# Central purchasing body

A contracting authority that buys or concludes agreements for others on a permanent basis. The others need no competition of their own for the agreement.

Canonical URL: https://tendline.no/en/glossary/central-purchasing-body

In Norwegian: [Innkjøpssentral](https://tendline.no/ordliste/innkjopssentral.md)

## Definition

A central purchasing body (innkjøpssentral) is a contracting authority that carries out centralised purchasing activities for other contracting authorities (§ 4-3 of the Public Procurement Regulations (anskaffelsesforskriften); the § references on this page are to the Regulations unless another instrument is named). Centralised purchasing activities means that the central purchasing body, on a permanent basis, either acquires supplies and services for use by other contracting authorities, or awards contracts and concludes framework agreements for supplies, services or works for them. The central purchasing body may also provide ancillary purchasing activities, for example making technical infrastructure available, giving advice on procurements, or preparing and carrying out procurements on behalf of others.

This gives two models. In the first, the central purchasing body buys in its own name and for its own account and sells on to the contracting authorities, and then it is the central purchasing body you deliver to. In the second, the central purchasing body concludes contracts or framework agreements on behalf of the contracting authorities, and they use the agreements themselves, according to DFØ (the Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management). The central purchasing body is itself a contracting authority and must follow the procurement rules when it runs the competition.

The rules on buying from or through a central purchasing body are in § 7-8. The section is in Part I of the Regulations and therefore applies to all procurements from NOK 500,000. A contracting authority may acquire supplies and services from a central purchasing body. It may also acquire supplies, services and works through the central purchasing body, by using contracts the central purchasing body has awarded, framework agreements it has concluded or dynamic purchasing systems it has set up. In that case, the contracting authority must be identified in the contract notice. A contracting authority that buys from or through the central purchasing body is deemed to have complied with the Regulations. It is still responsible itself for the parts of the procurement it carries out, also when it concludes contracts under the central purchasing body's framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system. The contracting authority may conclude the agreement with the central purchasing body on the purchasing activities themselves, including ancillary purchasing activities, without following the Regulations (§ 7-8 (3)). The Utilities Regulations (forsyningsforskriften) have the same rule in § 7-7.

## Why it matters for suppliers

For you as a supplier, a central purchasing body means that the needs of many contracting authorities can be combined in one competition. The contracting authorities identified in the contract notice can use the agreement without holding their own competition for it. If the agreement is a framework agreement, you get access to contracts from the contracting authorities that can use it only if you win a place. If you lose, you cannot get contracts under the framework agreement for as long as it runs. A framework agreement under Part II of the Regulations, which applies from NOK 1.3 million up to the EEA thresholds (except health and social services), and to special services (særlige tjenester) from NOK 1.3 million with no upper limit, or under Part III (supply, service and works contracts at or above the EEA thresholds), can normally last no more than four years; see the page on the framework agreement.

The size also changes which rules apply. The value of a framework agreement is the maximum value of all the contracts expected to be concluded during the term of the agreement (§ 5-4 (5)). When many contracting authorities are to use the same agreement, the total value can be at or above the EEA thresholds even if each of them alone would have bought too little to have a duty to advertise. For supply, service and works contracts, Part III then applies, with publication in TED (Tenders Electronic Daily), the EU's database of procurement notices, and fixed minimum time limits. See the example.

Advice: read in the contract notice which contracting authorities can use the agreement, and in the tender documents how large the agreement is and how the contracts are allocated between the suppliers. That decides what a place is worth to you, and whether you can deliver to all of them.

When a contracting authority awards a contract under the central purchasing body's framework agreement, it is that contracting authority that must follow the rules for the award (§ 7-8 (2)). According to DFØ, KOFA (the Complaints Board for Public Procurement) has in several cases taken the view that a call-off that cannot be based on the framework agreement may be an illegal direct award (ulovlig direkte anskaffelse), among them case 2022/290. If you believe a purchase under the agreement goes beyond what the agreement covers, the responsibility lies with the contracting authority that made the purchase. See the page on direct award.

## Legal basis

Public Procurement Regulations (anskaffelsesforskriften) § 4-3, § 5-3, § 5-4 (5), § 7-8, § 11-1, § 26-1, § 29-1 and § 29-2 · Utilities Regulations (forsyningsforskriften) § 7-7

## Example

Eight municipalities buy workwear through a central purchasing body they own together. The central purchasing body advertises a four-year framework agreement, and all eight municipalities are identified in the contract notice. Each municipality expects to buy for no more than NOK 300,000 a year, that is NOK 1.2 million over four years. Had each municipality bought alone, the contract would have been below NOK 1.3 million and without a duty to advertise. Together, the agreement is worth 8 × 1.2 = NOK 9.6 million excluding VAT. That is above NOK 2.5 million, the EEA threshold for supply and service contracts for contracting authorities other than central government authorities, so Part III applies, and the competition is also advertised in TED.

