How to Best Procure Innovation: The Case of the EU

Abstract: The paper presents the use and impact of the procedures provided by EU legislation for procuring innovation, in view of the re-examination of the regulatory frame of innovation public following the “Public Procurement Package” which has been adopted by the European Commission on 3.10.2017, as a basis for further discussion and interventions. The paper outlines the specific features of procuring Innovation and the challenges in designing procedures most suitable than the traditional public procurement procedures (open or restricted procedures). The paper presents the specific procedures provided in the EU for procuring Innovation and provides a comparative assessment of their advantages and disadvantages. The paper concludes with an assessment of the existing procedures and suggestions for the further facilitating and promoting Innovation.

Key words: innovation; public procurement; pre-commercial procurement; innovation partnership