The Sustainable Timber Action project in cooperation with IDH and ProBos is presenting the first large scale European event for sustainable timber procurement on 6 November in Amsterdam (Netherlands). Every year, thousands of hectares of tropical forest are being destroyed. European public authorities play a large role in reversing this trend. The power of sustainable timber procurement as well as Europe’s role in the sustainable use of tropical forests will be central themes of the event: ‘Creating sustainable timber markets - Launching the EU Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition’.

The conference will mark the launch of the EU Sustainable Tropical Timber Coalition (EU STTC) as well as the presentation of the outcomes of the Sustainable Timber Action project. The event will also feature the annual Sustainable Procurement Seminar of the Procura+ Campaign.

The event addresses local, regional and national government representatives as well as private sector organisations. It is free of charge. Coverage of travel costs may be possible. For more information, contact procurement@iclei.org.

To register for the event, click here (all participants must use the registration code 4525931).

The European Commission services will present 2014 Horizon 2020 future calls for proposals as well as future financial instruments (Horizon 2020, CEF, Structural funds 2014-2020) to support the demand for innovation and innovative procurement. A special focus will be placed on recent developments in the support of innovation procurement in central Europe, from policy makers and practitioners involved in European buyers’ groups of innovative solutions.

Contact: European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry: Bertrand Wert (bertrand.wert@ec.europa.eu) and Grzegorz Drozd (grzegorz.drozd@ec.europa.eu). More information available here.

The Scottish Fair Trade Forum will be hosting a conference on Fair Trade and public procurement on 19 November. Held in conjunction with the Fairtrade Foundation and looking specifically at ethical procurement in the Scottish public sector, the event will discuss how Scotland can build on its achievements as a Fair Trade Nation through the use of public procurement against the backdrop of imminent reform of this area.

A range of guest speakers will be in attendance who will discuss recent advancements in Fair Trade and the background to sustainable procurement reform in Scotland. They will also take the opportunity to share practical advice on how Fair Trade can be incorporated into public sector procurement.

The event will be especially suitable for procurement officers from public sector organisations such as local authorities, further education and higher education institutions and the NHS.

For more information, click here.

Preliminary registration has opened for the Nordic Public Procurement Conference 2013. These registrations are non-binding, and an invitation to confirm registration will be sent upon finalisation of the conference programme.

Open to lawyers, all purchasers from the public and utility sectors, and their suppliers and consultants, the conference will help participants to improve their knowledge of new legislation, including recent amendments, and understand case law. Participants ability to manage the procurement process within the rules and advise about the procurement process will also be enhanced.

One day is €799 ex VAT., while two days is €1,399 ex VAT. Substantial documentation, lunch and refreshments are included.

The German Sustainability Award was established in 2008 to encourage the acceptance of social and ecological responsibility and to identify role models in this area. Honorees include companies, cities and individuals instrumental in promoting the idea of a sustainable society.

The Award is endorsed by the German Federal Government, the National Council for Sustainable Development, numerous scientific organizations and associations, among others UNESCO and UNICEF.

The awards are presented each year by prominent members of the German government. At the 2012 ceremony German Foreign Minister Dr. Guido Westerwelle and German Finance Minister Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble were guests.

For more information and to register for the congress focussing on cities, click here.

A webinar on organising GPP internally will be held on November 26 2013 as part of the EU Helpdesk on green public procurement (GPP). The webinar will look at how GPP policies can be translated into effective initiatives and processes. It will also provide examples of procedures which aid the implementation of GPP within an organisation on a daily basis.

Three very different approaches and experiences from the public sector will be presented during the online event. Opportunities for questions and discussion will follow.

The webinar will take place from 14.30 - 16.00 (CET, Berlin time). Participation is open to all.

World-class procurement in the NHS is not a slogan; it is a necessity. Better procurement will save lives. High performing trusts will embrace it. The pressures on the NHS to secure much better value from the £20bn a year procurement spend by its hospital trusts are immense. A combination of joined-up procurement to maximise leverage and manage supply chains, with investment in much greater capability, should deliver some huge savings. Just a five percent improvement will save £1bn – equivalent to employing an extra 30,000 nurses. Alternatively, it could release resources to procure new, state-of-the-art equipment. The revised EU procurement directives will help the NHS to achieve these objectives and make it easier to take advantage of innovation.

Suppliers of innovative solutions in the field of aging well are invited to the free HAPPI information days.

The infodays are an opportunity to learn how to use the HAPPI online platform where you are able to showcase your innovative products and services ahead of any calls for tender and formal procurement. The platform is now opened.

HAPPI members will offer further information on the upcoming European call(s) for tender and on the project, its benefits and objectives. The infoday is also a networking event, where you will meet HAPPI members, including seven healthcare central purchasing organisations.

For more information and to register, click here.

ECO-Buy and Net Balance are co-hosting two master classes on social procurement for infrastructure and construction. Governments and corporations are realising the opportunity to achieve social outcomes through procurement, especially on infrastructure and construction projects.

Social procurement can involve engaging local suppliers, establishing apprenticeshops, offering indigenous employment opportunities and meeting the requirements of the Australian Government's Indigenous Opportunities Policy, and measuring and reporting on outcomes.

The first master class takes place in Melbourne on 10 December and the second in Sydney on 12 December. A registration fee of AU$780 is required, or AU$650 for members of ISCA, ECO-Buy, or SPA. Places are limited to 20 participants.

For more information, click here.

A workshop focusing on the procurement of clean buses under the Clean Vehicles Directive (CVD) will take place in Bremen (Germany) from 11 - 12 December 2013. It will look at the background and objectives of CVD and how bus procurement is carried out in practice.

By presenting experiences in clean bus procurement from different cities, the workshop will discuss a variety of important topics. These include considering the objectives of operators and authorities, a comparison of different technologies used in cleaner buses, and the implication of electrification as regards the CVD and Life Cycle Costing approach. The workshop will also include a half-day study visit looking at Bremen's electric tram, EEV diesel buses and diesel-electric buses.

Bremen has a long history of testing and using various kinds of hybrid buses. Since 2006, all new buses operating in the city had fulfilled the EEV emission standard and now almost the entire fleet meets the EEV standard. With the electric tram as the core of the public transport system, Bremen is considering further electrification in the bus sector and is looking at various technological solutions: from pure battery to full electric trolley-battery-hybrid buses.

For more information and to register for the event, contact Hendrik Koch.