Launched at the start of 2014, the Water PiPP (Public Innovation Procurement Policies) project aims to improve public procurement of innovation (PPI) in the water sector, exploring barriers to effective procurement of innovation and methodologies to overcome them. The first phase of the project will focus on gathering information on the scope for innovative procurement activities within the water sector, while the second phase will see pilot cases tested by public procurement authorities.

The water sector is fragmented by nature, comprised of a large number of small management bodies. This makes it difficult for those working in the sector to adequately assess and implement new approaches and technologies. The regulatory structure of water bodies also means that technologies with a successful track record tend to be favoured over new, innovative products.

To overcome this, the project intends to build practical and effective PPI strategies, test them in real-life settings, and disseminate the outcomes for larger scale adoption. It is coordinated by Office International de l’Eau and will run for three years. 12 institutions are participating, including the City of Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and the University of Zaragoza (Spain).

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