Unlocking the Power
of Innovation Procurement
in Times of Crisis
As the world becomes increasingly complex, public procurement needs to adapt to address emergency demands with agility, foresight, and efficiency. Thematic Area 5 (TA5) of the PROCURE project is dedicated to “Public Procurement of Innovation” (PPI) as a strategic enabler to meet these pressing needs. This Thematic Area investigates how to leverage innovative processes and product technologies through flexible and integrated procurement pathways to accelerate service delivery and enhance the responsiveness and resilience of health systems in times of crisis.
Led by PROCURE’s project coordinator, SILO, the TA5 explores how public entities can leverage their purchasing power to not only fulfil present service requests but also drive innovation that delivers long-term value. SILO accompanies a large proportion of Spanish regional health services and coordinates EU projects in this field, so is well positioned to help drive this very important workstream.
Laying the Foundations: Introducing Innovation Procurement
The journey started with an introductory webinar, PPI in PROCURE project, on the 25th February 2025. The session was led by Diana Cortés, Manager at SILO and part of the project coordination team. The purpose of the webinar was to introduce the concept of innovation procurement, with an overview of the basic concepts (such as definition, benefits, types of procedures – Pre-commercial Procurement, Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions and Innovation Partnerships, etc.) and concrete examples of cases.
A central message emerged: Public sector procurement of innovation is not just about purchasing new technologies, it is a powerful lever to enable better public services, drive economic growth, and solve societal challenges. This session offered a guide to starting a PPI process, from defining unmet needs through to managing organisational change.
Here are two main takeaways:
“Public procurement of innovation (PPI) happens when the public sector uses its purchasing power to act as early adopter of innovative solutions not yet available on a large-scale commercial basis.”
“The main objective of PPI is to improve the efficiency and quality of public services while promoting innovation as an economic and social objective.”
From Process to Impact: Making Innovation Procurement More Meaningful
Building on this foundation, the second webinar, held on 27th March 2025, provided a more hands-on perspective. Titled “How to Test Innovation Procurement Using a Cheap, Quick, and Easy Approach”, this session featured contributions from experts at Ticbiomed, a non-profit Spanish association committed to advancing digital health innovation.
This workshop highlighted successful use cases in which innovations had been tested in real-world healthcare environments, often during time-sensitive emergencies. By the same token, it redirected PPI from process to an empowered, outcome-based activity. They were familiarised with frameworks such as Innovation Life Cycle vs Impactful Innovation Cycle and initiatives such as InnoMatch, and InnoHSupport, which offer pilot programmes and advisory services to enable PPI uptake.
Speakers stressed the need to enter PPI with “adoption glasses”— understanding success not just in terms of tendering processes but in real-world application and sustained benefit. Key conditions for success included stakeholder engagement, proof of commitment, financial readiness, and the presence of champions to advocate for adoption.
As highlighted during the session:
“We must change the mindset of public entities towards innovation.”
“PPI creates business opportunities, aligns market players to solve societal challenges, and ultimately improves the return on investment for procurers.”
Building Momentum for Change
The thematic area’s activities have already laid a strong foundation for awareness and capacity building in PPI across diverse stakeholder groups, including public procurers, policymakers, suppliers, and citizens. As the PROCURE project progresses,
Previous activities in the thematic area have already built a significant awareness and capacity building of PPI between various stakeholder groups – public procurers, policymakers, suppliers, and citizens. TA5 will continue to bridge knowledge with practice, ensuring innovation procurement becomes a key pillar in creating resilient, adaptive public health systems across Europe.
Unlocking the Power of Innovation Procurement in Times of Crisis
As health systems face increasing pressure, innovation in public procurement is no longer optional — it's essential.
Discover how Thematic Area 5 of the PROCURE project, led by SILO, is turning Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) into a strategic lever to boost resilience, responsiveness, and impact in times of crisis.