Gotland Secures Water Treatment Chemicals From Six Suppliers, But a Third of Lots Draw No Bids

Standfirst

Region Gotland has awarded 23 of 35 lots for water and wastewater treatment chemicals to six suppliers, led decisively by Brenntag Nordic with 15 lots. Twelve lots, more than a third of the total, closed without a single tender being received.

Introduction

Treating drinking water and wastewater safely depends on a steady supply of specific industrial chemicals, coagulants, disinfectants, pH adjusters and activated carbon among them, each suited to a particular stage of the treatment process. For an island region like Gotland, securing reliable access to this full chemical range matters for keeping water infrastructure running.

Region Gotland has just closed a large scale tender for exactly this purpose, splitting its needs into 35 separate product lots and running the process as a restricted procedure with a formal prequalification stage.

Why This Contract Matters

Water and wastewater treatment chemicals are essential, non-substitutable inputs for public health and environmental protection. This tender's outcome shows both where Gotland's supply needs were successfully met and where they were not: a third of the lots closed with no tenders at all, leaving those specific chemical categories currently unsupplied through this procurement route.

Contract Timeline

The notice recording these results was dispatched on 25 August 2026 and published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 26 August 2026, under OJ S issue 164/2026.

Contract Overview

Region Gotland, a public undertaking controlled by a regional authority with water related activities as its contracting entity activity, ran this as a restricted procedure, classified under CPV code 24962000, Water-treatment chemicals. The estimated value was 50,000,000.00 SEK excluding VAT. Eleven economic operators qualified at the restricted procedure's prequalification stage.

The procurement was structured across 35 lots, each covering a specific water or wastewater treatment chemical. Of these, 23 lots resulted in an awarded winner, while 12 lots closed with no winner chosen, 11 of them because no tenders were received at the final bidding stage despite 11 qualified operators being eligible to bid and one lot closed for other stated reasons.

Key Contract Details

Project Scope

The tender covers chemicals used across water and wastewater treatment processes on Gotland. While individual lot descriptions in the notice do not name each specific chemical, the winning suppliers' known product ranges, coagulants and flocculants, activated carbon and other water treatment chemical categories, indicate the lots cover the range of chemical inputs a modern water treatment operation requires.

About the Contracting Authority

Region Gotland

Region Gotland is a public undertaking controlled by a regional authority, with water related activities as its classified contracting entity activity. As the regional authority for the island of Gotland, it manages water and wastewater treatment infrastructure serving the island's population.

About the Organisations Involved

Six suppliers won positions across the 23 awarded lots. Brenntag Nordic Aktiebolag, based in Malmö and classified as a large enterprise, was the dominant winner by a wide margin, securing 15 lots. Feralco Nordic AB, based in Sölvesborg and classified as an SME, won three lots. Jacobi Carbons AB, based in Kalmar and classified as a large enterprise, won two lots.

Kemira Oyj, registered in Finland and classified as a large enterprise, won one lot. OMYA Aktiebolag, based in Malmö and Wibax Chemicals AB, based in Piteå, both large enterprises, each won a single lot.

Procurement Analysis

Brenntag Nordic's dominance, winning 15 of the 23 awarded lots, reflects its position as a major chemical distributor with a broad product range spanning multiple treatment chemical categories, while the other five winners each secured a narrower slice matching more specific product specialisms.

The 12 unawarded lots are the most significant finding in this notice. Eleven of them closed because no tenders were received at all, despite 11 operators having qualified at the earlier prequalification stage of this restricted procedure. This gap between prequalification interest and actual final stage bidding suggests that for these specific chemical categories, qualified suppliers ultimately chose not to submit a tender, possibly reflecting pricing terms, volume requirements, or supply considerations specific to those product lines.

Additional Procurement Facts

Award criteria across the tender were based on price. The restricted procedure format, requiring formal prequalification before final tendering, is commonly used for specialised supply categories where the buyer wants to verify supplier capability before opening bidding.

Market and Industry Perspective

The winner list reflects the concentrated nature of the Nordic water treatment chemicals market, dominated by a handful of established distributors and manufacturers, Brenntag, Kemira and Feralco among them, each supplying specific chemical categories to municipal and regional water authorities across the region.

Economic Significance

At an estimated 50 million SEK across the full tender, this represents a meaningful, recurring investment in Gotland's water and wastewater treatment capability, though the 12 unawarded lots mean a portion of that anticipated spend has not yet materialised through this procurement.

Future Procurement Opportunities

The 12 unawarded lots represent an immediate area to watch. Region Gotland will likely need to re-tender these specific chemical categories, potentially with revised terms designed to attract supplier interest given the apparent lack of bids despite qualified suppliers being available.

Opportunities for Suppliers

Chemical suppliers, particularly those with product lines not already represented among Brenntag, Feralco, Jacobi Carbons, Kemira, OMYA or Wibax, should watch closely for a re-tender of the 12 unawarded lots, representing a currently uncontested opportunity within an established regional water authority relationship.

What Businesses Should Watch

Water treatment chemical suppliers should watch for Region Gotland's approach to re-tendering the 12 unawarded lots and should monitor whether the gap between prequalification interest and final bidding reflects a broader market dynamic worth understanding before bidding on similar future tenders.

SwedenTenders.com Procurement Intelligence

This tender illustrates how even a well structured restricted procedure, with a formal prequalification stage confirming genuine market interest, can still see a significant portion of lots fail to attract any final tenders. With 11 qualified operators available but 11 lots drawing zero bids, something in the specific terms, timing or economics of those particular chemical categories evidently did not align with what suppliers were prepared to offer.

Its strategic importance lies in the clear market concentration revealed by the awarded lots, with one supplier, Brenntag Nordic, capturing nearly two thirds of all awarded business, while the unawarded lots point to specific gaps in supplier willingness to compete that Region Gotland will need to address in any future re-tender.

Supplier Takeaways

• Brenntag Nordic won 15 of 23 awarded lots, reflecting its broad product range as a major chemical distributor
• Eleven lots closed with zero tenders despite 11 operators having qualified at the prequalification stage, a notable gap worth understanding
• Six distinct suppliers won positions across this tender, each with a different degree of specialisation
• The 12 unawarded lots represent a genuine, currently open opportunity for suppliers willing to engage with a future re-tender

Key Takeaways

• Region Gotland has awarded 23 of 35 water and wastewater treatment chemical lots to six suppliers
• Brenntag Nordic Aktiebolag was the dominant winner with 15 lots
• Twelve lots closed without a winner, eleven due to no tenders being received
• The tender used a restricted procedure with 11 operators qualifying at the prequalification stage
• The overall estimated value across the tender was 50,000,000.00 SEK

Conclusion

This tender secures the bulk of Gotland's water and wastewater treatment chemical supply through six established Nordic suppliers, led decisively by Brenntag Nordic. But with a third of the lots closing without any bids at all, Region Gotland faces a clear follow up task: understanding why qualified suppliers stepped back from specific chemical categories and adjusting its approach before those needs can be reliably met.

Source: Tenders Electronic Daily (TED), Contract Award Notice 589119-2026, Official Journal of the European Union, OJ S issue 164/2026, published on 26/08/2026.