A local supplier that was previously invited directly by one of the municipalities must now win a place on the agreement to sell workwear to the municipalities under it. Three suppliers win a place. When one of the municipalities later awards a contract under the agreement, the municipality must follow the rules for awards under the framework agreement; see the page on call-off.

## Frequently asked questions

### Must a municipality hold its own competition when it buys through a central purchasing body?

Not for the agreement itself. A contracting authority that buys from or through a central purchasing body is deemed to have complied with the Regulations (§ 7-8 (2)). To use the central purchasing body's contracts, framework agreements or dynamic purchasing systems, it must be identified in the contract notice. It is itself responsible for the parts it carries out, also when it awards contracts under the central purchasing body's framework agreement. If the framework agreement has several suppliers, the award may require a renewed competition between them; see the page on call-off.

### What is the difference between a central purchasing body and joint procurement?

A central purchasing body is a contracting authority that, on a permanent basis, buys or concludes agreements for other contracting authorities (§ 4-3). In joint procurement (felles anskaffelse), several contracting authorities carry out procurements together. They are jointly responsible for complying with the Regulations, both when they carry out the procurement in the name of all of them and when one of them carries it out on behalf of the others (§ 29-1 (2)); when they carry out only parts of the procurement jointly, they are jointly responsible only for those parts, and each is responsible for the parts it carries out on its own behalf (§ 29-1 (3)). The section is in Part III, but DFØ writes that the rules in chapter 29 may also be followed below the EEA threshold. DFØ also writes that only contracting authorities identified in the contract notice can use an agreement concluded jointly.

### Can a private purchasing company be a central purchasing body?

Under the wording of the Regulations, no, unless the company is itself a contracting authority. A central purchasing body is defined as «a contracting authority» that carries out centralised purchasing activities (§ 4-3 letter a), and DFØ writes that a central purchasing body is itself a contracting authority. It follows that § 7-8 (2) gives no relief to a contracting authority that buys through a body that is not a contracting authority: the contracting authority must follow the rules itself. A company owned by municipalities or the state can be a contracting authority as a body governed by public law (offentligrettslig organ); see the page on contracting authority.

### Which rules apply to a central purchasing body in another EEA country?

In competitions under Part III, a Norwegian contracting authority may buy from or through a central purchasing body in another EEA state under § 7-8. The central purchasing body must then carry out the procurements under the rules of the state where it is located, and those rules also apply when the contracting authority itself awards a contract under the central purchasing body's framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system (§ 29-2 (1)). DFØ writes that the Norwegian procurement rules as a starting point do not apply, but that rules not directly linked to the procedure, such as access to documents, the duty of confidentiality and conflicts of interest, still apply. If you compete for such an agreement, it is as a starting point the other country's procurement rules that apply to the competition itself.

## In Tendline

[Tendline sees which contracts expire at each contracting authority and when they are likely to return](https://tendline.no/en#how-we-work)

## Sources

- [Lovdata: Public Procurement Regulations (anskaffelsesforskriften), § 4-3, § 5-3, § 5-4, § 7-8, § 11-1, § 26-1, § 29-1 and § 29-2 (Norwegian)](https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2016-08-12-974)
- [Lovdata: Utilities Regulations (forsyningsforskriften), § 7-7 (Norwegian)](https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2016-08-12-975)
- [DFØ: Guide to the Public Procurement Regulations, chapter 8 Common provisions, section 8.6 Central purchasing bodies (Norwegian)](https://www.anskaffelser.no/veileder-til-anskaffelsesforskriften/8-fellesbestemmelser)
- [DFØ: Guide to the Public Procurement Regulations, chapter 42 Centralised purchasing (Norwegian)](https://www.anskaffelser.no/veileder-til-anskaffelsesforskriften/42-samordnede-innkjop)
- [EUR-Lex: Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement, Articles 2, 37, 38 and 39 (English terminology)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/24/oj/eng)

Last checked against the sources: 14 October 2026

## Related terms

- [Framework agreement](https://tendline.no/en/glossary/framework-agreement.md)
- [Call-off](https://tendline.no/en/glossary/call-off.md)
- [Contracting authority](https://tendline.no/en/glossary/contracting-authority.md)
- [E-tendering system (KGV)](https://tendline.no/en/glossary/e-tendering-system.md)
- [Dynamic purchasing system](https://tendline.no/en/glossary/dynamic-purchasing-system.md)
- [Direct award](https://tendline.no/en/glossary/direct-award.md)
- [EEA threshold values](https://tendline.no/en/glossary/eea-threshold-values.md)
- [Contract notice](https://tendline.no/en/glossary/contract-notice.md)