21 May 2012 Last updated at 12:56 ET

Aberdeen firm wins Norway procurement database deal

Millstream provides public procurement websites for several European countries

An Aberdeen firm has secured a £4.8m deal to run Norway's national procurement database for another seven years.

Millstream, which has provided the country's official "Doffin" portal since 2005, won the renewal following a competitive tendering process.

Millstream provides national public procurement websites for several European member states.

It also runs the Public Contracts Scotland portal.

The Doffin portal was set up to help Norwegian public bodies create and publish tender notices in accordance with Norwegian regulations.

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.

'Important resource'

Millstream managing director Tim Williams said: "When we were first awarded the contract in 2005, we revolutionised the public procurement industry in Norway by introducing new functionality and features that purchasers could use when creating notices that saved them time and money. This has amounted to savings of more than £2m.

"As all tender notices have to be published through the Doffin site, it is also an important resource for any supplier who is interested in finding new opportunities in the Norwegian public and utility sectors," he added.

The contract win is the latest in a series of deals involving Scotland and Norway over the past week.

Norway-listed oil and gas firm Aker Solutions said it would create 500 new jobs in the north east of Scotland over the next two years, while Highland-based offshore engineering firm Global Energy Group reported it was establishing its first permanent base in Norway.

Norway-based farmed salmon producer Marine Harvest also announced plans to invest £80m in its Scottish operations over the next five years.