Tampere (Finland) has cooperated with the market to develop new circular procurement procedures, criteria and operation methods for the construction of streets. When these methods were applied in the procurement of Yliopistonkatu, one of the central streets in the city, it was the first time such public procurement criteria were used in Finland.

At the heart of the procurement process is a new principle based on market cooperation: Design and Building. As part of this process, the city sets circular and other sustainability and safety goals for the construction site, but gives companies the ability to influence how these goals are achieved through the design of the project. The contractor is responsible for the recycling and procurement of the material used in the project, under the supervision of the customer.

Karoliina Tuukkanen, project manager in Tampere notes that even though “the use of the Design & Build model and scoring criteria in the construction contract was new for the city, the experience was good. With the new procurement model and criteria we were able to procure the most cost effective and the most ambitious offer in terms of the circular economy.”

More information about Tampere’s work and other innovative ways of using circular procurement can be found in “Circular construction in Europe: handbook for local and regional governments”, a key document published by the EU-funded CityLoops project that seeks to contribute to the further implementation of the circular economy across Europe. The handbook, aimed at local and regional governments, provides a comprehensive overview of how the lessons learnt and main insights from the project (and from other pioneering European cities) can be most effectively applied in other contexts. The project has also developed a similar handbook focussing on the circular bioeconomy.

As a signatory of the Circular Cities Declaration and a participant in the Procura+ Network, Tampere can rightfully be called a pioneering city. It has made circular economy a strong part of all its infrastructure building activities. In compliance with its CE strategy, investments are made in innovative solutions and procurements in the planning, development and construction of infrastructure projects.

Public authorities increasingly see strategic public procurement as a key tool for supporting environmental, social, economic and innovation policy goals. This shift away from a purely administrative to purchasing, towards a more strategic and needs-driven one means that “certain regulatory frameworks need to be readjusted to promote a more holistic approach to public procurement, as currently most policies are not developed to ensure coherence across various policy areas and procurement legislations." This is one of the key points raised by ICLEI Europe’s Sustainable and Innovation Procurement Team, in an article written for European Public Mosaic, an open journal focusing on public service.

The article furthermore provides a deep dive on the state of play of strategic public procurement within the regulatory framework in Europe, showcasing best practices and key challenges. It places the current developments in European public procurement in the context of the European Green Deal, which notes that for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, public authorities need to take the lead and ensure that their procurement is green. That requires wider implementation of sustainable public procurement on both national and local level, which can be hindered by legal, technical and organisational factors. The European Commission is increasingly taking measures to address this. The procurement dialogues initiative is a good example of this.

As the article notes, ICLEI, often in cooperation with the EU has already developed certain materials that can help public authorities to further promote strategic public procurement. They include guidance such as “Buying Green! A handbook on green public procurement" and the Procura+ Manual. In addition, ICLEI Europe currently coordinates an EU-funded training programme in ten Member States dedicated to professionalising and scaling up Green Public Procurement (GPP), operates the EU Green Public Procurement Helpdesk, and leads the Procura+ European Sustainable Network.

The article also highlights a number of concrete example of how cities across Europe have successfully used strategic public procurement. The City of Copenhagen (Denmark) included green vehicle criteria in their procurement of window cleaning services, implementing a ‘staircase model’ as a contract performance clause whereby the minimum percentage of green vehiclesrequired increased annually. The University Paris-Saclay (France), required the use of eco-labels, reusable and durable products in their tender to provide students with reusable menstrual products and the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa (Spain), incorporated gender equality clauses in contracts.

Finally, ICLEI’s SIP Team emphasises that more public authorities around Europe should follow these examples, noting that “there is a widespread misconception that sustainable solutions cost more. Differences in purchase price between sustainable and non-sustainable options are usually negligible and, even so, may be offset by savings in energy, water and waste over the lifetime of the product or service. Ambitious strategic and sustainable procurement policies can also redefine purchasing needs so that overall costs are lowered.”

The full article can be read here.

