Digital procurement

Overview of digital procurement

The European Commission supports the digital transformation of public procurement with several initiatives. These initiatives aim to digitise major steps of the lifecycle of public procurement, such as eSubmission, eAccess or eInvoicing. They also promote the development and uptake of eProcurement tools in EU countries, such as upgraded standard notices to make them fit for the digital age, or the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) and the eCertis tool, which simplify the participation of economic operators in public procurement.

Digital procurement is a pillar of other broader Commission initiatives such as the Digital Single Market strategy or the eGovernment Action Plan. It is one of the key drivers towards the reduction of administrative burdens and the implementation of the ‘once only principle’ in public administrations (suppliers provide information only once).

The Multi-Stakeholder Expert Group on eProcurement

The Commission has also set up the Multi-Stakeholder Expert Group on eProcurement (EXEP). This group gathers stakeholders whose work in their countries and within EXEP is vital for a successful uptake of eProcurement tools and for a well-managed digital transformation. This expert group has produced several factsheets that cover many areas of public procurement like certification, governance or contract registers.

Factsheets prepared by the Multi-Stakeholder Expert Group on eProcurement