Policy brief: People-centred public procurement: a strategic investment for wellbeing and long-term public value

Public procurement accounts for over €2 trillion annually (around 15% of EU GDP), yet it remains largely focused on achieving the lowest price rather than maximising long-term public value. This Policy Brief recommends that the revised EU framework explicitly recognise procurement as a strategic investment in long-term people-centred public value. It proposes seven priority actions: establishing clear strategic objectives for procurement; making the Most Advantageous Tender (or, at minimum, the Most Economically Advantageous Tender) the default award criterion; expanding lifecycle costing and future-oriented approaches; improving access for SMEs and social economy entities; requiring national and regional procurement strategies with measurable targets; strengthening monitoring and accountability through common indicators; and investing in procurement capacity-building through training, guidance and peer-learning networks. Drawing on examples from Spain, France and Belgium, the brief demonstrates that these approaches are both feasible and effective, leading to stronger integration of social and gender equality objectives.