This event gathered about 250 innovation actors from across Europe, including public procurers, policy makers, SME representatives and the European Commission. The SCI-Network hosted two dedicated sessions looking at innovative and sustainable construction procurement in the public sector, on the afternoon of Tuesday 28 June.

Innovative products and services offered a huge opportunity for innovative businesses and for better (and more cost effective) public services. The European Commission intends to provide guidance and to set up a financial support mechanism to help contracting authorities to implement procurement of innovation, pre-commercial procurement (PCP) and first commercial procurement (FCP). Under a forthcoming call for proposals, the European Commission will allocate 15M Euro to support the procurement of innovation by public authorities.

This European conference, held under the patronage of the Vice President of the European Commission, Antonio Tajani, was an opportunity for public authorities to exchange on existing best practice in procuring innovation and to find out more about future funding schemes, with particular regard to the next EU Structural funds financial period.

The session on 27 June focused on upcoming policy developments with a number of high-level speakers. The session on 28 June was dedicated to more practical exchanges on innovation procurement, with panels addressing the mobility and health sectors, as well as sustainable construction.