Joint procurement – strengthening municipalities
Many municipalities face similar challenges: limited staff resources, restricted expertise in complex procurement procedures, rising costs, and the desire to purchase more sustainably. This is exactly where the new strategy “Joint Procurement by Municipalities”, developed within the Erasmus+ funded proCURE project, comes in.
The practical step-by-step guide supports municipalities in making procurement not only more efficient, but also more sustainable and strategic. Joint procurement means that two or more public authorities pool their needs, coordinate technical requirements and carry out a joint or coordinated procurement procedure. Instead of each municipality purchasing the same goods or services individually, resources, knowledge and demand are brought together.
The benefits for municipalities are wide-ranging: larger joint procurement volumes can lead to better prices and contract conditions. At the same time, administrative workload is reduced, as one joint procedure can replace several individual ones. Smaller municipalities in particular benefit from gaining access to more professional procurement expertise without having to create new permanent structures. The quality of tendering can also improve when technical, legal and sustainability-related knowledge is shared.
A particular focus is placed on sustainable procurement. By pooling demand, municipalities send a clear signal to the market: sustainable products and services are needed and in demand. This can encourage suppliers to offer suitable solutions and help municipalities integrate environmental and social criteria more effectively into their procurement processes. Joint procurement can therefore become an important lever for climate protection, resource conservation and regional value creation.
The strategy shows in a practical way when joint procurement is useful, which cooperation models are possible and which steps are needed from the initial political decision through to contract management. It is complemented by checklists, guidance and practical tools that support municipalities in implementation.
The strategy was developed within the proCURE project, funded by Erasmus+, in cooperation with five partner organisations from Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia: the municipal network Alliance in the Alps as project coordinator, agado – Association for Sustainable Development, the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Technology, Work and Culture Graz, Fondazione Ecosistemi, and the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia.
With this new strategy, municipalities receive a practical tool to approach procurement jointly, efficiently and with a future-oriented perspective – and to implement sustainable development locally in a concrete way.