PROMINENT PLUS: Successfully transferring experiences and results of the PROMINENT MED project

PROMINENT PLUS aims to successfully transfer experiences and knowledge developed during the PROMINENT MED project (2016-2020, led by Sviluppumbria) and tested in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Croatia to new MED countries (Slovenia, Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina) and regions with the goal to increase the involvement of innovative SMEs and start-ups (through transnational innovative clusters) in public procurements using Innovation Procurement (Pre-Commercial Procurement/ Public Procurement of Innovation).

The peer-to-peer transfer process will build on the outputs and methodologies developed in the previous Prominent MED project and will focus simultaneously on both the demand and supply sides to increase the mutual activity and interest of key sectors, which will create opportunities for business growth.

The project approach will use different activities aimed at ensuring that Prominent MED project outputs are adjusted to the contexts in receiver territories. These outputs will be the basis of the transfer process – receivers will learn from them and in parallel use them to establish solid basis for the uptake of the Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) competent service in their regions.

The know-how, outputs and deliverables will be transferred from Narni municipality to the Municipality of Tuzla and BIT Centre, Consorci de la Ribera transfers to the Union of Municipalities of Western Macedonia and CERTH, and the Regional Energy Agency North transfers to Goriska Local Energy Agency and Construction Cluster of Slovenia.

Innovation Procurement (Pre-Commercial Procurement/ Public Procurement of Innovation) can exploit the market’s innovation potential both to improve the quality of public services and support business growth of innovative SMEs and start-ups.

The value of Innovation Procurement includes:

• Opening the route-to-the market for new market players
• Facilitating (international) company growth
• Bringing R&D results to the market
• Improving the quality and efficiency of public services
• Promoting the market uptake of innovative solutions
• Enforcing business growth

Innovation Procurement is recognized as one of the best practices in the recently signed Declaration on Start-ups Nations Standard of Excellence, but it is still underdeveloped and underutilized in many MED regions, and PROMINENT PLUS will help to improve the current situation.

The Prominent Plus project, funded under the Interreg Med program, will end in June 2022, with a total budget of €400,000 from ERDF, IPA and other sources.