47 applications close first European Innovation Procurement Awards as EIC-backed competition moves to jury stage
- ›The first edition of the European Innovation Procurement Awards closed with 47 applications from EU and Horizon Europe associated countries.
- ›A high-level independent jury will evaluate eligible entries between August and October 2021 with shortlists due in September and winners named at the EIC Summit on 24 November 2021.
- ›The awards recognise public and private buyers using procurement to stimulate innovation and support SME and start-up market entry.
- ›Three award categories will each pay a winner EUR 75 000 and a runner-up EUR 25 000, focusing on strategy, societal challenges and procurement leadership.
- ›The competition is presented as part of the European Innovation Council's portfolio and Horizon Europe efforts to boost route-to-market for innovators, though capacity and scaling challenges remain.
First European Innovation Procurement Awards attract 47 applications
The inaugural European Innovation Procurement Awards, supported by the European Innovation Council under the Horizon Europe framework, closed on 29 July 2021 after receiving 47 applications. Submissions came from across EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe. The entries will now pass to a high-level jury of independent experts for evaluation scheduled from August through October 2021. A shortlist will be published in September. Winners are due to be announced on 24 November 2021 at the European Innovation Council Summit.
What the prize aims to reward
The prize is intended to highlight public and private buyers that have used procurement to promote and implement innovation. The stated objective is twofold. First, to help small and medium sized enterprises and start-ups bring innovative products and services to market by creating demand from buyers. Second, to recognise procurement as a modernization tool for public sector services, potentially delivering better quality and more economic outcomes.
| Category | Focus | Prizes |
| Innovation procurement strategy | Longer term strategies and action plans that trigger multiple innovation procurements | Winner: EUR 75 000 Runner-up: EUR 25 000 |
| Facing societal challenges | Procurements addressing major societal needs including a 'Net Zero Industry' sub-focus in later editions | Winner: EUR 75 000 Runner-up: EUR 25 000 |
| Procurement leadership | Recognition of outstanding procurement practice and leadership in buyer–supplier cooperation | Winner: EUR 75 000 Runner-up: EUR 25 000 |
Why procurement matters to innovation and the EU ambition
The organisers frame innovation procurement as a lever to modernise public services and to open market opportunities for new players. By embedding demand for innovative solutions into public buying processes, procurement can create an early route-to-market for SMEs and start-ups. The European Innovation Council positions this prize as one tool among many intended to boost European competitiveness, stimulate cross-border growth, and help create jobs by enabling suppliers to scale.
Evaluation, timeline and contacts
Eligible applications will be evaluated by an independent high-level jury from August through October 2021. Shortlisted applicants will be announced in September 2021 and winners at the European Innovation Council Summit on 24 November 2021. The competition is managed through the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency. Contact details provided by the organisers include the mailbox EISMEA-EUIPAwards@ec.europa.eu and the EIC's online channels.
| Milestone | Date (2021) |
| Call closed | 29 July |
| Evaluation window | August to October |
| Shortlist announced | September |
| Winners announced | 24 November at the EIC Summit |
Context: EIC, Horizon Europe and existing initiatives
The awards are presented as one of several EIC Prizes. For 2021 the prize sits alongside other EIC recognitions such as the EU Prize for Women Innovators, the European Capital of Innovation Awards and the European Social Innovation Competition. The European Innovation Council itself is highlighted by the Commission as a one stop shop for high potential innovators under Horizon Europe with a funding envelope of approximately €10 billion for 2021 to 2027. The EIC builds on a pilot phase in Horizon 2020 that the Commission says supported over 5 000 SMEs and start-ups and over 330 research projects.
A critical view and implementation risks
The prize reflects a consensus in European innovation policy that purchasers can stimulate markets for new technologies. However the practical impact of such awards depends on recurring, scaled procurement activity and buyers' capacity to design and run innovation-focused procurements. Procurement is governed by complex public rules and many procuring authorities lack experience with pre-commercial procurement or risk-sharing approaches. Short term visibility from a prize does not automatically create sustainable demand or remove regulatory and administrative barriers that inhibit SME access to public markets.
The first edition attracted 47 applications. That number provides early evidence of interest but it is small relative to the number of potential public buyers across the European Union. Replicability and broader uptake will require capacity building, clearer legal guidance, and alignment with regional and national procurement budgets and strategies. Evaluators will need to assess demonstrable outcomes such as procurement design, supplier engagement, measurable uptake, and any follow-on commercialisation that results from the procurement.
What to watch next
Shortlists due in September will give a better sense of the geographic spread and maturity of the procured solutions. Observers should look for evidence that winning procurements led to meaningful market access for SMEs, increased cross-border uptake, or structural changes in procurement processes. Longer term, policymakers will need to show how awards like this fit into a broader toolkit including procurement guidance, technical assistance and co-financing to turn one-off pilots into repeatable demand channels.
Background reading and related EIC activities
The procurement awards form part of a set of EIC initiatives under Horizon Europe intended to strengthen the EU innovation ecosystem. Stakeholders seeking to understand the broader policy context should consult EIC Work Programmes, Horizon Europe documents on innovation procurement, and guidance on pre-commercial procurement and public procurement of innovation published by the European Commission and its agencies.