Nevi sees a clear opportunity in the 2026–2030 Coalition Agreement “Aan de slag” to position procurement and supply‑chain professionals more strongly as strategic partners in societal and economic transitions. Procurement is not a supporting process, but a driver of sustainable and economic value creation. Public procurement in particular can act as a launching customer, helping to accelerate and scale circular and innovative solutions in practice.
With annual procurement spending exceeding €116 billion, the government holds a powerful steering instrument. By considering not only price but also societal costs and benefits — such as CO₂ emissions, resource use and social impact — sustainable choices are rewarded and a more level playing field emerges. This enables the government to steer purposefully towards CO₂ reduction, circular value chains and social inclusion, in line with an effective and results‑oriented public administration.
The coalition agreement aims to simplify rules and procedures, creating a leaner and more productive public sector that places greater trust in implementers and chain partners. This opens the door to strengthening procurement professionalism, with faster decision‑making, more innovation and strategic tendering approaches such as Best Value Procurement and societal cost allocation. As a result, procurement gains more room to work with chain partners on solutions that prioritise quality, sustainability and strategic collaboration. This increases the influence of procurement teams at both organisational and chain level and strengthens cooperation with market parties.
Early involvement of procurement in major challenges — such as housing, infrastructure and climate — makes it possible to organise chain collaboration, innovation and societal impact in a structural way. Nevi sees an important role here for professionals to accelerate sustainable supply chains. By linking the coalition agreement to existing initiatives from public and private parties, a context emerges in which procurement can not only be organised more efficiently, but also contribute to robust chain cooperation. This creates opportunities for professionals to accelerate innovation in supply chains and strengthen partnerships that deliver societal value.
The coalition agreement emphasises digital procurement and standardised, centralised tendering, guided by security‑by‑design, zero‑trust, sovereignty, open source, chain security and the rapid implementation of NIS2. At the same time, Nevi advocates proportionality when requesting data from the supply chain — both in terms of cybersecurity and sustainability — to ensure feasibility and maintain support.
Nevi calls on policymakers and public‑sector organisations to take concrete steps to structurally involve procurement professionals in policy development, implementation and oversight. Only then can procurement fulfil its role as a transition enabler for a future‑proof economy and society.