The 2023 race to find the most innovative procurers in the European Union has started. The contestants can submit their applications until 17 August 2023.
The third edition of the European Innovation Procurement Awards (EUIPA) has been launched today by the European Commission. Supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) under Horizon Europe, it targets public and private buyers, natural persons and legal entities that promote innovation procurement and innovative procurement solutions.
The Awards also aim to demonstrate how innovation procurement positively transforms the economy by not only creating new and sustainable markets, but also by tackling societal challenges such as climate change.
The contest will award six prizes in total for the two categories: Innovation procurement initiative and facing societal challenges “green energy transition”.
Each of the two categories will reward one winner (ranked 1st) with EUR 75 000, one runner-up (ranked 2nd) with EUR 50 000, and one runner-up (ranked 3rd) with EUR 25 000.
The winners and runners up will be determined based on the following award criteria:
- Transformation – stimulating the conversion of procurement practices towards innovation procurement with the aim to ensure a sustainable and inclusive growth.
- Uptake – the innovative procurement practice is replicable and scalable, and therefore, contributes to providing, more efficient and effective solutions.
- Collaboration – demonstrated co-operation linked to the innovation procurement practice. Special attention should be paid to the establishment of synergies, to the promotion of best practices, to the support to capacity building and skill development, and to the efforts of knowledge sharing between stakeholders within the different territories, especially among those at different state of maturity in innovation procurement practices.
- Societal impact – practices with a demonstrated positive quantitative and qualitative impact on society, with special emphasis to achieving the green deal and digital transformation priorities.
The contest is open to any public and private buyers, natural persons, and legal entities supporting those practices located in one of the EU Member States or Associated Countries to Horizon Europe. The awarded procurement practice as well must have taken place in these countries.
The awarded procurement practice must relate to completed or ongoing initiatives started after 1 January 2018.
Rules of contest describe in more detail the conditions and eligibility for participation.
The contest is open for applications until 17 August 2023 (17:00:00 CET).
On 31 May 2023, the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) will organise an online info session for potential applicants. To register please check the event’s page.
Background
EUIPA is one of the EIC Prizes granted under Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation framework programme. The prize is managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, and the winners are chosen following an assessment performed by high-level juries of independent experts.
Source: European Innovation Council | News (https://bit.ly/3N2jAuB)