"The primary goals of the PPE+ Europe 2024-2028 project are to further professionalise public procurement practitioners, particularly from Central Purchasing Bodies (CPBs) and other centralised procurement institutions from EU Member States and Single Market Programme (SMP) participating countries", notes Uwe Flach, project manager of the PPE+ Europe 2024-2028 programme in an interview for the Green Public Procurement News Alert.

Flach, who is the Head of Consulting, Organisational Development & International Affairs at Austria's Federal Procurement Agency (BBG). BBG coordinates the programme which aims to enhance the strategic procurement capabilities of centralised procurement organisations across Europe. The training programme was launched in mid-2024 and will feature a total of four training rounds, designed for public procurers who want to develop their skills in integrating sustainability, innovation, and digitalisation into their procurement processes. The 2024 training round is currently underway. In early April applications will be launched for the 2025 trainings. 

Flach notes that the project "builds on the experience gained from previous European training programmes and practical expertise from other EU projects. It seeks to enhance the competencies and expertise required to tackle the complex challenges in public procurement, including issues related to supply chains, SMEs and market structures, pricing as well as strategic and sustainable considerations. The programme also aims to ensure the efficient and legally compliant use of public funds, which is a key responsibility for public procurers.

Public procurement professionals are tasked with managing various, sometimes conflicting, requirements, such as balancing the efficient use of public funds with achieving socio-political goals. This requires expertise in multiple disciplines, including law, product and market knowledge, technical know-how, project management, and communication."

The full interview can be read here

More information about PPE+ Europe 2024-2028 can be found here.