1) The Public Procurement Agency of Moldova conducted a project to establish sustainable public procurement priorities and criteria. 2) They analyzed the current situation, legal framework, and market to prioritize energy efficient windows/doors and ecological food products. 3) The project struggled to implement sustainable procurement at scale, with only 2 of 15 pilot tenders successful, due to low government demand, certification issues, and contracting authorities seeing it as extra work. Lessons highlighted the need for continued training and gradual policy measures to stimulate sustainable production and procurement.

1. Public Procurement Agency
of the Republic of Moldova
Sustainable Public Procurement
Brussels, 1 December 2017

2. Main steps and final scope of the project
1
2
3
4
Evaluation of current
situation
Establishment of priorities
Analyses of legal framework
Market analyses
Consumers choice for energy
efficient and ecological goods
and services
5 Elaboration and approval of
action plan

3. Familiarization
of sustainable
public
procurement
principles
Appointment of
Steering
Committee
Approval of
Action Plan According to
UNEP’s
methodology
International
Agreements
Legislation of
the Republic
of Moldova
National and
sector
strategies
Food
products
Analyses of
supply
Analyses of
demand
Inception
workshop
Evaluation
of current
situation
Analyses of
legal
framework
Prioritizat
ion
Taken actions
Report submitted to UNEP
Market
analyses
PCs
Vehicles
Building
insulation
works
Food
products

4. Prioritization steps
National sustainable development priorities
Cost analyses
Risk and possibilities assessment
Selection of priority goods and services
1
2
3
4

5. Economic operators identified as a result
of market survey
Ecological
fruts and
vegetables
Energy
efficient /
ecological
windows and
doors
58 economic operators
Over 50 economic
operators

6. Deliverables
• Guide on sustainable public procurement
• Sustainable criteria for 2 groups of prioritezed products
• Communication strategy
• Bidding documents for 2 groups of prioritized products
• Launch of pilot tenders for 2 groups of prioritized
products
• Workshops on sustainable public procurement

7. Difficulties and challenges
• Only 2 successful procedures (energy efficient windows
and ecological food products) out of 15 pilot tenders;
• In 2014 there were 58 producers of ecological food
products (51% for ecological fruits and vegetables), while
in 2017 their number significantly decreased due to
decrease of subsidies offered by Government;
• Government does not create demand on a national scale
(as it also requires additional funds) – producers are not
interested to produce due to low value of demand;
• Certification for ecological windows and doors produced /
assembled locally.

8. Lessons learned
• Without Government’s attention it is very difficult to
succeed even with a small project – as a result low interest
from economic operators;
• Unwillingness from Contracting Authorities – they
consider it as an additional, more complex work, plus they
should also pay more for ecological products;
• Selection of 2 groups (food products and windows and
doors) was too ambitious!;
• Continues training for both, Contracting Authorities and
Economic Operators on SPP.

9. Future plans
• Elaboration and promotion of Government Decree on
supply of ecological food products, doors and windows for
preschool facilities (for 3 – 6 years old children) with
gradual increase (5 – 7 – 10%) over the next 3 – 5 years;
• National awareness raising campaign on benefits of buying
sustainable goods and services;
• Introducing the possibility for national certification for
ecological windows and doors;
• Experience exchange on approaches on sustainable
procurement of goods and services for CAs and EOs;
• Capacity building on CAs and EOs on SPP.

10. Thank you for your attention!
Ruslan Malai
Director of Public Procurement Agency
ruslan.malai@tender.gov.md
www.tender.gov.md