Types of innovation procurement support
The European Commission supports innovation procurement as a tool to deliver solutions to economic and societal challenges.
Public Procurement of Innovative solutions (PPI) is used when challenges can be addressed by innovative solutions that are nearly or already in small quantity in the market and don't need new research and development.
Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) can be used when there are no near-to-the-market solutions yet and new research and development is needed. PCP can then compare the pros and cons of alternative competing solutions approaches. This will in turn enable to de-risk the most promising innovations step-by-step via solution design, prototyping, development and first product testing.
By developing a forward-looking innovation procurement strategy that uses PCP and PPI in a complementary way, public procurers can drive innovation from the demand side. This enables the public sector to modernise public services faster while creating opportunities for companies in Europe to gain leadership in new markets. Currently however, compared to other parts of the world, PCP and PPI are underutilised in Europe.
For more information on how to square this circle, see the Frequently Asked Questions on PCP and PPI.
Innovation procurement support by theme
Better policy framework
- Overview of EU policy initiatives on PCP and PPI in the context of the New European Innovation Agenda and the European twin digital green transition.
- Benchmarking of national policy frameworks and investments on innovation procurement across Europe.
- Examples of national and regional PCP and PPI initiatives across Europe.
EU financing
- Horizon Europe reinforces the co-financing for public procurers around Europe that address common challenges by undertaking PCPs or PPIs jointly. The Digital Europe Programme also supports the procurement of cutting edge digital solutions. Synergies with the Structural Funds (ESIF) can also be used to co-finance innovation procurements.
- Impacts of EU funded projects that support PCP and PPI (archived).
- The EC and EIB are exploring to create an easy-to-use financial product that financial investors could offer to public procurers to de-risk innovation procurements.
Networking, experience sharing, training
- Innovation procurement events - Meet us and others around Europe active on innovation procurement
- Get free of charge local assistance for you next innovation procurement.
- Join the linkedin group on innovation procurement to share your opinion and network with other procurers and stakeholders.
Latest
- News article
Interested in how your country is encouraging the public sector to be a more innovation-friendly buyer? Check out the country profiles of all 30 benchmarked countries.
- News article
Commission has allocated an advisory assignment to the European Investment Bank to explore the potential for creating a new, easy-to-use financial product that financial investors under the InvestEU programme could offer to public procurers across Europe.