14 applicants made it to the final stages of the second edition of the prize.
Supported by the European Innovation Council under Horizon Europe, the European Innovation Procurement Awards recognise powerful cases of public and private buyers promoting innovation procurement practices across Europe. It also emphasises the importance of close buyer–supplier cooperation in bringing the innovative solutions to the market.
The 2022 semi-finalists selected by a jury of independent experts are (in alphabetical order):
The Innovation procurement strategy category
- AIRBUS (France)
- Ente Público Augas de Galicia (Spain)
- Fundacio Pac Tauli (Spain)
- Nido, Innovation lab of the Belgian federal government (Belgium)
- RITMOCORE (UK & Spain)
- YQ Purchasing bv (Belgium)
The Facing societal challenges category
- Gobierno de Navarra (Spain)
- Iniciativa Social Integral Per Al Benestar (Spain)
The Procurement leadership category
- Agencia de Qualitat / Avaluacion Sanitaries de Catalunya (Spain)
- DMHI (Turkey)
- Dublin City Council (Ireland)
- Forschungszentrum Julich GMBH (Germany)
- Sardegna Ricerche (Italy)
- The Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management (Norway)
What happens next?
Each semi-finalist will be invited to a private hearing with the jury members in October 2022. The hearings will follow a strict procedure that allows each applicant to present their application and answer to questions related to the award criteria laid out in the rules of contest.
The jury members will then select one winner and one runner-up per category which will be announced at the European Innovation Council Summit, on 8 December 2022.
Apart from the prestigious recognition, the winner of each category will be rewarded with €75 000 while each of the runners-up will receive €25 000.
Background
Innovation procurement modernises public sector with more economical and higher quality solutions. These practices directly contribute to EU competitiveness, by opening a route-to-the market for new players, especially SMEs. They also help larger companies to bring innovative products to the market, stimulating cross-border company growth and the creation of jobs. Innovation procurement also serves to tackle the most pressing societal needs.
This is one of the four 2022 European Innovation Council Prizes that celebrate those shaping the future of innovation in Europe, alongside with the EU Prize for Women Innovators, the European Capital of Innovation Awards, the European Social Innovation Competition.
Source: European Innovation Council I News (https://bit.ly/3L70UXG)