Case Study: Research Policy Interface Thematic Group

Ireland’s Green Public Procurement Strategy

Identification of Effective State-of-the-Art Green Public Procurement Policy and Practice for the Irish Public Sector (GAPS)

Academics and Institutional Affiliation:

Prof. Jamie Goggins and Danuka Anagipura

University of Galway), with the Ryan Institute and the School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies.

Evidence of policy outcome referencing the role of the research:

No, the Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024–2027 does not explicitly name the GAPS project, its priorities such as the development of GPP tools, integration of sustainability criteria, and focus on capacity building - mirror GAPS' recommendations and outputs. The close alignment indicates that the research directly informed the plan’s development.

Research undertaken that informed or underpinned the policy outcome:

The GAPS project developed a Green Public Procurement Toolkit, conducted pilot studies, and compiled case studies, including those at the University of Galway. 

Read about the GAPS research project here.

Key learnings for you from this research-policy bridging process

The importance of co-creation with public authorities, the need for clear procurement guidelines, and ongoing stakeholder engagement to embed sustainability into procurement processes.  Also, the importance of engaging stakeholders early and real-world pilots are crucial to understanding procurement barriers.

SDGs impacted

SDG 3, SDG 11, SDG 12 & SDG 13