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In the Netherlands, contracting authorities in the public and private sector that wish to incorporate climate impact, circularity and social goals into their procurements can join a buyer group. In a buyer group, they work together to develop a shared market vision and strategy for a specific product category. This gives a clear signal to the market and allows members to share costs and risks.

Sustainable public procurement (SPP) means focussing on the environmental and social impact of procurement as well as the price of the products, services or works in question. 

Government procurement amounts to nearly 116 billion euros per year. It thus has a significant impact on the environment and on social issues, both here and in other countries. Deliberately targeted sustainable public procurement (SPP) is a powerful tool for achieving major sustainability goals. 

There are several tools that you can use when applying sustainable procurement (SPP). Examples are the MVI-criteriatool (environmental criteria for SPP), de MVI-zelfevaluatietool (self-assessment tool) and the Wegwijzer MVOI (with information and tools). There are also various guidelines, best practices and studies available. 

PIANOo, the Dutch Public Procurement Expertise Centre, was set up to professionalise procurement and tendering in all government departments, with a view to improving efficiency and compliance with the rules. Professional procurement can contribute to successful policy and offers value for taxpayers' money.