The Guidance on Innovation Procurement clarifies the concept of innovation procurement and gives concrete examples and practical tools for public buyers to implement procurement strategies that are open to innovators and to help them acquire the new solutions the market can provide.
Vending machines for food and beverages, University of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy)
EC GPP Case Study - UNICA’s procurement of a food and beverage vending service with 64 machines in September 2019, through a concessions contract, resulted in four suppliers bidding for a five-year contract worth €210,000. This particular concessions contract is part of UNICA’s sustainability policy and aims to improve the services provided by the University in terms of environmental sustainability, through the reduced use of plastic and the promotion of circular waste management.
BUS-GoCircular - Stimulate demand for sustainable energy skills with circularity as a driver and multifunctional green use of roofs, façades and interior elements as focus
The overall aim of BUS-GoCircular is to address and overcome the challenges of the stimulation of demand for green energy skilled workforce, along with hands-on capacity building to increase the number of skilled workforce across the value chain. BUS-GoCircular will achieve this objective by developing and implementing a circular construction skills qualification framework with a focus on multifunctional green roofs, façades and interior elements. In addition, the project is strengthened by application of successful train-the-trainer methods and techniques for upskilling both demand and supply sides of the value chain involved. For stimulation of demand for sustainable energy skills, specific activities concerning companies, real estate, home owners and local authorities will be developed, including support towards legislative changes through circular green procurement and recognition of skills. Implementation will be carried out at country-specific and regional levels, based on a blend of measures to stimulate demand complimented with hands-on and practical upskilling of local and regional training capacity and workforce.
nZEB Ready - Enhancing Market Readiness for nZEB Implementation
The overarching goal of the project is to support the increase of the market readiness for an effective nearly-zero energy Buildings (nZEB) implementation and to stimulate the demand for energy related skills:
- by addressing the key identified barriers and needs of nZEB implementation in focused markets,
- by creating support mechanisms and stimulating the development of skills frameworks by new market driven mutual recognition training and certification scheme for nZEB deployment that will facilitate the necessary legislative changes and
- through development and communication of toolboxes, tailored guidance and practical support to engage users and other key categories to integrate in a nZEB dynamic market.
The SAPIENS Network focuses on Sustainability and Procurement in international, European and national systems. It will be the first training network and academic research project integrating SPP as a sub-discipline within the scientific field of sustainable public procurement studies.
Beyond buying - how can the circular economy principles feed sustainable public procurement policies and practices?
The city of Bremen commissioned the new report ‘Beyond Buying: how can the circular economy principles feed sustainable public procurement policies and practices?’ to outline how municipalities can include circular economy principles into their procurement policies and practices. The report also makes policy recommendations to support these efforts and mainstream sustainability across the procurement process.
English
Europe/EU, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Sweden
Textiles, ICT (information and communication techn.), Office stationery, Infrastructure, Furniture
General GPP/SPP, Circular Economy, Social responsibility
Poland’s first swimming pool meeting passive energy use standards
EC GPP Case Study: In 2018, the small town of Sulejów began a procedure to build Poland’s first ‘passive’ swimming pool – that is, a pool with ultra-low energy requirements for heating and cooling. This was achieved through a combination of high thermal insulation and air-tightness, as well as the use of heat-pump technology and installation of light emitting diodes (LED) lighting.The building was completed in March 2021, and the desired passive design standard has been achieved.
Kantoor2023: a sustainable and circular building in Brussels
EC GPP Case Study: The Kantoor2023 project is a renovation project of the two towers of the World Trade Centre (WTC) in Brussels. The resulting residential-work complex showcases sustainability and circularity.
