Public procurement can be a key tool in driving the development of innovative goods and services within the European market. Following the successful edition of Big Buyers for Climate and Environment, the European Commission (EC) decided to launch the ‘Big Buyers Working Together’ project in March 2023 to support collaboration between public buyers with strong purchasing power and promote the wider use of strategic public procurement for innovative and sustainable solutions. By working together and pooling their resources, cities, central purchasing bodies, and other major public buyers can maximise their market power and impact.
Under the Big Buyers Working Together (BBWT) Project, ten Communities of Practice (CoPs) have been created on the Public Buyers Community platform. Each CoP is devoted to the purchase of a specific product, work or service where European collaboration is needed. To support the process of developing more strategic and innovative procurement approaches, public buyers will meet regularly online and in person. Additionally, the BBWT Secretariat will facilitate the organising of study visits, market dialogues, producers’ pitching sessions, meetings with industry associations and other events that will respond to identified capacity gaps and CoP members’ needs.
Members of each CoP have access to members-only collaboration areas on the Public Buyers Community platform, where they are able to share their experience, jointly address procurement-related challenges their organisations face and contribute to improving market engagement.
The ten CoP's taking part in the project are:
- Zero emission construction sites (ZECS)
- Heavy-duty electric vehicles (HDEV)
- Circular Construction (CC)
- Sustainable solar panels
- Mobility
- Digital
- Social
- New European Bauhaus
- Healthcare Efficiency
- Healthcare Sustainability