Inclusive public procurement
Every year, €7-9 billion, or more than a third of the national budget, is spent on public procurement. Like other EU countries, Lithuania is looking for ways in which public procurement can contribute to social change – job creation for people with disabilities, gender equality, more diversity in the workplace, etc.
A first attempt to ensure this is the Public Procurement Service’s Guidelinesfor Socially Responsible Procurement. It aims to encourage consideration not only of price or quality, but also of how the services or goods purchased impact on society – for example, do suppliers ensure fair wages, do they employ vulnerable people?
The Diversity Charter is reviewing these guidelines and contributing to their improvement by providing targeted comments. At the same time, together with the Open Contracting Partnership and Charter members Ignitis Group and Lietuvos oro uostai, we aim to prepare the first such procurements and measure their success in Lithuania.
Our proposals for refining the guidelines.
Lithuanian Diversity Charter’s proposals for vpt’s guidelines on socially responsible procurement