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Together for faster and smarter innovation

Every Government of Flanders or public sector organisation has its small and bigger challenges that demand for innovative solutions. The Programme for Innovation Procurement (PIP) helps you to develop, test and/or purchase these innovative products and services.

All Government of Flanders or public sector organisations covered by the Public Procurement Act can turn to PIP for information, advice, guidance and co-financing on innovation procurement projects.

• In terms of information, the PIP team informs you through its newsletter about all relevant activities and initiatives in Flanders and Europe. The PIP newsletter appears in Dutch, but when relevant the PIP team posts messages in English. At the same time, the PIP team is working on a guide (only in Dutch!) with the ambition to become the Flemish knowledge platform for innovation procurement.
• In terms of advice and guidance, the PIP team is at your service throughout the entire procurement process.
• In terms of co-financing, the PIP will cover part of the costs of organising market consultations, hiring external expertise, purchasing research and development services, or carrying out validation or testing phases of the solutions to be procured.

A total of 5 mio euro is available annually. The specific needs of each project determine the extent of possible co-financing. In principle, no maximum amounts are foreseen. In order to provide some guidance, PIO foresees the following indicative amounts for an ‘average’ project:

• up to 30 000 euros for the use of external expertise, carrying out market consultations, organising user queries, etc.
• up to 1 000 000 000 euros for co-financing the procurement of R&D services developing an innovative solution.
• up to 50 000 euros for costs resulting from setting up a validation or test phase prior to procuring an innovative solution.

The presentation below makes clear what the Programme for Innovation Procurement can mean for you and what a PIP project proposal or application for guidance and/or co-financing ideally looks like.