On 28 June 2022, ICLEI Europe will join public procurement stakeholders and visionaries from across Europe to share expertise on approaches to responsible purchasing. These discussions will take place as part of the “BEE symposium”: a day for in-person and online exchange among regional public procurement stakeholders.

In particular, Simon Clement, Senior Coordinator for the Sustainable Economy and Procurement team at ICLEI Europe, will take part in a workshop on responsible purchasing in strategic markets in Europe. Simon brings with him 20 years’ experience on the topic, plus insights from his current work on the European Commission’s Big Buyers for Climate and Environment initiative.

Simon was also involved in a 2020 effort, in which ICLEI Europe supported the European Commission to identify outstanding examples from local, regional, national and European buyers on socially responsible public procurement. This culminated in the report “Making socially responsible public procurement work: 71 good practice cases”, as well as three videos complementary videos to encourage procurers to invest time and money to buy social. The first video draws on the example of Vendée (France), the second showcases work in the Czech Republic, and the third such video presents efforts in Toledo (Spain).

At next week’s BE2022 event, participants will learn more about actions that result in more fair, sustainable and reasonable public purchasing, as well as how these create economic development; what, the state-of-the-art is currently in European public procurement; the relationship between enterprises and public procurement; methods and examples for reporting to citizens on responsible procurement policies; the development of a social and solidarity economy; and the future for public procurement contracts.

To learn more about the BEE programme, click here.

ICLEI Europe is a partner of the BEE2022 event, and will there to share expertise on responsible and sustainable public procurement.