What is the PPDS ?
The Public Procurement Data Space (PPDS) overcomes this information gap by connecting European databases – including TED - with national procurement data sets available on national portals.
Every year in the EU, over 250 000 public authorities spend around €2.5 trillion (around 15 % of GDP) on the purchase of services, works and supplies. EU directives govern procurement contracts above certain thresholds to ensure the transparency of the procedures. Notices of such contracts must be published on the European Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) portal.
Until recently, notices of contracts below the EU thresholds were spread across the national or regional level in different formats, making it difficult, or even impossible, to re-use the wealth of data already existing.
The Commission underlined the need to unlock this wealth of EU public procurement data in the European strategy for data, published in February 2020.
The concrete implementation of the PPDS is further explained in the Commission communication published on 16 March in 2023.
Harnessing the power of public procurement data
The PPDS is at the core of the digital transformation of public procurement in the EU. Public procurement data helps to
- facilitate access for companies and SMEs to public procurement procedures across the EU
- increase transparency, integrity and accountability of public spending, fighting corruption and collusion
- get better value for money through data-driven benchmarking, planning and purchasing
- help recovery from the pandemic by monitoring the use of EU funds
- target public funds towards policy priorities, ensuring wider uptake of social and sustainable procurement
- ensure access for companies and SMEs to public procurement procedures across the EU and foster competition
- decrease red tape through easier reporting for EU countries
- generate key insights for policy-making
The signature of the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles reflects our shared goal of a digital transformation that puts people first. The rights put forward in our Declaration are guaranteed for everybody in the EU, online as they are offline. And the digital principles enshrined in the Declaration will guide us in our work on all new initiatives.
Key moments of the PPDS
- 19 February 2020Publication of a European Strategy for Data
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions the creation of the European Strategy for Data.
- 16 March 2023PPDS communication
Communication from the Commission Public Procurement: A data space to improve public spending, boost data-driven policymaking and improve access to tenders for SMEs.
- July 2023Launch of the PPDS restricted portal
Launch of the Public Procurement Data Space pilot portal with a restrict group of EU Member States.
- 24 September 2024PPDS Day - The Grand Opening
The European Commission hosts a full-day event to celebrate the go live of the Public Procurement Data Space.
More information regarding the PPDS Day 2024 available in the following link.
Who is the PPDS for?
The PPDS portal addresses the concerns and needs of a diverse group of stakeholders.
Policy makers (EU and at national level) use the PPDS to analyse patterns and the performance of public procurement markets. In return, this wealth of information allows evidence-based policymaking as well as the capacity to predict future trends.
Public buyers in Member States gain increased capabilities through real-time information, allowing for benchmarking, knowledge sharing, and data driven decision making.
Companies, and SMEs in particular, benefit from an easy-to-use portal that gives them access to more tenders, along with detailed market analysis possibilities.
Auditing bodies in Member States and in the EU, benefit form a new tool to facilitate reporting and to identify fraud, collusion, or misuse of public funds.
Service providers create value based on public procurement data. They are now able create applications, link additional data, or enable capabilities for other actors to consume public procurement information.
NGOs, researchers, and journalists are able to use PPDS data for research and investigation purposes.
Citizens benefit from enhanced access to information and transparency regarding public spending by public administrations in Europe.
Who can use the PPDS?
The platform is intended for those users who are interested in:
- Consulting information regarding relevant indicators. As mentioned, the PPDS provides Data Analytics Dashboards that facilitate exploring specific areas of public procurement, focusing on different areas of interest.
- Visualise, and derive insights from data that can clearly describe the performance of the public procurement process in areas such as competition, transparency, market access and strategic procurement
Resources
More information is included in the resources page.