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As a public procurer, you can opt for products that are produced in an environmentally friendly way, have a long service life, and can be easily reused. This helps not only to cut costs, but also to improve the environment. Below we discuss the topics covered GPP. 

Green public procurement covers six distinct topics. For each product group cited in the environmental criteria documents, there are specific criteria and suggestions to help you make a more environmentally friendly choice.

In the biobased economy, renewable raw materials replace fossil fuels. For example, sugar beet can be used as a base material for bioplastic, the leaves of agricultural crops can be used to make cladding panels, and specific plant constituents can be used in the manufacture of cosmetics, medicines or chemical substances. The main drivers of the Biobased Economy are achieving greater sustainability, creating economic opportunities for new products, the security of energy and raw materials, and improving agricultural economics.

The potential of biobased products is beginning to be recognised in various sectors. It is still something of a challenge to identify this potential but procurement of biobased products offers many potential benefits, so it is worthwhile to invest in this.

Procurement of biobased products is a relatively new area. As yet, there are no general procedures for, or guides to, procurement of biobased products. This means being creative within the constraints of existing legal frameworks. In some cases, you will need to actively challenge the market to come up with new biobased solutions. 

In a perfectly functioning circular economy, there is no such thing as waste. Wastage of raw materials is prevented by maximising the reusability of products and materials and by minimising value destruction. This differs from the current linear system, in which raw materials are converted into products that are usually destroyed at the end of their service life.

Circular procurement has a significant impact on procurement and on the overall business operations of government bodies. It presupposes a different, more functional view of demand - one in which performance is often of pivotal importance. As a result, the concept of "ownership" is seen in an entirely different light. Alternative revenue models such as product-as-a-service offers (e.g. Greenwheels) or sale-repurchase agreements can be useful here.

You can integrate circular procurement into every stage of the regular procurement process. In the "Guide to Circular Procurement", you will find step-by-step details of how to achieve this. There is also information about the circular routes available, tips, background details and practical examples. Most circular procurement projects are carried out in the context of either the Green Deal: Circular Procurement Agreement or the REBUS (Resource Efficient Business Models) project. Both of these initiatives work on the development of tools and practical examples for circular procurement.

Improving access for SMEs is one of the objectives of the 2012 Public Procurement Act. In addition, purchasing from local SMEs is a major policy objective in many coalition and government accords.

SMEs make up a whopping 99% of all businesses in the Netherlands. In practice, these companies take on comparatively fewer government contracts than you would expect, based on their number.