Millstream, a procurement services provider, has secured a £4.8million deal to run Norway’s national procurement database.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has praised the contract win, citing it as an excellent example of Scottish companies developing strong ties with Norway, a key export partner.

The Aberdeen-based company has provided the Doffin portal for the Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (Difi) in Norway since the end of 2005 and won the renewal following a competitive tendering process.

The seven-year contract, which is one of the largest won by Millstream, will start later this year and has the option to be extended for a further five years.

Millstream is the only company providing national public procurement websites for several European member states and currently operates similar websites in Ireland and Scotland, where it runs the Public Contracts Scotland portal.

The Doffin portal was set up to help Norwegian public bodies to create and publish tender notices in accordance with Norwegian regulations, and all public contracts must be advertised on the site.

Since Millstream was first awarded the contract, it has saved the public purse around £2million a year by cutting the cost of publishing public sector notices from £2.7 million to £625,000.

Tim Williams, managing director of Millstream, said: “This is a significant win for us and the fact we have been reappointed underlines Difi’s confidence in the portal we provide for all procurement notices in Norway, as well as demonstrating that UK businesses can still win business overseas.

He continued: “Millstream’s main objective is to provide an easy and efficient procurement service to people who are buying or providing services in the public sector."