written to let them. Buyers are expected to split large contracts into lots, set qualification requirements in proportion to the contract, and let you rely on partners' capacity. The challenge for most SMEs is not the rules but the hours: finding the right tenders and writing good bids alongside the day job.
The rules are on your side
The EU procurement directive, which Norway follows through the EEA agreement, encourages buyers to divide contracts into lots so smaller suppliers can bid, and to explain their choice when they don't. Qualification requirements must be related and proportionate to the contract, so a buyer cannot demand a turnover far beyond what the delivery needs. In EU-level procedures, the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) lets you declare that you meet the requirements, and normally only the winner has to document everything.
Competition is often thinner than you think
In Tenderen's analysis of TED award notices, a Norwegian contract award in 2025 received a median of 3 tenders, and 18.9% of awards had only one. A small supplier that meets the requirements and answers the criteria well is often competing with two or three others, not with the whole market. Competition varies by sector, so look at the award history for your own CPV codes.
Pick contracts that fit your capacity
Don't chase the largest contracts. Bid where you can meet the qualification requirements comfortably, deliver the volume and show relevant references. Municipal and regional contracts, single lots of larger tenders and framework agreements with several suppliers are often a better fit than one large national contract. A tender you can win is worth more than three you can only enter.
Consortia and subcontractors
If a tender is too big for you alone, you can bid together with other companies in a consortium, or rely on a subcontractor's capacity to meet a requirement. Agree early on who does what, who signs, and how liability is shared. In Tenderen, a consortium is created on the tender and each partner works from its own account, with responsibilities tracked per company.
What to prepare before your first bid
Most of the documentation is the same from bid to bid, so prepare it once. Have your company registration and tax and VAT certificates ready, and know how to order new ones. Describe three to five references with the customer, scope, value, period and a contact person who has agreed to be called. Keep short CVs for the people you will offer. Write a standard description of how you work with quality, HSE and the environment, and list your certificates with their expiry dates. With this in place, the first bid takes far less time, and the next ones less again.
Make the hours count
Most SMEs have no bid department: the CEO and one or two specialists write bids on top of their normal work. Three habits make the biggest difference: alerts on your CPV codes so you see relevant notices early, a fixed go/no-go method so you stop spending hours on tenders you can't win, and a library of approved text so each bid starts from your best previous answers.
Where Tenderen helps an SME
The Free plan covers one user with search across Doffin, TED and BOAMP, daily email alerts and 5 saved tenders. Pro covers up to 5 users with real-time alerts, AI analysis of the tender documents, drafts of answer sections and a requirement check, and starts with a 14-day free trial. Tenderen does not write or submit the bid for you; you review every draft and submit in the buyer's system.
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