Public procurement

How can BASTA be used in public procurement?

Building and real estate projects, as well as civil engineering and infrastructure works, account for a significant share of public procurement in Sweden. The environmental considerations incorporated into plans and programmes today, together with the environmental performance of the buildings and infrastructure constructed today, will affect nature, the environment, and human health not only now but for many years to come.

Public procurers are increasingly referring to environmental assessment criteria in procurement processes. Under the EU Public Procurement Directives, technical specifications may refer to specific criteria. However, it is not permissible to require the use of a particular environmental assessment system as proof that those criteria have been met.

The Swedish National Agency for Public Procurement

BASTA's criteria can be used as a practical tool to fulfil and verify chemical requirements in public procurement. In its procurement criteria, the Swedish National Agency for Public Procurement requires that construction products and materials must not contain substances of very high concern above specified threshold values.

As BASTA's criteria, like those of the Swedish National Agency for Public Procurement, are based on established chemicals legislation such as REACH and CLP, products registered in the BASTA system can help both procurers and suppliers demonstrate compliance with these requirements.

Verification method

BASTA can be used as a verification method that enables contracting authorities to simplify the assessment of chemical content in construction products. At the same time, suppliers benefit from an open and transparent way to document that their products meet relevant environmental and health-related requirements.

BASTA can therefore support procurement processes aimed at reducing the presence of hazardous substances and promoting more sustainable material choices within the construction and real estate sectors.

Set requirements for products

When procuring a construction or civil engineering project, it is important to set requirements for the products to be used in the project. This helps ensure that contractors primarily use products that have been assessed for their content of substances of very high concern.

As a practical support tool, the Swedish National Agency for Public Procurement has developed procurement requirements and criteria for "Substances with hazardous environmental and health properties", available at both basic and advanced levels (ID: 10935:4).

The BASTA system helps identify products that meet the Agency's requirements regarding the assessment of the content, properties, and environmental and health risks of materials, products, and chemical products.

Example of requirements that may be specified in procurement documents:

  • Installed products must achieve the ALFA rating (alternatively ALFA or BETA).
  • Compliance may be demonstrated by products being registered with an ALFA rating (alternatively ALFA or BETA) in the BASTA system, or by other reliable documentation.
  • Any deviations from these requirements must be reported as non-conformities.
  • Requirements may also specify that products that do not meet the ALFA or BETA criteria must be registered with the DECLARED rating to facilitate the management and follow-up of deviations.