Procure2innovate is creating an EU-wide network of national competence centres on innovation procurement. As a communication and support action, the project acts as a mediator and facilitator for the competence centres to enable them to learn from each other, grow together and offer optimal services to public procurers in their country.
Specifically, the project will set up five new competence centres in Estonia, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Ireland. And it is extending the scope of support offered by five existing competence centres in Austria, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. The competence centres offer a variety of services to public procurers in the respective countries such as training, best practice examples, conferences, networking events, legal support, individual counselling, financial incentive schemes and assistance in finding national and European funding.
These services will allow procurers to further enhance their procurement practices to include innovation. With innovation as a key aspect in procurement public tenders are more cost-effective and achieve better public services. Enhanced capacity to carry out innovative tenders will also enable public procurers to initiate collaborative and joint procurements nationally and cross-border.
The work of all competence centres during the project is based on shared views and common goals. This will aid in mainstreaming innovation procurement practices across Europe. As a united voice the network of competence centres is able to communicate with policy makers and further increase the impact of innovation procurement.
In addition, each competence centre will promote Horizon 2020 and its synergies with ESIF funding in cooperation with thematic Horizon 2020 National Contact Points (H2020 NCPs) for innovation procurement. National competence centres for innovation procurement will and already are supporting public procurers in building capacity to successfully apply for and complete European PCP and PPI co-fund actions.
The results delivered in this project will underscore and support the purchases carried out in PCP and PPI co-fund actions within the same work programme. procure2innovate gives all interested procurers, specifically those responsible for the purchasing of ICT products and services, the know-how to successfully execute their innovative procurement.
