Innovation Procurement in Practice: Highlights from INPROCAP Training 8

Over two days, the training focused on bridging the gap between theory and practice, giving participants hands-on experience in applying innovation procurement frameworks to real-world challenges. Topics covered included:

• Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) – developing solutions through R&D services
• Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI) – purchasing near-market innovations at scale
• Innovation Partnerships (IP) – co-developing and purchasing innovative solutions
• Competitive Dialogue (CD) – iterative engagement with providers to refine solutions
• Negotiated Procedures (NP) – structured negotiation to achieve tailored procurement outcomes

E-Learning Platform Launch

Training 8 also featured the official presentation of the INPROCAP E-Learning Platform. This new platform provides all training modules, materials, and resources in a structured, user-friendly format, allowing participants to explore the content at their own pace. It is designed to support capacity building for public procurers, ILOs, BSOs, and companies across Europe.

Highlights from the Experts

• Peggy Wu (European XFEL) – public procurement frameworks and practical implementation in Big Science organisations
• Lucrezia Paglia (Corvers) – practical insights into structuring PCP processes
• Jozef Kubinec – reflections on procedure selection, risk management, and translating innovation needs into actionable procurement strategies

Key Takeaways

• Procedure selection depends primarily on solution maturity and clarity of the innovation need
• Innovation procurement is most effective as a phased, risk-managed process with clear decision points
• Early market engagement and functional specifications are essential to identify feasible solutions
• Clear definition of roles, responsibilities, and intellectual property rights is critical for successful implementation
• Collaboration between public buyers and suppliers is key to turning unmet needs into innovative outcomes

Practical Exercises

Participants engaged in interactive exercises and case studies from BSOs, applying theory directly to procurement challenges. They debated which procedure fits best, justified their choices, and reflected on lessons learned from peer experiences.

Next Steps

Training 8 concludes the first phase of INPROCAP’s capacity-building journey. Following the summer break, the series will continue with additional hands-on sessions, webinars, and practical exercises to further deepen participants’ knowledge and skills in innovation procurement.