The 2024 Procura+ Conference, taking place on 13 & 14 March in Lisbon (Portugal), is a great opportunity for cities and public authorities to gain a better understanding of how public procurement can be used to implement step changes that can make a big impact. The conference will be opened with keynote speeches by Carlos Moedas, Mayor of Lisbon and Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmo, Vice-President ICLEI, Chair of the Procura+ Network. They will highlight the key role of procurement in addressing the major environmental, social and economic challenges faced by cities today. 

The opening, also featuring Janez Potocnik, Co-Chair of the UNEP International Resource Panel, will set the stage for a conference that will emphasise how public procurement can contribute to the transformation of our societies in light of these challenges, as well as to broader policy objectives, such as the just transition, the circular economy, and the transformation of our energy systems. 

During the two days, participants will also gain a better understanding of how training and upskilling can contribute to the further implementation of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP), and how public buyers can learn from their mistakes. Furthermore, on both days there will be market lounges showcasing breakthrough approaches and case studies on how step changes for big impact have been made with strategies, policies and most important implementing procurement on the ground.

Of course the conference will also offer plenty of opportunities to learn from each other. Networking is highly encouraged during the Agora sessions, the site visits, and the Procura+ Awards ceremony with official dinner in the evening of 13 March. 

The programme can be found on the official Procura+ Conference website. The programme is subject to change, and more speakers will be confirmed in the coming days. Soon the registration form will also be made available.

Public buyers now have until 15 November to submit their application for the Procura+ Awards. Public authorities who wish to do so can apply through an online form which can be found here. More information concerning the terms and conditions can be found on the Procura+ website.

The Awards ceremony will take place during the Procura+ Conference, taking place in Lisbon on 13 & 14 March 2024. The conference will gather a broad group of public procurement stakeholders to showcase how cities and public authorities can use public procurement to implement step changes that make a big impact. Finalists for the Procura+ Awards will receive a free ticket for the Conference.

This year public authorities can apply in three categories:

• Sustainable Procurement of the Year: This category will reward procurements which integrate aspects of sustainability, including environmental, economic, circular and social elements. It aims to showcase procurements which include a strategic and therefore holistic approach to implementing public procurement.
• Innovation Procurement of the Year: This category will reward those procurements which use innovative approaches in their purchasing practices, as well as those that foster innovation by purchasing cutting-edge products, services and works and see the public authority as a launch customer, driving sustainable development.
• Procurement Initiative of the Year: This category will focus on outstanding public procurement initiatives, such as programmes, policies, actions, guidance and tools that contribute towards strategic, sustainable, circular and innovation procurement

The finalists and winners will be decided by a jury of four experienced public procurement experts and policy makers. They are:

• Jorge Laguna Celis, Director of UNEP's One Planet Network
• Jorge Conesa, Managing Director of the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO)
• Mark Hidson, Global Director of ICLEI's Sustainable Procurement Centre
• Erika Bozzay, Senior Policy Adviser at the Infrastructure and Public Procurement Division, OECD

The Procura+ Awards are an ICLEI Europe initiative, and reward sustainable and innovative public procurements leading to significant improvements of public good, services, process and infrastructure. Read more about the previous Procura+ Winners here

The 2024 Procura+ Awards will be decided by a jury of four experienced public procurement experts and policy makers. They are:

• Jorge Laguna Celis, Director of UNEP's One Planet Network
• Jorge Conesa, Managing Director of the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO)
• Mark Hidson, Global Director of ICLEI's Sustainable Procurement Centre
• Erika Bozzay, Senior Policy Adviser at the Infrastructure and Public Procurement Division, OECD

The Procura+ Awards reward successful, already running, sustainable, circular and innovation public procurements that have led to significant improvements of public goods, services, processes and infrastructure. Public buyers who want to apply for the 2024 Award can do so in three categories:

• Sustainable Procurement of the Year: This category will reward procurements which integrate aspects of sustainability, including environmental, economic, circular and social elements. It aims to showcase procurements which include a strategic and therefore holistic approach to implementing public procurement.
• Innovation Procurement of the Year: This category will reward those procurements which use innovative approaches in their purchasing practices, as well as those that foster innovation by purchasing cutting-edge products, services and works and see the public authority as a launch customer, driving sustainable development.
• Procurement Initiative of the Year: This category will focus on outstanding public procurement initiatives, such as programmes, policies, actions, guidance and tools that contribute towards strategic, sustainable, circular and innovation procurement.

