Public procurement

Public Procurement refers to the process by which public money is awarded to companies by the public sector, to buy works, goods or services. It is a key policy area for the proper functioning of the internal market, accounting for 14% of the EU GDP.

The 2014 Public Procurement Directives were explicitly aimed at increasing access to procurement markets; improving transparency, integrity and data; boosting the digital transformation, and becoming the tool for the implementation of green social and innovative policies in Member States. The European Commission is recommending the overall improvement of the professional skills and competences of the people conducting public procurement at all levels of government. EIPA supports the Commission’s efforts through its training and research, to assist in avoiding the most common errors in public procurement such as non-respect of general principles, wrong selection of tendering procedures, a need to substantially modify the contract or lack of risk prevention. We can also help in making your public procurement strategic, ensuring that green, social and innovation considerations are taken into account and evaluated.

EIPA’s offer
EIPA offers an extensive technical assistance and training portfolio to EU and national, regional or local public buyers, which aspires to build the capacities within their teams in their procurement-specific competences, such as

planning and preparing the pre-award phase;
writing the tender with functional specifications;
choosing the right acquisition procedures and award formulas;
ensuring the best combination of quality and price;
managing the procedure well and monitoring the performance of the contract;
following up the execution and evaluating the results.

EIPA’s European Certification for Public Procurement Professionals

Our experts have been contributing to professionalisation in public procurement for more than two decades. We provide a professional certificate on public procurement through a flexible programme that participants can customise to their specific needs. We also help organisations to fulfil the European Commission Competency Framework for PP professionals, on request

Our experts have been contributing to professionalisation in public procurement for more than two decades. We provide a professional certificate on public procurement through a flexible programme that participants can customise to their specific needs. We also help organisations to fulfil the European Commission Competency Framework for PP professionals, on request.

Public Procurement Certification

To be awarded the professional certificate on public procurement, participants need to complete three standard EIPA PP modules within two years, and pass our final exam.

Module 1	Introductory and practitioners’ seminar, or the procurement cycle and practice
Module 2	Strategic public procurement or recent case law
Module 3	One specialist seminar or masterclass of your choice: A) Competitive Dialogue and Negotiated Procedures Masterclass B) EU PP, PPP/Private Finance and Concessions

The European Commission has designed a tool called ProcurCompEU, with a competency matrix and a self-assessment tool to create a tailor-made training curriculum, flexible and adaptable to all organisations.

EIPA offers – on request – coaching services to comply with the European Commission Competency Matrix and the Self-Assessment Tool.

We help participants to explore their current public procurement capacity through self-assessment, detect the missing knowledge and skills for future professional goals, and prioritise the needs and selection of tailor-made training. At the end of the process participants will be awarded the EIPA ProcurCompEU Certificate. Contact us and find out more about this opportunity.

ProcurCompEU – European Certificate for Public Procurement Professionals	Become skilled in using the European Commission Competency Framework and Self-Assessment Tool to explore your current public procurement capacity, knowledge and skills, future professional goals and the priority gaps between them.
Phase I – Self-assessment in Your Organisation	This will be facilitated by using one of the predefined ProcurCompEU job profiles. The results of your competency analysis will identify areas where there is a need to upskill your teams, and we will accompany you in the preparation of the training curriculum for it.
Phase II – Generic Training Curriculum Basic and Intermediate Levels	This programme will certify your level of professionalisation in public procurement from a basic to intermediate, in the different competencies accredited throughout the various modules.
Phase III – Generic Training Curriculum Advanced Level	Advance level training combined with peer-to-peer exchange and coaching among experts from different organisations.

Do you want more information about public procurement?

If your organisation or institute has a specific training need, you can create your own course by building on the core modules of our existing courses and e-learning models. We also offer consultancy and coaching in different formats to European public administrations and agencies. Don’t hesitate to contact us.

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