IOER Forum

Public procurement refers to the purchase of a wide variety of goods, construction services, and other services from private companies by public contracting authorities such as government agencies or other state institutions. In the OECD countries—a group of 38 industrialized nations that work together to coordinate their economic, trade, and development policies—public procurement accounts for an average of 12.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), which is a considerable share. Public procurement can thus make a significant contribution to change institutional and organizational actions and decisions, thereby helping to achieve sustainable economic, social, and environmental goals. This is particularly true when government agencies set a good example and make their purchasing and commissioning of service providers as sustainable as possible. In this way, public procurement can, among other things, support local businesses, create jobs, accelerate the implementation of environmental standards, and promote innovative and sustainable products or processes. In addition, close cooperation between procurement authorities and companies can create incentives for the implementation of new (sustainable) business practices and even open up new markets for companies with sustainable business models. 

The fall series of the IÖR Forum will address this potential of public procurement, but also the obstacles to its successful implementation. 

The series will start with a public panel discussion that will examine public procurement from the perspective of business and politics. This will be followed by an academic lecture on the relationships between government organizations and regional and national interest groups, as well as an event aimed specifically at practitioners. The latter will describe in detail the development of an urban strategy for public procurement and share experiences with it.