Enhancing Capacity-building for Leveraging Innovative Procurement Strategies in Europe

ongoing

InnoInnovation Procurement (IP) is a recognised strategy for driving technological development in the public sector and spurring economic growth. It modernises public services and accelerates the market entry of innovations. However, Europe has not fully tapped into its potential due to barriers. Small innovative companies should be more interested in IPs but face challenges engaging with public procurers (PPs). This is due to a) lack of awareness about public contracts and b) distrust in the procurement process. Startups find it difficult to meet the requirements and adapt to lengthy procurement procedures, leading many to avoid them. The barriers faced by public procurers when working with startups: • Qualitative selection procedures often favour large cooperations in PP, and there is little understanding of startup accreditation mechanisms. • Evaluating startups requires precise adjustments to criteria related to technical solvency, economic performance, and autonomy. • Establishing testing environments like regulatory sandboxes and granting temporary testing licenses for startups. • Understanding acceptable payment options and liquidity needs specific to startups in procurement processes. The ECLIPSE project will design and test a new cutting-edge interaction model to connect PP and innovative suppliers with investor ecosystems. Special attention will be dedicated to the role of venture capitalists and how they can effectively contribute to the IP process and foster the market exploitation of its results. ECLIPSE will build a system of tailored advisory services and tools to bridge the gap between PPs’ needs and innovative suppliers' capabilities. These services will possess the expertise and competencies necessary to overcome barriers that impede the integration of innovation in public sector. By leveraging their specialised knowledge, the advisory services will enhance coordination among Member States and Associated Countries in procuring innovative solutions.