Programme

Day 1

Legal foundations & digital procurement in practice

Where legal, technical, and policy requirements are translated into practice.

Session 1

The EU public procurement framework — getting the foundations right
Overview of the current legal framework: Directive 2014/24/EU and Directive 2014/25/EU
Core principles:
   - Transparency, equal treatment, proportionality
Key procedures and when to use them
The building blocks of procurement:
   - Technical specifications
   - Selection and exclusion criteria
   - Award criteria (MEAT)
   - Contract performance clauses

Session 2

Procuring IT, Cloud & Digital Systems
Specific challenges in digital procurement:
   - Vendor lock-in and interoperability
   - Data access, control, and portability
Cloud procurement:
   - Data location and jurisdiction issues
   - Multi-cloud and hybrid strategies
Drafting effective technical and contractual requirements

Session 3

Integrating GDPR into Procurement
Embedding data protection principles into procurement (such as Data minimisation and purpose limitation)
Allocating controller/processor roles
 

Practical tools:
Data Processing Agreements (DPAs)
Identifying when DPIAs are required

Session 4

Cybersecurity & Supply Chain Risk Management: applying NIS2 Directive
Integrating cybersecurity into procurement:
   - Minimum security requirements
   - Supplier due diligence and risk assessment
Managing third-party and supply chain vulnerabilities

Day 2

Strategic procurement, digital governance & future trends

Session 5

The 2026 Procurement overhaul: practical implications for contracting authorities and suppliers
What is expected to change:
Increased compliance requirements
Greater focus on technology and risk

Session 6

Procurement as a tool for Digital Governance:
Procurement as “regulation by contract”
Embedding policy objectives into procurement: Transparency, Trustworthiness and Explainability
Supporting public sector digitalisation: balancing gatekeeping and experimentation

Session 7

AI, Data Governance & Human Rights
Risks in procuring algorithmic systems: bias, discrimination, opacity
Embedding safeguards into procurement such as data governance requirements, Impact assessments, auditability and explainability
Aligning procurement with European approaches to ethical and trustworthy AI

Session 8

Data Sovereignty, Dual-Use technologies & strategic Risk
Understanding data sovereignty in procurement such as risks linked to foreign-controlled providers and Dual-use technologies
Ensuring resilience and control over critical digital infrastructure

Final Session

Interactive Workshop
Participants will work on a practical scenario involving the procurement of a cloud-based or AI-driven system, and will:
Identify legal, data protection, and cybersecurity risks
Draft key procurement and contractual safeguards
Apply best practices from the programme