Procurement process for the maternity package
The selection of products included in the maternity package is revised annually. The products are selected in a public tender process conducted in accordance with the Act on Public Contracts and Concessions. The public tender process uses an open procurement procedure. This means that all companies that want to offer their products up for inclusion in the maternity package can participate in the tender process.
The tender process is conducted a little over a year before the distribution of the maternity package is scheduled to begin. For example, the tender process for the 2025 edition of the package began in autumn 2023.
Participation in the tender
Kela publishes a contract notice in the Hilma e-service at www.hankintailmoitukset.fi. The notice includes a link to the Cloudia procurement service where the documents related to the invitation to tender can be found. The invitation to tender lists the products up for tender, describes the selection and comparison criteria applied, and details the qualification criteria for potential suppliers.
In addition to submitting their tender online, companies looking to offer their products for procurement must send product samples to Kela’s office in Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki. The product samples are used to assess the quality of the products.
Product selection
The needs of the mother and the newborn baby are the main criteria Kela applies when selecting products for the maternity package. The selection process is conducted with the help of the maternity grant advisory council. The advisory council is comprised of experts from Kela, the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes), the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and a maternity and child health clinic.
The total monetary value of the products selected for the maternity package may not exceed EUR 210 (0% VAT).
Each product is selected either on the basis of the lowest price or the best value. Best value means that quality is taken into account in addition to price. Since the 2022 edition of the maternity package, quality has been weighted at 80% and price at 20%.
Kela issues a written procurement decision on the products selected for the maternity package, which is then communicated to all companies that offered products for inclusion in the package.
Product delivery
Kela concludes written supply contracts with the companies whose products have been selected for the maternity package. A third-party entity under contract to Kela orders and packs the products and distributes the maternity package to customers.