Gender-responsive Public Procurement

The purpose of preliminary market consultation is to obtain a clear picture of which products, works and services are available and to inform economic operators about the upcoming tender. Preliminary market consultations can be used to scope out the market capacity to deliver gender-responsive outcomes, as well as to refine the contracting authority objectives. This can be done through informal...

Depending on the users/beneficiaries of the procurement, needs assessment may be a strictly internal process (e.g. office furniture or equipment is purchased) or may involve external people and organisations (e.g. social housing or a civic centre is constructed or a website/application is made accessible to the public). Needs assessment may be undertaken either formally (e.g. through a questionnaire or structured...

The use of GRPP to address gender equality successfully also depends on the extent of regular and informed collaboration between gender equality bodies and contracting authorities. Such collaboration can take the form of consultation, whereby the contracting authority (automatically) involves gender equality bodies when initiating the public procurement cycle. Likewise, gender equality bodies reach out to the public authorities with...

Legislation and strategies on GRPP are important tools to promote such public procurement and thus help to advance gender equality, but GRPP without adequate support structures remains a largely theoretical undertaking. Relevant support structures include capacity building, training and information materials that explain GRPP, its uses and its impact on gender equality, as well as mentoring/cooperation between public and third...

A further aspect of GRPP is the extent to which national gender equality action plans refer to public procurement as a tool to promote gender equality. This can take many forms, but GRPP needs to be specifically mentioned when such strategies refer to gender mainstreaming and/or gender budgeting, for example. Example of gender equality action plans: The fourth action plan...

GRPP is often subsumed under socially responsible public procurement (SRPP) strategies without being specifically referred to. However, when public procurement strategies include specific gender equality objectives, preferably at all stages of the procurement cycle, GRPP implementation does increase. Examples of public procurement strategies including gender equality as an objective In Spain, Barcelona’s sustainable public procurement objectives plan for 2020–2021 includes...

Public procurement and the promotion of gender equality are often seen as two separate issues. General provisions on gender mainstreaming and/or gender budgeting make, at best, little or, at worst, no reference to GRPP. Laws that specifically mention the use of GRPP as a tool to promote gender equality not only provide legal certainty on its use (usefulness), but also...

This GRPP toolkit takes account of previous and current activities related to GRPP at the European, national and local government levels and the importance of GRPP for promoting gender equality. It features good practice examples and practical tools to put GRPP into practice. The toolkit supports public sector buyers in advancing gender equality through the use of GRPP. The public...

The purpose of grounds for exclusion is to determine whether an operator is allowed to participate in the procurement procedure or to be awarded the contract. Several of the exclusion grounds set out in Article 57 of Directive 2014/24/EU and Article 136 of the financial regulation are relevant to GRPP: mandatory exclusion for people trafficking / child labour; non-payment of...

Selection criteria may address legal capacity, financial and economic standing, technical ability (including experience) and professional skills and qualifications. Selection criteria should be tailored to the specific contract and should be proportionate to the requirements. However, many authorities apply a generic approach to selection and are reluctant to introduce new criteria. This may limit the extent to which GRPP selection...

Technical specifications set the mandatory requirements for the goods, services or works being purchased. They may be formulated by referring to standards, they may be performance based or they may use some combination of these approaches. Under the 2014 procurement directives, there is no explicit authorisation for specifications to address social characteristics, unlike award criteria and contract performance clauses. Despite...

This tool can be used by contracting authorities to help with the development and application of GRPP contract performance conditions. This tool can be used by contracting authorities, policymakers and practitioners to develop a GRPP monitoring and reporting plan. This tool allows you to keep track of the specific GRPP commitments and targets that apply under a contract or framework...