London/Paris, Dec. 19 - Fortune Brands, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and Diageo Plc are set to submit indicative bids for Absolut vodka maker Vin & Sprit by the end of January, people close to the matter said.
The process kicked off last week, with bidders being sent a non-disclosure agreement to sign before formally entering the auction process, as well as information packs on the business, said the sources.
The Swedish government said on December 13 it had contacted more than 30 potential bidders ahead of the planned auction of Vin & Sprit next year.
Sweden's Investor AB in partnership with private equity firm EQT has also said it's interested in bidding.
Analysts say V&S -- which was founded 90 years ago and is the crown jewel of a collection of Swedish state owned assets up for sale -- could fetch up to $7 billion.
Sweden last month appointed Bengt-Ake Nilsson as its new top adviser in the country's biggest-ever privatization scheme after his predecessor resigned in the wake of a trading scandal, the government said on Friday.
The new chairman of the advisory council overlooking the government's sales process has many years of experience from working in government and is a former judge.
The center-right government has said it expects to raise 200 billion Swedish crowns ($30.4 billion) over four years from the privatizations and use the funds to pay down government debt.
The government also plans to sell all or part of real estate firm Vasakronan, a 19.9 percent stake in banking group Nordea and a 6.7 percent stake in bourse operator OMX.
It also aims to sell a stake in telecom operator TeliaSonera and wholly state-owned mortgage lender SBAB.