Best practices in sustainable public procurement of IT hardware in Europe

In the context of the Procure IT Fair project, SOMO collected information on public institutions and other organisations in Europe that actively engage in the sustainable public procurement of IT hardware. Examples of procurement of IT hardware are presented that take into account social considerations, such as adherence to the ILO Core Conventions for the benefit of public purchasers, policy makers and other interested parties. These examples illustrate what is possible within the framework of the European Procurement Directives.

The Procure IT Fair project aimed at enhancing the use of social criteria in public procurement. Within the course of this three-year project, Procure IT Fair has conducted research into legal and policy frameworks that currently exist in a number of European countries. A Buyers Guide with guidance on social criteria for IT procurement was published. Throughout Europe, Procure IT Fair worked intensively with public institutions to push for the sustainable public procurement of IT hardware

The examples presented here include cases of public authorities and other organisations formulating social criteria in tendering procedures. Such social criteria may be included on the level of the award criteria or in the contract performance clauses. Examples include the city of Zurich (Switzerland), Stuttgart (Germany), Baerum (Norway) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS (France).

There are also examples of public authorities and other organisations developing progressive policies regarding sustainable public procurement by including references to social and labour issues, including working conditions throughout the supply chain. Such policies may not yet have been implemented in actual tenders, but at least the framework is in place. Examples include Manresa (Spain), Dusseldorf, Berlin (Germany), Bern (Switzerland), as well as energy distributor Alliander (the Netherlands Berlin (Germany).

Not all examples presented are as ambitious as the approach propagated by Procure IT Fair. Innovative and progressive examples are still hard to find. Sustainable public procurement of ICT hardware is not yet happening on a wide scale. In Eastern and Central Europe, for example, sustainable public procurement is not yet put into practice. Also it is not easy to get this information. It is not easily found in the public domain, and public authorities and other organisations do not always like to share tender documents.

On the ‘Best Practices’ web page examples are given from he following countries:

• Finland (Hansel Ltd)
• France (Centre National de Recerche Scientifique (CNRS), Urban Community of Dunkirk)
• Germany (Berlin, Dusseldorf, States of Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, Stuttgart )
• The Netherlands (Amsterdam, Alliander )
• Norway (Baerum)
• Spain (Manresa)
• Switzerland (Zurich, Bern)

The examples are illustrated with relevant background documents, including, where possible, original tender documents.

SOMO will continue to work on sustainable public procurement of IT hardware. This site will be maintained and information will be updated. Your comments are welcome, and you are invited to share relevant information with us. Please contact us at info@somo.nl, mentioning ‘Procure IT Fair’.