Public procurement as a driver for innovation and change

In May 2006, the Swedish government commissioned Nutek and Vinnova, in consultation with the Nämnden för offentlig upphandling (NOU, the Swedish National Board for Public Procurement) to examine how public procurement can contribute to developing innovation and creative renewal. The study is to include investigation as to how procurements may be structured in such a way that, to a greater extent, they drive forward technological development and business opportunities.

The commission included assessing:

• which methods are the most appropriate to an innovation-promoting procurement process
• the sectors in which the need is most urgent for establishing conditions to enable public procurement to become a driver of innovation and renewal; and
• the extent to which the development of public procurement may have an important role to play in implementing the strategic programmes formulated for key sectors in Sweden.

The report from the agencies was to be structured in such a way that it could serve as the basis of a policy including guidelines for public procurement as a driver of innovation and renewal.

For Swedish version see "Offentlig upphandling som drivkraft för innovation och förnyelse" (Vinnova Information/Policy VP 2008:02).