Project type       Innovation Procurement

Partners

Bundesbeschaffung Gmbh, Austria

Zenit Zentrum Fur Innovation Und Technik In Nordrhein-Westfalen Gmbh, Germany

Iclei European Secretariat Gmbh (Iclei Europasekretariat Gmbh), Germany

Upphandlingsmyndigheten, Sweden

Kammarkollegiet, Sweden

Consip Spa, Italy

Ministerie Van Economische Zaken, Netherlands

Ypourgeio Anaptyxis, Greece

Ettevotluse Ja Innovatsiooni Sihtasutus, Estonia

Bundesministerium Fuer Wirtschaft Und Energie, Germany

Centro Para El Desarrollo Tecnologico Y La Innovacion E.P.E., Spain

Instituto Nacional De Tecnica Aeroespacial Esteban Terradas, Spain

Bedin Sara, Italy

R&D Slua Limited, Ireland

Ani – Agencia Nacional De Inovacao, Sa, Portugal

Instituto De Salud Carlos Iii, Spain

Dates                2018-2022

Funding           Horizon 2020. 1. 999. 491,25 euros

The project Procure2Innovate improved institutional support for public procurers of information and communication technologies (ICT) and other product groups implementing innovation procurement by establishing or expanding competence centres for innovation procurement in ten EU Member States. Among them, the Greek government participated actively, through the participation of the General Directorate of Public Procurements (GDPP) in the Ministry of Development. Through Procure2Innovate, the participating public authorities worked to strengthen their national public procurement framework by providing public buyers with tools, knowledge, and resources to engage more effectively with innovative markets. By doing so, they encouraged public sector organizations to explore and invest in cutting-edge solutions, which led to more efficient and effective public services. The initiative also aimed to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by creating opportunities for them to participate in public procurement processes, especially those offering innovative products or services.

In addition, the project played a key role in promoting collaboration between different sectors. By connecting public authorities with private companies, research institutions, and other stakeholders, the initiative fostered a dynamic ecosystem for innovation. This not only improved the quality of public services but also stimulated the local economies by driving demand for innovative solutions.

Public authorities gained a better understanding of the state of the art and of where the need for innovation is, while market parties gained more knowledge of where the demand is and how to best adapt their products and services to it. The involved public authorities were supported in this by the European regulatory framework, which offers many opportunities for experimentation and innovation in public procurement. It also provides more opportunities for market engagement than public authorities sometimes realise. Market dialogues and open market consultations are key to successful PCPs and innovation partnerships and have mutual benefits. By incorporating innovative solutions into public procurement, governments such as the Greek Government, addressed complex societal challenges, such as environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and digital governance.

The project collected a database of training material to support public authorities and SMEs during the processes of Innovation Procurement and identified best practices, awarding the best ones with awards in 4 categories:

• Innovation Procurement of the Year – recognising the outstanding innovation of the procurement and the public authority as a launch customer
• Outstanding Innovation Procurement in ICT – Recognising the outstanding application of Procurement of Innovation and Pre-commercial procurement of ICT
• Sustainable Procurement of the Year – recognising the outstanding environmental, social and economic impacts of the procurement
• Procurement Initiative of the Year – recognising outstanding processes and actions towards strategic, sustainable and innovation procurement