The new federal procurement law that came into force on 1 January 2021 introduced a number of innovations. The most fundamental change is a greater emphasis on quality competition, sustainability and innovation, prioritising the “most advantageous” rather than the “most economical” offer. The law aims to eradicate price dumping and requires compliance with social and environmental standards.
This paradigm shift enables a new procurement culture. With a procurement volume of approximately CHF 650 million per year, ETH Zurich already emphasises sustainability, quality and innovation in its procurement processes and, where possible, calculates full costs over the entire lifecycle. The revised procurement law will allow ETH Zurich to intensify its focus on quality, sustainability and innovation, and redefine its procurement culture. The new procurement law deliberately leaves room for discretion. Procurement offices must redefine their procurement culture and refocus their efforts with clear objectives. A willingness to assume both risks and responsibility will be required. Procurement will become more complex in terms of content, and tenders will require more knowledge, resources and time.
Workshops on implementing the new procurement culture for decisionmakers, responsible parties, and procurement staff are currently being held at the strategic and operational levels. Plans are in place to define the new procurement culture in the “Procurement Policy 2.0”, to develop tools and to further develop the capabilities of procurement staff. The ETH Legal Office provides information on the new procurement law, in particular on the factsheet, information notices, templates, and training.
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