To strengthen the implementation of regional development priorities and improve the quality of procurement in the public sector, Vidzeme Planning Region and Cēsis Municipality plan to carry out up to three pilot procurements by 2026, applying an internationally developed approach to Green Public Procurement (GPP). The process will be supported by associated partners – the municipalities of Smiltene and Valmiera. This commitment was made as part of the project “Fostering implementation of the ChemClimCircle approach to Green Public Procurement in the Baltic Sea Region” (ChemClimCircle-2), launched during a kick-off meeting held on 19–20 March in Riga, bringing together representatives from eight countries.
“Procurement is not just a mechanism for cost optimisation – it can be a powerful tool for advancing regional development goals,”
emphasised Krišjānis Pundurs, Project Manager at Vidzeme Planning Region.
The project “Fostering implementation of the ChemClimCircle approach to Green Public Procurement in the Baltic Sea Region” (ChemClimCircle-2) aims to further develop and apply the approach introduced in a previous project. This approach is based on three interlinked sustainability aspects: low risk of hazardous chemicals (Chem), climate neutrality (Clim), and circular economy principles (Circle). The objective is to make this approach practically applicable in public sector procurement.
During the kick-off meeting, particular attention was given to understanding the methodology – how to integrate all three sustainability aspects in a balanced way within procurement criteria, and how to address situations where trade-offs between them may occur. Project partners emphasised that the solutions must be easy to implement and adaptable to each organisation’s strategic documents and regulatory frameworks.
The project is coordinated by the Lithuanian Public Procurement Office and involves municipalities, regional development institutions, competence centres, and research organisations from eight countries in the Baltic Sea Region.
To validate the effectiveness of the chosen approach, at least 48 pilot procurements are planned across the partner countries by 2026. In Latvia, the pilot procurements based on the new methodology will be implemented by the Vidzeme Planning Region and Cēsis Municipality, with up to three procurement cases expected. Special focus will be placed on improving the monitoring framework, ensuring that sustainability criteria defined at the outset are followed throughout the procurement process and are reflected in the delivered outcomes.
In addition to the Vidzeme-based partners, the project also includes Riga City Municipality, which will also conduct pilot procurements, and the Ecodesign Competence Centre, which will develop a training module as part of the project. This training programme will be made available to all municipalities in the Vidzeme region to strengthen the capacity of procurement professionals in organising Green Public Procurement.
In addition to the above-mentioned activities, roundtable discussions with procurement experts are planned for the second half of 2025, to assess the suitability of the developed approach for different procurement contexts.
