Preparing for pre-commercial procurement (PCP) and/or public procurement of innovative solutions (PPI) in support of climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

Pre-commercial procurement (PCP) and public procurement of innovative solutions (PPI) are effective demand side innovation actions, since they enable public procurers to drive innovation from the demand side by acting as technologically demanding first buyers. This helps to improve the quality and effectiveness of public services and at the same time stimulates opportunities for companies to create, maintain or take international leadership in new markets.

Innovation-oriented public procurements (PCP and PPI) are key to fostering lead markets and generating a critical mass of demand for solutions and services addressing climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials challenges. Barriers to these kinds of public procurement include the absence of cross-border coordination and lack of access to best practices and to knowledge of close-to-market innovative solutions.

Actions should prepare for PCPs and/or PPIs, which would be suitable for launching in 2018-2019. All areas covered by Societal Challenge 5 are eligible.

The action should deliver all the necessary elements in preparation of the PCP or PPI as described in part E of the General Annexes to this Work Programme.

Proposals should lead to the establishment of buyers' group(s) of public procurers to overcome the fragmentation of demand for solutions and services and to lead to a more rapid market uptake of such solutions and their early deployment. Procurements could address entire value chains in the areas(s) covered.

Proposals should engage public and/or private procurers from each country participating (at national, regional or local level) that have responsibilities and budget control in the relevant area(s).

The network(s) of public procurers/buyers' group(s) created should investigate the feasibility of, test and prepare the launch of joint or coordinated procurements (PCP or PPI), which would ultimately develop innovative, fully tested, fit-for-purpose and cost-effective solutions to address specific challenges in the areas covered by Societal Challenge 5. These solutions should be based on a complete set of common specifications.

Duplication with on-going activities should be avoided, namely the project(s) resulting from WASTE-5-2014 and SC5-26-2017.

Preparation activities for the joint or coordinated PCPs and/or PPIs will be supported, but not the costs of the procurement resulting from any PCP and/or PPI procedures.

Project duration should be 12 months.

Proposals may target delivery of more than one PCP and/or PPI.

The Commission considers that a contribution from the EU of around EUR 50 000 per procurement (PCP or PPI) investigated and prepared would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

The project is expected to contribute to:

• creation of a critical mass of procurers of solutions and services in the area of Societal Challenge 5, which would be able to penetrate the market;
• leverage of additional investment in research and innovation;
• increased awareness and successful use of public procurement by procurers to boost innovation;
• reduced fragmentation of public sector demand via creation of a network(s) of public procurers capable of collectively implementing PCPs and/or PPIs.

Innovation Procurement