The new call for tenders from the Italian Public Administration Electronic Market (Mercato elettronico della Pubblica Amministrazione: MePA) dedicated to innovative start-ups has been published: the initiative is designed to promote high-tech companies and facilitate the meeting of public demand and innovative supply.
The call introduces a new paradigm: the electronic marketplace platform now offers a showcase dedicated exclusively to innovative start-ups, organized into seven product clusters that reflect the main sectors of national innovation. This model allows start-ups to stand out among the more than 280,000 economic operators already registered on MePA, thanks to a dedicated space, and allows administrations to easily identify economic operators specializing in advanced technological solutions, responding in a targeted manner to their needs.
The platform is managed by Consip, the national purchasing center - wholly owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) - which offers e-procurement solutions for public administration purchases through tenders and digital markets. Through the largest national platform for digital procurement, www.acquistinretepa.it, Consip brings together over 240,000 companies and 14,000 administrations every year to negotiate about 810,000 purchase contracts, worth €28.3 billion (2024 data), providing digital markets and “ready-to-use” contracts across all the country's production chains, including Healthcare, IT, telecoms, energy, and construction.
How to apply
Applications to join the platform through the call can be sent only by companies incorporated as joint-stock companies, including cooperatives, whose shares or quotas representing the share capital are not listed on a regulated market or on a multilateral trading facility, and which meet the requirements of current legislation on innovative start-ups (Article 25, paragraph 2, Decree Law 179/2012 and subsequent amendments, amended by Law 193/2024).
To participate, start-ups must complete the qualification process by choosing from seven product categories that reflect the main sectors of innovation in Italy:
- AgriFood
- Deep Tech/Pure Tech
- GovTech
- Green, Sustainability and Inclusivity
- Industry 4.0
- Health and Biotech
- Tourism, Culture and Media
After accreditation, companies will be able to fill out a structured catalog form, clearly presenting their activities and innovative solutions. The form will be visible to public administrations, which will not be able to make direct purchases from the catalog but will be able to search for and select - exclusively through requests for proposals and direct negotiations - the start-ups best suited to their needs thanks to an advanced search function.
The opportunities for young companies
In summary, the advantages for start-ups are as follows:
- easier access to the public administration market;
- greater visibility and recognition as an innovative start-up;
- the opportunity to present solutions in a targeted and structured manner;
- simplification of administrative procedures compared to ordinary calls for tenders.
The new call for proposals is the result of a process of listening and discussion with public bodies, incubators, and industry associations, with a view to responding in a concrete manner to the innovation needs of the public administration.
The launch of the call for proposals has also been accompanied by promotional and training initiatives to support start-ups and the public administration in the effective use of the tool and to encourage the dissemination of the best innovative solutions.
