29 September 2017

Bio-based products used in Netherlands PPI road project

Bio-based products used in Netherlands PPI road project

Image by "T. Stanowicki"

The Province of Zeeland (Netherlands) has undertaken an innovation procurement to commission a public works contract to widen a major road in the Netherlands from one to two lanes, and to build four new viaducts.

Zeeland carried out a process of competitive dialogue to take account of the challenges of purchasing bio-based solutions (such as geotextiles, biodegradable underground tree anchoring systems, etc), which are not widely available on the market. This competitive dialogue approach enabled them and potential suppliers flexibility to discuss ways of describing and meeting the needs.

During the dialogue process, the companies responding to the initial expression of interest were asked to deliver two specific bio-based products, plus one or more products from a pre-identified list, provided by the contracting authority, of market-ready bio-based options for on-site piloting. The two bio-based products proposed by the contractor were then applied to the road's under-layer. The winning contractor also piloted the installation of cabinets for traffic light installations made from bio-based composites.

For more information, read the case-study on the InnProBio website.