Last year, the CO-RESP project partners held Local Roundtables, which facilitated constructive dialogue among the relevant stakeholders and, most importantly, kickstarted the creation of Local Action Plans that aim to improve public procurement practices.

The participants of the Local Roundtable meetings received insights into both the promising practices identified within the CO-RESP project and their cities' public procurement practices based on EU law, directives, and national legislation. Feedback from participants reflected on the significance of CO-RESP in supporting local development and social inclusion, as well as in strengthening joint efforts at the local level to improve opportunities and working conditions for persons with disabilities. 

Now, the Local Action Plans have been published for the cities of Dobrich (Bulgaria), Marina De Cudeyo (Spain), and Gleisdorf (Austria). These documents provide a road map for improving the use of Socially Responsible Public Procurement (SRPP) at the local level. Essentially, these documents aim to improve and refine public procurement practices by addressing the lessons learnt in the CO-RESP project so far.

The action plans present different areas of work for the local authorities. In Dobrich, for instance, the Action Plan emphasises further improvement and rescaling of the skills and competences of contracting authorities to effectively implement the SRPP principles. In Gleisdorf, the Plan prioritises strengthening inter-regional cooperation at all levels, while in Marina de Cudeyo, the Action Plan proposes analysing the integration of social procurement from the annual budgets.

Read the Local Action Plans for the following cities:

• Dobrich, Bulgaria
• Marina De Cudeyo, Spain
• Gleisdorf, Austria