PUBLIC PROCUREMENT NEWS

  

News

13 October 2015

New report looks at Flemish government's support for innovative and sustainable procurement

The Flemish government has enacted a number of policies to increase the uptake of procurement of innovation according to a new report produced by Foundation Innovation & Work, taking advantage of the new EU procurement directive’s more supportive language towards engaging in innovative and sustainable procurement. Within the Belgian region, public procurement of innovation (PPI) is promoted across all policy areas, with IWT – the Flemish Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology in charge of controlling and supporting the shift.

Currently Flanders is carrying out 15 PPI projects as part of its innovative procurement programme, including a partner role in the Procurement of Innovation Platform. The region also closely monitors other country’s national innovation procurement frameworks to gain examples of best practice. While no one country provides a role model across all areas, the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom are considered exemplary in their application of PPI.

To support sustainability in procurement processes, the Department of Administrative Affairs ensures that sustainability criteria are incorporated into all procurement Action Plans. A sustainable and innovation task force has also been set up to produce information sheets and to develop framework contracts that can be implemented by procurers. The government further aims to incorporate terms into their tenders that lower the barriers for SME participation.

For more information, download the report. [PDF]