Procurement for Change

Procurement can be more than a traditional support function; it can be a strategic enabler of innovation, green transition, and community strengthening. Harnessing the potential of procurement is necessary to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing humanitarian landscape; the nature of needs, funding, sustainability requirements and technology all demand that we adapt. The goal of this event is to engage the collective competence of both private and humanitarian actors in finding practical ways of overcoming the barriers that prevent the best solutions from reaching people affected by crises.

In order to change our environmental impact while delivering a more efficient humanitarian response, we must change the way we work. Procurement accounts for approximately two thirds of humanitarian budgets, making it one of the areas with the greatest potential for securing necessary changes. By implementing changes in our frameworks and ways of working, procurement can deliver on its key promise of providing the highest value for money in the long run. Conversely, a reluctance to disrupt established methods can limit our impact, value for money, and effectiveness.

In this workshop, we will address the challenges, highlight the opportunities, and suggest concrete actions. Bringing together the private and humanitarian sector, we will encourage all participants to share experiences and learn from each other; What is preventing the private sector from offering their best solutions and investing in humanitarian contexts? What is preventing humanitarians from procuring innovations and sustainable solutions? How can we facilitate better partnerships?

We encourage both private sector actors and humanitarian practitioners to join us for an afternoon event packed with relevant talks and practical exercises designed to illustrate the opportunities of collaborative, innovation-friendly and sustainable procurement.

The event will be on October 22nd from 14:00 - 17:00