The European Innovation Council (EIC) launched the first edition of the European Innovation Procurement Awards. The prize rewards public and private buyers in their effort to promote procurement of innovation and thus help SMEs and start-ups across Europe to bring their innovative products and services to the markets.
Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said:
Public and private procurement represent an untapped potential to stimulate the demand for innovation in Europe. The European Innovation Procurement Awards will open up new connections for public and private procurers, thus providing a platform that champions role models and helps innovation procurement practices to be replicated across Europe.
The prize supports the community of European procurers to share, work together and inspire each other in the design of innovative procurement processes, and particularly in the delivery of modern and efficient public services. It features three categories:
- “Innovation procurement strategy” award, which rewards long-term strategies that trigger different innovation procurements, sustainable solutions and practices
- “Facing societal challenges” award that rewards innovative procurement practice aimed to face the COVID-19 pandemic
- “Procurement leadership” award that recognises outstanding individual(s) who empower(s) their team to succeed and trigger innovation procurement practices
Each category will reward the winner with EUR 75 000 and one runner-up with EUR 25 000.
The contest is open to any public or private procurer, as well as individuals located in one of the EU Member States or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe. More information on eligibility and award criteria is available online.
Deadline for applications is 29 July 2021, 17:00 CET. A jury of independent experts will evaluate and select the winners and runners up, who will be awarded in the last quarter of the year.
Apply by: 29 Jul 2021
