Netherlands' first circular tender at scale
About this good practice
What - After a series of pilots with circularity the category manager for office furnishing (responsible for all furniture procurement by the central government) decided to scale up. At the time both higher management and clients of the category were not convinced of the benefits of circularity. The problem was to change their mindset to positive towards the circular procurement of furniture.
How - The category manager reached out to internal expertise to convince her management. The outcome was a budget for an external study about the options, which evidenced the benefits of full scale circular furniture. The ecological focus was on using less materials and using them longer. The estimated yearly savings (€4-8 million) triggered management most to change their attitude. Higher management approved the first large scale circular tender of the Dutch government: circular furnishing of 100,000 working places.
The tender was not set to buy new circular furniture, but to repair and maintain the existing. Only if new furniture was needed it should be designed according to circular principles. Innovations were: 1) a new business model for suppliers (repair and maintenance instead of selling); and 2) the needed cooperation between supplier and government to realise the expected impacts.
Who - Internal: purchasers, clients, facility managers, sustainability officials, (higher) management, policy advisers
External: furniture value chain, current suppliers, society (policy credibility)
Resources needed
No specific numbers available, but it is fair to say that the category manager, her contract manager and internal expertise spent 0.75 fte (1.5 fte during 6 months)
Evidence of success
1) This tender accelerated circularity in the whole Dutch office furniture sector
2) The tender positioned circular procurement as a serious full scale option and opportunity for every procuring organisation with circular ambitions.
Potential for learning or transfer
Public (and private) organisations in Europe struggle how to best implement circular procurement in their daily practice. Circular products and services are the preferred option, but how to obtain them and how to scale up first experiments and pilots appear difficult. This tender demonstrates a full scale implementation after several pilots in the category. It also evidenced the need to work from the right mindset and attitude in the organisation. Scaling up circular procurement is not a decision made by purchasers alone. The choice is made together with budget holders, involved management, clients/end users and facility management.