PROJECT OBJECTIVES (RESULTS) The project objective is to create and evaluate methodologies for circular economy in public and private procurement. The following project intellectual outputs will be processed: a) Methodology for participants of circular public and private procurement course; b) Methodology for lecturers of circular public and private procurement course. This project is actively supported by Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs that is a leader on Czech market in process of responsible public and private procurement (Letter of Intent). NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS This project consortium consists of 3 partner organizations from 3 different European countries (Czechia, Slovakia and Spain). All partner organizations are for a long time active in the field of circular economy and they are leaders in this topic in their countries. PROFILES OF PARTICIPANTS BIC Brno - is a business and innovation center established in 1991 as a part of the European Business and Innovation Center Network (EBN). The aim of BIC Brno is innovation support and its implementation into practice. BIC Brno is a private research organization that cooperates with a number of universities and research organizations in the Czech Republic and abroad. BIC Brno has a scientific board that is used as an advisory body for various research topics and projects. Scientific board is consisted of top researchers working at Czech universities. This organization participates on a number of projects focused on eco-innovation, environment, circular economy and modern energetics. During its existence BIC Brno has successfully realized lots of research and innovative projects of various focus and size. INCIEN SK - Slovak Institute for the circular economy (INCIEN SK) is a non-profit organization which specializes in implementing circular economy principles into companies, national legislation and public awareness. INCIEN SK is focusing on bringing the solutions with a direct impact to the economy. INCIEN SK cooperates also with the Slovak Presidential palace. INCIEN SK organizes specialized circular economy events and courses. BIOAZUL - is a well experienced organization in water management, an important part of the circular economy. BIOAZUL has wide experience in international R&D and innovation projects. This company implements circular economy principles using water treatment and reuse systems according to Spanish policies and strategies. The organization has large experience with organizing circular economy events, training sessions and conferences gathering stakeholders from the value chain. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES This 24-month long innovative project will consist of the following activities: a) Two professional methodologies, intellectual project outputs, focused on circular economy public and private procurement. These methodologies will be created by an intellectual output team consisting of specialists for this topic. These outputs will be sent for validation to external experts; b) Three transnational project meetings will be organized during the project. c) Tree multiplier events used as a platform for validation and dissemination of the two methodologies. Project partners from each project country will organize one multiplier event at the end of the project. ANALYSIS OF NEEDS Circular economy is an effective way, how we can reduce large sums of different kinds of waste, how we can reuse material that has already been used, how we can reduce unnecessary use of raw materials and how we can ensure sustainable development for next generations. Public and private procurement is an area where implementation of circular economy principles will have a great positive impact. Why exactly this consortium? Because these organisations are active for a long time in the field of circular economy, they have very good cooperation with stakeholders from public and private sectors and they have an active cooperation with project target groups. IMPACT AND LONG TERM BENEFIT All project partners are for a long time in close cooperation. All project partners are experienced in circular economy. All project partners are in active contact with stakeholders from public and private spheres in their countries. Moreover all project partners are experienced in organizing circular economy conferences, seminars, workshops and other professional events. Thanks to organization of these events, project partners are in real and active contact with target groups of this project. After this project ends, project partners intend to organize for a long time the courses of circular economy public and private procurement that can be realized only thanks to the methodologies from this project. So the impact and long term benefit of this project for industry and society will be high in all project countries.
The aim of the project was to create and evaluate innovative methodologies for integration of circular economy principles in public and private procurement. Two specialized methodologies were processed as project intellectual outputs. By creating these two methodologies, we wanted to raise awareness about the topic itself and help public employees as well as private companies and others to implement circularity in their purchases in a practical way. Moreover, the aim of the project was to show the potential of circular economy to promote economic, social and environmental benefits, provide acceleration of innovation in clean and resource efficient technology with impact on cost savings and create conditions for new business opportunities leading to new jobs generation. Circular economy should have been communicated as a solution to current challenges and problems such as the global economic slowdown linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The topic of circular public procurement was unknown in the included countries in the period of the proposal writing. We considered it as a key step in applying the principles of circular economy into practice because circular economy represents the way to practically fulfill the targets set by the European Union within the European Green Deal and goals for decarbonisation until 2050. Moreover, it has the potential to save 450 million tonnes of EU carbon emissions by 2030, €600 billion for EU businesses (8% of their annual turnover) and create 580,000 new jobs. So it was needed to prepare the set of guidelines on how public (as well as private) circular procurement should look like, what specificities it has, what must be done or what must be avoided. Also, such guidelines were supposed to explain how we can reduce large sums of different kinds of waste, how we can reuse materials that has already been used, how we can reduce unnecessary use of raw materials and how we can ensure sustainable development for the next generations.