Flemish Green Deal Circular Procurement (Green Deal Circulair Aankopen)

About this good practice

By project GPP4Growth

Published on 09 September 2019

Belgium

Prov. Antwerpen

Inspired by the Dutch Green Deals, the steering committee applied a ‘learning by practice’ approach to promote circular procurement in Flanders. They set up a Green Deal for Circular Procurement (GDCP) to stimulate experimentation, knowledge building and demonstrating the feasibility of circular procurement in practice. Procuring organisations were asked to commit to two circular procurement pilot projects. Facilitators brought their expertise to the table and created value within the network by at least two supporting projects. The response was overwhelming: 101 public and private procurers and 52 facilitators signed the GDCP. All of them participated in a learning network, sharing knowledge and experiences. Learning was supported online by a shared learning platform, containing webinars, a legislation Q&A, a circular toolbox for procurers and a library. Eight offline action and inspiration days brought participants together to support networking, map sectoral ambitions and needs, and create partnerships and peer-to-peer learning. As well as offering specific expertise and showing good practices. Two Buyer meets Supplier events allowed procurers to meet circular suppliers and get acquainted with their products and offers. Suppliers gained an understanding in the circular demand and thresholds perceived by procurers. An online tool was developed to aid procurers in setting goals and ambitions by selecting strategies to achieve them goals and following up on their progress.

Expert opinion

Inspired by the Dutch Green Deals in circular procurement, the Green Deal for Circular Procurement (GDCP), set up in Flanders, is an example of knowledge building and exchange on the topic of circular procurement as part of the efforts to promote transition to circular economy. The experience in up-taking circular procurement at regional level is relatively limited, and the practice demonstrates how to address knowledge gaps in this area. Specifically, helping buyers change their procurement processes and build a learning network for sharing their experiences can be useful for other regions interested to promote circular procurement. The methodology of Green Deal in Flanders could be replicated in other countries and regions in Europe, taking into account regional specificities and legislations. The good practice is an inspiring example of taking proactive approach in building knowledge in circular procurement also by setting up concrete projects that demonstrate how circularity can be integrated in the procurement processes.

Venelina Varbova

Resources needed

The project is still ongoing but an estimation of budget to coordinate, educate, communicate and measure the results is about 350000euro and 3FTE.

Evidence of success

153 participants: 101 procuring organisations and 52 facilitators
200 circular procurement experiments, 60 supportive actions by facilitators
Online platform: 14 dedicated webinars, legal Q&A, library with general and sector specific information, information about the projects, circular procurement toolbox.
All projects and supporting actions are logged in the online GDCP-tool.
5 offline networking events and workshops a year with 50 to 200 participants each (final even 21/11)

Potential for learning or transfer

The Green Deal in Flanders was inspired by the Dutch example and could be transferred to other countries and regions in Europe, taking into account the regional specificities and legislation. It will reveal the thresholds local procurers are experiencing. Creating a learning network and setting up concrete projects will demonstrate the feasibility of circular procurement. This can ultimately boost circular procurement and form a lever for growth of the circular economy.
Circular Flanders is a partner in the Interreg North Sea ProCirc-project, bringing together 8 public and 3 private sector organisations delivering over 30 circular procurement pilots, each aiming to reduce 20-25% raw materials, waste and CO2-emmission. Transnationally ProCirc organises a procurer-to-procurer learning and Action program, CP expert task forces and transnationally & cross-industry communities of practice. Circular Flanders will transfer lessons learned from the GDCP within the ProCirc project.