proCURE
project aim
Joining forces for sustainable procurement in small and medium-sized municipalities. Development of documents and training material for the long-term implementation of sustainable and joint procurement in municipalities.
project runtime:
2023-2026
partners:
Community Network "Alliance in the Alps" / DE
agado / DE
IFZ / AT
Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia / SL
Ecosistemi Fondazione / IT
budget:
Budget in total: 400.000 €, budget AidA: 151.600 €
funding bodies:
Erasmus+
With the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the global community agreed on goals for social, economic and environmental development back in 2015. Governments and administrations at all levels, civil society and the private sector should contribute to achieving these goals. SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production underlines the importance of sustainable public procurement for achieving all the goals set. With sustainable procurement, i.e. the consideration of social, environmental and economic aspects in public procurement, municipalities and their administrations have an important tool to make their contribution.
The public sector, and municipalities in particular, are major clients. Public administrations in the European Union spend around 14 percent of the EU's gross domestic product on goods and services of various kinds. With their considerable purchasing power, they can influence the market and support sustainable economic structures, contribute to climate protection, reduce environmental pollution, improve working conditions worldwide and promote innovation.
Despite a positive legal and political framework in Europe, the potential for sustainable procurement is far from exhausted.
Many administrative staff find the topic of sustainable procurement complicated and fraught with uncertainty. Small municipalities in particular find it difficult to put sustainable procurement or the consideration of sustainability aspects in direct purchasing into practice. A lack of awareness and conviction among decision-makers and administrative staff, uncertainties about legal options, a lack of knowledge about the application of sustainability criteria and a lack of resources are the main challenges.
This is where proCURE wants to come in and support small and medium-sized municipalities in particular with sustainable procurement. The project pursues the following objectives:
- Develop training materials and practical guidance for the introduction and implementation of sustainable procurement practices in municipalities;
- Develop a curriculum and teaching material for administrative schools to prepare future procurers for the challenges they will face;
- Developing a train-the-trainer course for multipliers and experts for vocational training in the non-formal education sector;
- Creating procedures that enable groups of small communities to join forces and create joint procurement structures;
- Building a network of sustainable procurement experts.
The project runs from November 2023 to April 2026 and involves organisations from Germany (Alliance in the Alps network of municipalities and agado), Italy (Fondazione Ecosistemi), Austria (IFZ Graz) and Slovenia (Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia).
Local authorities, public administration schools and sustainable procurement experts interested in participating are welcome to contact our office or the local project partner.
