All public procurers from EU member states can apply for eafip assistance (www.eafip.eu) to launch a Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) or a Procurement of Innovative Solutions (PPI).

What does Assistance under the eafip initiative comprise? eafip provides local assistance to selected public procurers in the preparation and implementation of a PCP or PPI procurement, covering the support to:

• Scoping an identified procurement need that can be tackled with innovative solutions
• Preparing and conducting an EU wide published open market consultation
• Drafting tendering documents
• Launching an EU wide published call for tender
• Answering questions from potential tenderers at any time during the process
• Signature of contracts with selected vendor(s), taking into account the relevant provisions under European and national legislation governing public procurement.

The exact scope and content of the assistance to be provided to the selected procurers is determined on a case-by-case basis, in coordination with the European Commission services.

Assistance includes one-to-one meetings, support by email, hands-on guidance and individual support (including legal support) to prepare and implement a PCP or a PPI procurement. The assistance provided within the eafip initiative does not consist of financial support for activities carried out by the procurer. Each project selected for assistance benefits from 5 man-days of expert assistance that are provided free of charge to the procurer by eafip and that are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Local assistance is provided in the local language of the procurer through the eafip network of experts established across all the EU Member States under the coordination of Corvers. The network of legal experts consists of members located across all the EU Member States.

Please note that:

• Only Pre-commercial procurements (PCP) and Procurements of Innovative Solutions (PPI) with an approved budget are eligible. Innovation Partnerships are not eligible to benefit from EAFIP.
• There are specific eligibility and selection criteria.
• Projects that receive EU funding for the costs related to the preparation and/or management of an innovation procurement (e.g. from Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, COSME or ESIF programmes) are not eligible for eafip assistance for activities that are eligible costs under the EU funding they already receive. However, feel free to contact us (a.jaramillo@corvers.com) for more information and to join other relevant activities.

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