Trans European eProcurement implementation (INTERPROC) is a project financed through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in Telecom, which is a key EU instrument to facilitate cross-border interaction between public administrations, businesses and citizens. The project is supported by a consortium of eight partners from four different EU and EEA countries (Norway, Germany, Greece and Portugal) representing different stakeholders in the eProcurement domain and has a duration of three years.
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‌The purpose of INTERPROC is to support interoperable use of structured information throughout the whole procurement process.

‌‌The Action is performed by a consortium of eight members representing policy executing bodies, technical expertise from universities and eProcurement service providers.
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‌As a first objective, national tailored eForms will be implemented in 5 different services (DFØ, Ignite, Mercell, Vortal) with users in 16 countries. Simplified versions of the standard forms for use below threshold will be developed and implemented in the same services. The implementations will be according to the eForms Regulation and technical specifications from the Publications Office.
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‌BeschA and Vortal, supported by UKL, will develop, implement and put in production additional pre-award profiles to increase interoperability in the area of eTendering.
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‌Moreover, Norway will establish a Contract Register that, in addition to all contract award notices, will notices related to call-off and mini-competitions based on framework agreements. Formats feasible for the Open Data Portal will be used. Enforcement methods, as recommended in the EXEP report on Contract Register, will be developed.
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‌Also, an updated specification based on ESPD EDM 3.0 from DG Grow will be developed, implemented and put in production in 5 ESPD services/modules (1 new – Ignite, and 4 updated – GSISPA with UPRC, Vortal, Mercell) serving users in 16 countries. The ESPD services will be interconnected with national databases to retrieve evidences. All services will be connected to new eCertis.
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‌These developments are expected to facilitate the information trading in procurement procedures by allowing, as far as possible, the reuse of already existing data, input of data and/or import of data.
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‌More Information can be found here: https://site.vortal.biz/interproc/more-info/

In today’s rapidly changing world, we rely more and more on technology to connect us and make our lives easier. This is especially true when it comes to public procurement processes, where businesses are required to navigate complex systems that can vary from country to country. To address this issue, the INTERPROC project is developing a new functionality to enhance interoperability between different procurement systems. But what exactly is interoperability, and why is it so necessary?

Put simply, it means the ability of different systems and organizations to exchange and use information effectively.

In recent years, there have been significant developments towards greater interoperability within the field of public procurement, and these changes are essential to address a number of challenges facing this sector, namely for economic operators (EOs) who may have to resort to manual processes and paperwork to participate in the process.

Lack of interoperability ca lead to significant barriers for businesses looking to expand their operations across borders or bid on public contracts in multiple countries. Different systems may require different forms, documents, or language for bids, creating administrative burdens and making it difficult to navigate the procurement processes. Where EOs are unable to participate easily due to a lack of interoperability, it can limit competition and result in higher costs for public entities, more inefficiencies, increased costs and limited opportunities. This can be particularly problematic for small and medium-sized businesses, who may find it challenging to participate due to the complexity and lack of transparency.

The INTERPROC project will develop a new functionality to help address these issues. The project aims to create seamless communication between different systems and platforms, enabling businesses to participate more easily in public procurement processes across EU countries. This will be achieved through a range of measures, including the creation of standardised procurement documents, the development of eForms and the use of digital signatures.

Interoperability will bring many benefits to businesses, including increased access to public contracts across different EU countries, reduction in administrative burdens and time, and improved transparency and competition. It will also enable procurement entities to access a wider range of bidders and ultimately improve the likelihood of finding the best offer for each procurement process.

As the basis of the INTERPROC project, interoperability is a vital element in streamlining public procurement processes across EU countries. helping to enhance interoperability and establish seamless communication between different procurement systems and platforms. By reducing administrative burdens, increasing transparency and competition, and promoting cross-border trade, interoperability will help to create a more efficient and accessible public procurement environment for businesses across the EU.