Passation des marchés liée aux projets

This assesment framework was developed collaboratively by a working group of 15 multilateral development banks, led by the Asian Development Bank, with active contribution by the EIB. It offers a practical approach for assessing and achieving value for money in procurement at every stage of the project cycle.

Aligned with EIB’s approach to strategic procurement, the framework supports the integration of value for money considerations from early planning through to project completion, using its guidance on measurable indicators, structured assessment methods, and practical tools to support decision-making and continuous improvement. The EIB views the framework as a valuable knowledge-sharing resource that supports harmonised approaches and good international practices. While the Bank does not mandate its application, procurement practitioners are encouraged to use it to strengthen value for money in EIB-financed projects.

Gender responsive public procurement is a strategic approach that uses public purchasing as a lever to promote gender equality, social inclusion and sustainable development. 

This guidance note provides a practical framework to help EIB promoters and other counterparties integrate gender objectives into procurement processes in line with EIB policies and applicable national legal frameworks.

EIB’s Procurement Office recently hosted representatives from the European International Contractors (EIC) and the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA) for an information session on Strategic Procurement.

The meeting was part of the EIB’s Strategic Procurement initiative, which aims to strengthen targeted market outreach. In a context of growing geopolitical complexity and evolving procurement requirements, the objective was to ensure that EU industry associations and other key stakeholders are consulted early and in a structured way.

Discussions were organised around three main topics:

• The EIB’s Strategic Procurement initiative, including planned updates to the Guide to Procurement;
• Collaborative Delivery Models, a procurement approach presented by EIC;
• EU eligibility restrictions, an overview of recent regulatory developments affecting participation in EU funded projects.

EIB invited feedback from industry representatives on a range of procurement topics, including procurement strategy, concessions, innovation, evaluation criteria, abnormally low tenders, and national remedy mechanisms.

The EIB also presented new tools currently under development to support promoters in meeting Strategic Procurement objectives. These include a social procurement criteria library, a procurement strategy toolkit for buildings, as well as guidance notes on circular economy and gender responsive procurement.

Industry representatives welcomed the planned procurement strategy tool, noting that earlier access to information would help companies decide whether to bid and better prepare their tenders. They also acknowledged the proposal to allow unsolicited proposals in project concessions of EU interest, while highlighting that its impact may be limited where the applicable legal framework is not fully clear.

EIC and EFCA shared plans for an upcoming paper on Collaborative Delivery Models, which aims to promote innovative practices among national authorities, including in countries outside the EU where EIB financing may be involved.

On eligibility restrictions, EU industry associations expressed a preference for tied aid with clear eligibility rules. The EIB, in turn, referred to the European Commission’s move towards imposed eligibility restrictions under instruments such as Global Europe, the Ukraine Facility, the Western Balkans Facility, and the Moldova Facility.

Participants also underlined the value of early EIB engagement and technical assistance during project preparation, timely access to procurement information for the private sector, and better recognition of quality and innovation in tender evaluation. There was strong interest in EIB led webinars and events to promote procurement opportunities and support sector specific matchmaking.

The European Commission, the World Bank Group, European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have deepened their strategic partnership in the context of the Global Gateway initiative, to drive a new generation of connectivity projects.

The European Commission and MDBs spoke about procurement opportunities in the context of the Global Gateway initiative.

The EIB organised a knowledge-sharing session on Friday, 28 November 2025 with Rijkswaterstaat - the executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management- to discuss how procurement can become a strategic driver of innovation and resilience in Europe’s infrastructure delivery.

The world around us is changing fast. Climate pressures, geopolitical uncertainty, technological developments and economic shifts demand that Europe acts with greater agility and creativity. Innovation is needed not only in what we build, but in how we deliver it. And procurement is no longer just an administrative process with static roles of the parties involved: the way we procure infrastructure and services determines not only cost and compliance, but resilience, quality, and long-term value for citizens. It can be a strategic tool to shape markets, drive innovation, and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness.

One promising approach is early contractor involvement (ECI), which brings contractors’ expertise to the table earlier, strengthens collaboration, and ultimately improves outcomes for society. Namely, the ECI means a more recent procurement approach, where contractors are engaged during the early stages of a project—typically in the design or development phase—before the final design or scope is fully developed. The purpose is to leverage the contractor’s expertise to improve constructability, optimise costs, identify risks, and enhance project delivery efficiency.

The speakers brought extensive experience from the Netherlands in applying ECI to large-scale infrastructure projects in public sector and shared valuable insights into its evolution and practical implementation. EIB with Rijkswaterstaat further explored through the session these practices to have a better understanding on whether ECI could help the EIB deliver better and smarter infrastructure for the future. It was noted that the provided examples could be seen as inspiration and a starting point for broader thinking, while any future consideration of ECI approach should be guided by project complexity and legal requirements as well as the maturity of the promoters, countries and markets.

On 31 October 2025, the EIB’s Procurement Office was welcomed by VNO-NCW and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) to host an information session for Dutch companies. The event aimed to raise awareness about the EIB’s financing tools and strategic procurement practices that support high-quality, sustainable projects.

The session opened with remarks from EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot and Robin Uyterlinde, EIB Board Member for the Netherlands.