Launch of the Interest Group and Purchasing Community

Over 50 experts in public procurement of innovation (PPI), public authorities and other actors of the field met in Brussels during the Procurement Foresight Workshop.

A series of key-note speeches and panel discussions enabled the participants to discuss the needs and solutions for PPI in the field of waste and material resources. Topics like bio-waste collection and treatment, bulky waste management, plastics separation as well as waste prevention were tackled down.

During this one-day event, the PPI4Waste partners officially launched two groups: the so-called Interest Group and Purchasing Community.

The Interest Group is an online gathering open to all stakeholders interested in waste management. It will provide useful information and peer to peer exchange for municipal waste management experts, procurers, policy makers, and suppliers. The Interest Group will put diverse stakeholders in touch with one another to share knowledge and practical experiences in implementing innovative waste solutions. Group members will be the first to hear about upcoming PPI4Waste trainings and will be kept up to date with the latest innovations in the field.

The Purchasing Community provides an exclusive opportunity to procurers who are involved in the procurement of waste management solutions in the public sector. Group members will be given the chance to improve their knowledge of the innovative solutions available on the market and take part in webinars, face-to-face meetings and trainings with other procurers.

Both groups will use the Procurement Forum, a dedicated online networking space, to facilitate exchange.

The Procurement Foresight Workshop was followed the next day by a workshop organised by the Circular Europe Network. This workshop focused on public procurements as a tool to favour circular economy, including green public procurements, public procurement of innovation and waste performance contracts.