New Nordic Collaboration to Drive Innovation in Public Procurement

Societies and the public sector across the Nordics are facing growing challenges in keeping up with societal shifts, from healthcare strains to urbanization and sustainability demands.

Recognizing the potential of Nordic startups to help solve these challenges, Ignite Sweden has joined forces with Fjársýsla (the Financial Management Authority of Iceland), Business Finland, supported by VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland), in the project Nordic Govtech Alliance.

Strengthening Innovation-Driven Public Procurement

Funded by the Nordic Council and supported by Vinnova, the goal of this cross-border pilot project, which will run until summer 2026, is to develop a sustainable process and long-term collaboration model that extends beyond the pilot phase and includes all Nordic countries.

One of the key objectives of the project is to explore a shared strategy and best practices for procuring innovative solutions from Nordic startups. By fostering closer collaboration between public sector need owners and innovative startups, the initiative aims to create a more efficient and scalable model for integrating cutting-edge technology into public services.

“We will facilitate tailored one-on-one meetings between public sector representatives and startups and scaleups with relevant solutions from all three countries. These meetings will be held digitally to ensure cross-border participation, but there may also be opportunities for follow-up meetings in Sweden, Finland, or Iceland if both parties see value in further discussions,” explains Niklas Sikström, Project Manager at Ignite Sweden.

A Unique Opportunity for Startups to Enter the Public Sector

The recruitment of both public sector organizations and startups with solutions to address their challenges is now in full swing across Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.

Public organizations from across the Nordic region, including the Swedish Uppsala Municipality, Norrköping Municipality, HBV, and Region Uppsala, have already joined the initiative and will engage in the matchmaking process.

The initiative is also looking for startups and scaleups with solutions in the following areas:

• Healthcare & e-health
• Proptech & sustainable housing
• Energy & electrification
• Smart cities & urban development

In Parallel with Key Conferences Across the Nordics

To support these connections, Nordic Govtech Alliance will host a series of activities during three high-impact conferences in 2025, providing a platform for key stakeholders to meet, discuss challenges, and explore potential collaborations:

• Iceland Innovation Week (May 11-13 | Reykjavik, Iceland) 
• UIC Innovation Night (September 23-25 | Uppsala, Sweden) 
• Slush (November 17-19 | Helsinki, Finland)

During these conferences, the initiative will bring together public sector organizations, startups, and key players from the Nordic innovation ecosystem to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions.

For more information on how to get involved, join the Nordic Govtech Alliance LinkedIn group or sign up for the newsletter.