Innovationspartnerskab

Innovationspartnerskab is a public procurement approach used to develop and procure an innovative solution that is not yet available on the market. The central idea is to engage public authorities and one or more private partners in a structured collaboration that spans from early development to the final purchase of the solution. The process is designed to share risk and knowledge between the contracting authority and industry to bring a new product, service, or system to market.

In practice, an innovationspartnerskab typically unfolds in multiple stages. First, authorities conduct market dialogue to identify needs and potential solutions and to assess capable partners. Next, one or more innovation partners are selected to jointly develop the solution during a development phase, with criteria focusing on technical innovation, potential impact, and ability to deliver. Finally, once the solution has reached a sufficient level of maturity, a procurement phase awards a contract for the final supply, implementation, and long-term support. The arrangement often involves clear arrangements on funding of development work, ownership and use of resulting intellectual property, risk sharing, and performance milestones.

Legal and policy context situe innovationspartnerskab within the framework of EU public procurement rules, and it is used to stimulate research and development while ensuring public value. It is distinct from simpler standard tenders and from pre-commercial procurement, as it culminates in an actual market-ready solution through a negotiated, collaborative process.

Applications span sectors such as transportation, healthcare, energy, and municipal services, where public bodies seek tailored solutions that would not emerge from conventional procurement. See also: public procurement, innovation partnership, pre-commercial procurement.