EU-funded project launched for PPI solutions in Europe

PRONTO is a 40-month EU-funded project under the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (COSME) programme meant to help SMEs purchase products, services, or works that better address their needs. Public procurement, and more specifically PPI, may have the potential to drive innovation in the public sector and boost economic growth by, among others, providing innovative companies with the opportunity for first user references. 

However, despite its potential, PPI widespread adoption is only slowly taking up as there are several challenges, identified by the PRONTO project, that need to be addressed, such as lack of awareness, experience, capabilities related to new technologies, and market developments, and barriers to overcome, like the motivation to buy innovative solutions from a new company rather than buying established products from long-standing suppliers (risk-aversion), according to the official press release.