The meeting built upon the outcomes of the Second Transnational Meeting in Roeselare (Belgium), providing an opportunity for partners to reflect on the lessons learned and discuss how these insights will support the development of their local transfer processes.
The meeting introduced the first steps towards the ADAPT phase, during which each partner city will begin preparing its Transfer Plan and exploring potential Pilot Actions. Discussions emphasised the importance of preserving the core principles of the SPARK Good Practice while adapting its operational model to local needs and capacities through a gradual and realistic implementation process.
Strong and engaged ULGs will play a crucial role in shaping the next stages of the project and ensuring that the SPARK Good Practice is successfully adapted to each local context. The meeting highlighted the importance of maintaining active communication and collaboration with local stakeholders throughout the summer period.
A key moment of the meeting was the opportunity for partners to meet three of the network's Ad-Hoc Experts, who briefly presented their backgrounds and explained how they will support the cities throughout the transfer process:
- Dr. Franziska Singer
- Matthew Baqueriza-Jackson
- Pietro Elisei
Together with Maria Krimnianioti, the four experts bring complementary expertise in strategic public procurement, spend analysis, governance, stakeholder engagement, sustainability and capacity building, providing tailored support to partner cities as they develop and implement their local transfer pathways.
During the summer months, partners will focus on:
- Finalising and updating their ULG stakeholder groups.
- Keeping local stakeholders actively engaged in the project.
- Exploring ideas for local Pilot Actions.
- Recording challenges, opportunities and lessons learned that will contribute to the development of their Transfer Plans.
- Increasing the visibility of SPARK by sharing the project's website and social media channels with local stakeholders.
Looking ahead, the network will reconvene after the summer to continue developing the Transfer Plans, advance discussions on Pilot Actions, prepare for the Third Transnational Meeting in Pamplona (Spain) and begin work on the governance and implementation frameworks that will support the long-term transfer of the SPARK Good Practice.
The SPARK journey continues, with collaboration, knowledge exchange and local innovation remaining at the heart of the network's mission to unlock the strategic potential of public procurement across European cities.