23 May 2019
The new look Innovation Procurement Platform (previously running under the name of Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) Platform) has been launched to promote the uptake of Procurement of Innovation and Pre-Commercial Procurement by the public sector. The newly designed platform is a source of information, guidance, and resources for practitioners and organisations, managed by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, and redesigned in collaboration with the EU-funded Procure2Innovate project.
On the Innovation Procurement Platform, procurers and policy-makers have up-to-date content and key resources at their fingertips. Whether a public authority is looking to get started with Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) or Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP), or is looking for opportunities to connect with European innovation procurement initiatives – the platform is the ‘go-to’ address for all innovation procurement matters.
“The power of the public purse can be a great leverage for innovation. And innovations can boost the quality and efficiency of public services. It is time that Europe fully embraces this virtuous circle that can be unleashed by mainstreaming innovation procurement. Indeed, innovation procurement can modernise public services with innovative solutions whilst creating also business opportunities for European companies, including SMEs and start-ups, to gain leadership in new markets. And this is of vital importance for the competitiveness of Europe in the digital economy,” remarked Lieve Bos, Policy Officer Innovation Procurement, Digital Single Market Directorate, DG CONNECT, European Commission.
“Public purchasing bodies are key stimulators of innovation. It is our experience at ICLEI that public procurement of innovation is a powerful tool for governments at all levels to design and deliver the best possible public services. The Innovation Procurement Platform is a central resource that allows public authorities across Europe to learn from each other, to find innovative and cost-effective solutions and ultimately provide better services to the general public,” said Mark Hidson, Global Director of ICLEI’s Sustainable Procurement Centre.
The newly branded website’s resource centre offers over a hundred innovation procurement related resources, from case studies, to guidance documents, to reports. The easy-to-use search function makes finding the right resource simple. The news and events sections keep procurers up-to-date on relevant policy developments, breaking news in the field of innovation and procurement, as well as opportunities for funding and collaboration to boost their innovative capacity.