purchasing

Purchasing is the operational activity of acquiring goods, services, or works — the practical execution within the broader discipline of procurement. While "procurement" encompasses the entire strategic cycle from needs identification to contract management, purchasing focuses on the transactional steps of buying. In the EU/EEA, public purchasing is governed by Directive 2014/24/EU and must follow principles of transparency, equal treatment, and proportionality.

How does the purchasing process work?

The public purchasing process typically follows three phases:

1. Planning and preparation The contracting authority identifies its needs, conducts market dialogue to understand available solutions, and aligns the purchase with its procurement strategy. This phase has the greatest influence on outcomes — poor needs assessment leads to poor results regardless of how well the competition is run.

2. Competition The purchase is published as a contract notice and suppliers submit bids that are evaluated against predefined award criteria. Depending on the contract value and complexity, different procedures may be used, from direct award to open or restricted procedures.

3. Contract management After the contract is signed, delivery is monitored through contract monitoring to ensure the authority receives what it paid for. This phase is where the actual value from the purchase is realised.

What makes a good purchase?

• Thorough needs assessment — clarity on what you need makes everything else easier
• Early market engagement — suppliers may offer solutions you hadn't considered
• Appropriate procedure — match the formality of the process to the purchase's size and complexity
• Environmental considerations — the EU increasingly requires green criteria in public purchasing
• Active contract follow-up — signing the contract is the beginning, not the end

Tools like Cobrief help suppliers discover and track relevant public purchasing opportunities across the EEA.

Effective purchasing turns public funds into public value. A well-run purchasing process ensures taxpayer money is spent wisely, suppliers are treated fairly, and broader policy goals like sustainability and innovation are advanced.