The jury will assess each application and choose three finalists in each category. The winners and runners-up will then be revealed in an official ceremony during the 2024 Procura+ Conference in Lisbon, taking place on 13 & 14 March 2024.

The deadline for applications is 15 October 2023. You can apply via the online application form here.

For more information on the application process, and past Awards winners, visit the Procura+ Website.

The 2024 Procura+ Conference, taking place on 13 & 14 March in Lisbon, will open with a keynote speech by Katrin Stjernfeld Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö, and Chair of ICLEI’s Procura+ network. Mayor Jammeh will highlight the key role of procurement in addressing the major environmental, social and economic challenges faced by cities today. Her speech will be followed by a plenary session on how step changes in procurement can contribute to the transformation of our societies in light of these challenges.

The rest of the first day will feature parallel sessions highlighting how public procurement can contribute to broader policy objectives, such as the just transition, the circular economy and the transformation of our food systems. Furthermore, Erika Bozzay, Senior Policy Advisor at OECD will highlight how training and upskilling can contribute to the further implementation of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP). The day will end with an official dinner and the Procura+ Awards Ceremony (more information to come soon).

The second day will start with a session where procurement professionals will highlight the mistakes they’ve made and how they overcome them, knowing that impactful step changes are sometimes only possible if we learn from failure. The session will be led by Paul Louis Iske, Chief Failures Officer at the Institute for Brilliant Failures and Emanuelle Maire, Head of Unit for DG Environment. These will be followed by a market lounge showcasing relevant tools, approaches projects and initiatives. The Conference will end with a Final Plenary (speaker to be confirmed), after which there will be networking opportunities during the Agora session and the site visits.

The full programme can be found on the official Procura+ Conference website. The programme is subject to change, and more speakers will be confirmed in the coming days. Soon the registration form will also be made available.

The Call for Contributions deadline for the 11th Procura+ Conference has been extended to 6 October 2023! The conference, which takes place 13-14 March 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, is an ideal opportunity to showcase work on sustainable, innovation and circular procurement to over 250 attendees from across Europe and the world.

The world, cities and public authorities are facing major environmental, economic and social challenges that require a substantial transformation across all aspects of society. Procurement has to play a key role in this transformation. Now more than ever we need to hear from organisations that are making step changes to achieve big impact in sustainable, innovation and circular procurement! It is also a great opportunity to showcase the interdisciplinary nature of procurement e.g. making food and energy systems more sustainable and advancing the just and circular transition.

The call is open to local, regional and national governments; public authorities; businesses, suppliers: policy makers; legal experts; scientific and research organisations; international and European institutions and agencies. Contributions on sustainable, circular and innovation procurement could include:

• Good practice examples of implementation, strategies and lessons learnt
• How procurement addresses societal challenges
• The latest projects, initiatives, research, guidance and tools
• Public and private sector working together
• Sustainable and innovative product or service solutions

Organisations can submit a contribution by completing this form by 6 October.
For any questions send an email to: conference@procuraplus.org.
For more information on the conference, visit the conference website: https://conference.procuraplus.org/

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is seeking an Expert in Sustainable and Innovation Procurement to join its SIP team. The new colleague will get the opportunity to work at the forefront of (European) procurement policy development and implementation, and to help influence public procurement policy.

The successful candidate is expected to have a good understanding of public procurement processes and the context in which local and regional governments operate. Furthermore, 2 years of relevant experience is needed. That includes, for example, work in the procurement department of a local authority, supporting the procurement of goods, works and services, or work for an organisation that supports public authorities with procurement.

