Like many European cities, Frederiksberg (Denmark) is challenged by urban flooding. Opportunities for natural absorption and drainage of rainwater is limited in built up areas, and during heavy rainfall, the capacity of the sewage system can be exceeded. 

The risk of urban flooding in Frederiksberg is also likely to increase in future due to climate change. To protect against future flooding, the Municipality has launched a number of projects to improve rainwater management. By improving the city’s ‘green’ and ‘blue’ infrastructure (such as vegetation and water features) rainwater can be captured, and its flow can be diverted from sewers or slowed down. 

While sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are a growing practice in city planning, an ideal solution for Frederiksberg’s dense city streets did not yet exist. As such, the municipality decided to use an innovation partnership approach to procure a customised solution. 

This type of procurement allows research and development activities to be combined with a purchase. It involves three phases: a competitive phase, where suitable partners are selected; a research and development phase, where the solutions are developed in collaboration with the contracting authority; and a commercial phase, where the selected partner(s) provide the final product or service.

Through this approach, Frederiksberg successfully acquired two different systems which slow rainwater runoff and water city trees. The systems are easy to deploy in dense urban areas and take up as little as 0.8 m2 . Trees in city streets are also attractive, and can cool down the city on hot days. 

Frederiksberg is no stranger to innovation procurement - winning the 2019 Procura+ Award for Innovation Procurement of the Year.

For more information, click here.