Pre-Commercial Procurement

Key Documents

PCP Communication and Staff Working Document

14 December 2007 the European Commissionadopted a Communication and an associated Staff Working Document on Pre-Commercial Procurement: "Pre-commercial procurement: Driving innovation to ensure sustainable high-quality public services in Europe". This is a joint initiative between Commissioners Reding and Potocnik. The Communication introduces the concept and potential benefits of PCP. The Staff Working Document explains by example how PCP can be implemented in line with the legal framework.

Pre-commercial Procurement Brochure (English) : foreword by Commissioners Reding and Potocnik, followed by a copy of the Communication and Staff Working Document on PCP. (362KB, English)

Publication of Communication on EUR-Lex

Communication in all EU languages (COM(2007)799 final)

BG, CS, DA, DE, EL, EN, ES, ET, FI, FR, HU, IT, LT, LV, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, SV

Staff Working Document in all EU languages (SEC(2007)1668)

BG, CS, DA, DE, EL, EN, ES, ET, FI, FR, HU, IT, LT, LV, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, SV

Expert Reports

Opportunities for public technology procurement in the ICT sector in Europe (April 2008)

April 2008 a study by Ramboll Management was published on the opportunities for public technology procurement - including pre-commercial procurement - in the ICT sector in Europe. (1.605KB)

The study contains interesting case studies which provided valuable information on the underutilization of risk-benefit sharing (IPR ownership assignment to suppliers) and competing development (multiple suppliers developing competing solutions for the same procurer problem in parallel) in public procurements in Europe compared to the US.

Pre-commercial Procurement of innovation: A missing link in the European innovation cycle (March 2006)

The initial work on PCP was kicked-off by an independent expert group assisting an ad-hoc working group of the National IST Directors Forum on public procurement in support of ICT research and innovation. Initial expert group report: full report (323KB), executive summary (58KB).

The report gives interesting background info and figures on the underutilization of R&D procurement in Europe, for the exact definition and legal framework for PCP please refer to the more recent Communication and Staff Working Document on PCP.