At ICLEI the successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop and implement European projects and initiatives that support cities wanting to develop their sustainable procurement practices; develop and deliver training on sustainable and innovation procurement to public procurers; undertake research and develop publications targeted at public procurers and policy makers, including reports, guidance, policy briefs and case studies; and provide green, social or innovation procurement knowledge and guidance to cities and organisations wanting to support or implement sustainable procurement practices.

Local governments are critical actors in facilitating the transition to a sustainable economy. Public procurement is one of the levers they have at their disposal to do this, with public buyers being responsible for 14% of the EU’s GDP. ICLEI has been supporting public authorities to use their public spending to achieve social and environmental objectives since 1996.

Through projects and flagship networks, such as the Procura+ European Sustainable Procurement Network and the Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement, ICLEI provides professional information, advice, networking opportunities, training and tools to public authorities wanting to implement better, more cost effective sustainable and innovation procurement practices. The selected candidate will contribute to this work.

More information about the position can be found here. Apply by 17 September!

Northern Ireland’s Social Value Unit has become the newest addition to ICLEI’s Procura+ Network. The Social Value Unit assists Northern Irelands Government Departments, their agencies and arm’s length bodies to maximise the delivery of social value through public contracts.

Since June 2022, in Northern Ireland all public tenders at or above the thresholds set out in the Public Contracts Regulations must allocate a minimum of 10% of the total award criteria to social value. Departments should score for social value using an outcomes-based framework which has four broad themes:

• increasing secure employment and skills
• building ethical and resilient supply chains
• delivering zero carbon
• promoting well-being

The Social Value Unit is responsible for developing guidance and training for the implementation of this mandate. It is also working on developing guidance on sustainable procurement more broadly beyond award criteria.

As part of the Procura+ Network, the Social Value Unit aims to network with other peer organisations to share and learn from best practices, obtain more knowledge on how public procurement can play a role in reaching net-zero objectives, and develop meaningful relationships with other relevant stakeholders.

For more information on Northern Ireland’s Social Value Unit, see their Procura+ page.

On 22 and 23 May Procura+ participant Haarlem hosted the Urban Agenda Partnership on Innovative and Responsible Public Procurement meeting, as well as the study visit “Shaping the Future of Public Procurement”. During the two days, participants got the opportunity to be updated about the latest developments of the UA Partnership, learn more about the work of relevant European organisations, networks and projects connected to public procurement, and visit the Innovation Hub lab C district.

ICLEI Europe got the opportunity to present the thematic areas of its work, alongside the Procura+ Network. ICLEI also highlighted the Big Buyers Working Together project, which it coordinates on behalf of the European Commission, together with Eurocities and BME. The project invites public buyers across Europe to indicate their main challenges, interests and needs, with the aim to identify priorities and topics for the project's working groups that will focus on improving procurement strategies and supporting sustainable innovation across Europe. The survey is open until the end of August. Other organisations got the opportunity to present projects such as PROTECT, PROCEDIN, LIFE Future Proof Sport Pitches, and Amsterdam Smart City.

The Partnership also discussed the three key actions included in its Action Plan. They are:

• Develop a reflection board supported by a sustainable platform where cities, regions,member states and the European Commission/institutions exchange ideas and experiences on strategic public procurement.
• Achieve Green Deal goals by using public procurement and innovation as strategic tools.
• Enable Sustainable Economic Recovery through public procurement.

In interactive sessions participants shared the main topics and challenges related to these actions, as well as their views on possible solutions and strategies, challenging each other to think out of the box. Based on this discussion, follow up steps were formulated for each of the Action Groups.

Finally, during the study visit to the C-District, participants had the chance to learn more about the innovative and sustainable solutions developed by local producers and entrepreneurs, innovative start-ups emphasizing the accessibility of innovation for SMEs, public authorities, and professionals. The 3D Makers Zone, TZO and More Than Layers are just a few examples of these solutions. To see more of them, and to get more details about the full two days, take a look at the special Urban Agenda Newsletter.