Transforming Healthcare Procurement in Europe: PROCURE Project Launches National Strategies for a More Resilient Future

In a time when healthcare systems across Europe are under increasing pressure—from ageing populations and workforce shortages to rising costs and digital transformation—the European-funded PROCURE Project is providing a roadmap for change. Through an ambitious, evidence-based process, the project has developed ten national strategies designed to reshape public procurement in the healthcare sector.

These strategies, which target Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden, aim to make procurement systems more resilient, sustainable, and enhance preparedness for future health crises, ensuring better healthcare delivery and more equitable access for all European citizens.

A Structured and Inclusive Process

The strategies were created through a collaborative and multi-step approach, combining analytical research and extensive stakeholder engagement. Following an in-depth study of procurement systems across Europe, the PROCURE team consulted with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds across Europe in the healthcare and procurement fields.

Structured discussions focused on five key areas critical to public procurement:

  • Procurement Practices

  • Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Crisis

  • Security of Supply

  • Sustainable Procurement

  • Procurement of Innovation

These dialogues enabled each participating country to identify its specific priorities, challenges, and opportunities, laying the groundwork for actionable national strategies.

Engaging Stakeholders at the National Level

To ensure local relevance, dedicated workshops were held in most countries, gathering procurement professionals, healthcare providers, policy makers, and suppliers. These sessions enabled the validation and refinement of the strategies’ goals and recommendations. In some cases, participants also reviewed elements of the implementation plans, contributing to realistic and context-sensitive solutions.

Although stakeholder representation varied across workshops, the process succeeded in capturing diverse perspectives. The strategies reflect a wide range of views and experiences, while remaining adaptable to evolving national contexts. Where workshops could not be held, structured dialogues with national experts formed the basis of the proposed strategies.

Addressing Europe’s Shared Challenges

The national strategies respond directly to common trends and systemic challenges facing healthcare systems across Europe. These include:

  • Increasing service demand due to demographic ageing

  • Disruptions in supply chains exposed during COVID-19

  • Growing healthcare costs and budgetary constraints

  • The need for greener, more socially responsible and sustainable procurement

  • An urgent call for digitalisation and innovation

Across countries, a clear consensus emerged on the need to strengthen collaboration, adopt value-based procurement approaches, and ensure transparency and crisis-readiness. Experts stressed the importance of legal frameworks that are both flexible and specific to healthcare, along with mechanisms to improve monitoring, professional training, and sustainability.

Paving the Way for Smarter Procurement

With these national strategies, the PROCURE Project offers concrete tools for transforming public procurement into a strategic enabler of better healthcare. By linking European-level insights with country-level action plans, the project empowers national and regional decision-makers to pursue procurement systems that are more agile, transparent, and future-proof.

Looking ahead, PROCURE will continue supporting health administrations, professionals, and suppliers in adopting these strategies and promoting a shared European culture of collaborative, innovative, and resilient procurement.