The objectives of this guidance developed during PROMINENT MED is not to reinvent the wheel but to offer practical assistance to procurement officers working for small municipalities and dealing with building projects. It is recognised that small authorities frequently lack expertise and experience with complex purchases. There is a gap between the capabilities held by small municipalities and the skills required for procuring innovative solutions. Due to this lack of knowledge, aspects such as delivery period and price becomes priority when awarding contracts for equipment or renovating public buildings. The concept of “the economically most advantageous tender” is seldom at the agenda. The use of external expertise could be one solution to overcome this capability gap. However, small municipalities seldom buy immaterial services. Similarly, private consultants prefer to work with large municipalities that have larger resources. Consequently, their offers are seldom adapted to actors with limited resources. This guidance aims at reducing the capability gap by providing small public authorities guidelines to ease the adoption of innovative procurement practices. The pilot projects will serve as case studies. The presentation of the cases will be instrumental. It will provide insight into PPI and play a supportive role to any future contracting authorities by facilitating their understanding of the process to follow and the pitfalls to avoid. Each case will not be presented in detail. The goal is twofold: to illustrate each step of the PPI by an exemplary approach followed by one of the municipalities involved in Prominent MED; to provide a good framework for public procurers who lack experience and intend to develop decision making skills.

Project PROMINENT MED: Public Procurement of Innovation boosting green growth in the MED area (1MED15-1.1-M12-070)