ONLINE WORKSHOPS FOR BUYERS AND SUPPLIERS
What kind of barriers are there in innovative procurements?

What are the challenges and solutions?

To answer these questions and more, four workshops under the BUILD project will be organised in March and April 2023 by the City of Tartu, the city of Turku and the expert organisation Valonia. Events aspire to enhance the interest of buyers and suppliers in innovation procurement.

Public sector investments and innovation are two important ways to implement the green and digital revolution and create a sustainable economic environment. Innovation procurements open the door to higher quality and more efficient solutions. Mainly those that value environmental and social benefits, greater cost efficiency and new business opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Moreover, public sector procurers can encourage innovation and offer important opportunities to companies. Also for SMEs and start-ups who may have solutions for different needs but have difficulties bringing them to market.

Workshops will provide safe space in which participants can think together about how to increase the number of innovative procurements in cooperation between public procurement units and companies.

The purpose of the workshops is:
· to introduce the possibilities of innovation procurement to the public sector and entrepreneurs;
· to identify barriers that cause the relatively modest share of innovation procurement in public sector procurements.

Workshop outline:
1. Introductory part
2. Challenges and solutions – to be discussed and solved in small groups.

The duration of the workshops will be 2.5 hours, including at least one break.
Participation does not require any prior knowledge or preparation.
Events will be held in Finnish and Estonian.

Who can participate:

• Finnish and Estonian speaking stakeholders;
• buyers – municipalities, universities, public owned companies, politicians;
• suppliers – companies (SMEs, start-ups).

Workshop dates:
· Finnish buyers: 9 March 2023
· Finnish suppliers: 14 March 2023
· Estonian buyers: TBC
· Estonian suppliers: TBC

BUILD project detailed info: https://www.build-procurement.eu/build-project/