Until 25 June 2021, procurers can apply for a call for proposals of the eafip (European Assistance for Innovation Procurement Initiative). The initiative supports procurers in developing and implementing innovative processes and in initiating European procurement projects. A three-part toolkit is also available on its website, which provides further information.
“Boosting economic recovery through Innovation Procurement - What the European Assistance for Innovation Procurement can do for you” is the topic of the eafip (European Assistance for Innovation Procurement Initiative) workshop on 18 May 2021 from 9.30 until 13.30. The workshop offers insights into how innovation procurement can play a key role in tackling the significant challenges the European public sector is facing nowadays – especially in the context of economic recovery following the COVID crisis, the Green Deal objectives, cybersecurity and other societal challenges. For public buyers that are interested to start new innovation procurements, EAFIP will also explain how to apply for free of charge assistance as well as what types of assistance EAFIP can provide.
Want to know how much the public sector in your country invests in adopting innovations and in which sectors they invest most (health, ICT…)? Keen to find out if your country has an action plan, target, financial incentives and a competence centre for innovation procurement? Check out the results of the EU wide benchmarking of national policy frameworks and investments on innovation procurement across Europe. Now available: Final report, executive summary, country profiles of all 30 benchmarked countries as well as presentations and video of the final workshop that presented the results.
24 Member States and Norway and Iceland have signed a declaration to accelerate the use of green digital technologies for the benefit of the environment. They will deploy and invest more green digital technologies to achieve climate neutrality and accelerate the green and digital transitions in priority sectors in Europe, for example by using the NextGenerationEU and InvestEU funds.
ProcurCompEU, the EU's new competency framework for the professionalisation of public procurement reinforces the strategic role of public procurement for modernizing public services with innovations, for digital transformation and sustainable growth. By defining 30 key competences, including for innovation procurement, it provides a common reference for professionalisation across the EU. It encourages public buyers to develop skills on pre-commercial procurement and public procurement of innovative solutions and to position ICT as strategic sector for economic growth.
The European Commission's Directorate-General GROW provided information on the Innovation Partnership method in a seminar series. The aim of the European Commission is to promote the demand for innovative goods, services and work in Europe. In this context, innovative procurement is seen as a key to bring innovations to the market.
Online seminar Workshop presenting results of the European wide benchmarking of innovation procurement investments and policy frameworks on 12 October 2020: The European Commission informed how much the public sector in different EU countries invests in the implementation of innovative solutions and in which sectors (e.g. health, transport, energy, security, ICT). In addition, existing National Action Plans and other measures to promote innovative procurement were presented.
European Week of Regions and Cities from 5 to 22 October 2020: The lecture programme covered the topics Empowering Citizens, Cohesion & Cooperation and Green Europe. These presentations focused on public procurement.
The EU provides funding for the development of products that are not yet available on the market. The instruments Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) and Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI) are used. To give examples on how the projects can be structured and which products could be developed, the EU Contact Point for Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions presents the following projects in more detail:
The European Commission has also updated its brochure Innovation Procurement - The power of the public purse. This presents EU-funded procurement projects that addressing ICT-based solutions. They cover areas such as health, transport, climate change, energy, security, education and public administration.
The IÖB service point regularly publishes challenges to bring together public institutions and companies with innovative offers. The current challenges can be found here.
The European Commission has released new guidance for public buyers to help public authorities use the flexibility provided by the EU’s public procurement framework to ensure rapid and efficient purchases of all necessary equipment. The possibilities range from considerably shortening the public procurement process to emergency procurement that is not subject to EU procedural requirements and does not require the prior publication of tender notices. The guidance also recommends that public buyers consider alternative innovative solutions and ways of engaging with the market.
Results EU funded PCPs (May 2019)
Commission notice: Guidance on Innovation Procurement (May 2018)