Enhancing Public Procurement through Collaboration in Slovenia

The highly fragmented procurement landscape in Slovenia and the marginal role of joint procurement indicate that procurement practices are not yet mature enough to support more complex collaborative approaches, such as joint or co-ordinated procurement, as many local contracting authorities may lack the necessary capacity. In the short term, expanding centralised purchasing and establishing communities of practice present more feasible opportunities to strengthen efficiency and build capacities, while also laying the groundwork for more advanced collaborative approaches in the future.

• The Ministry of Public Administration (MPA) is currently the sole central purchasing body (CPB) in Slovenia. While its framework agreements are mandatory for central government entities, their use by subnational contracting entities remains limited. The MPA should consider extending the scope of its centralised procurement services to address the needs of subnational contracting authorities. This could be informed by data analysis of regional spending pattens and direct dialogue with municipalities and other local entities.

• Specific categories, such as food and beverages, which are of particularly relevant for schools, hospitals, and social care institutions, could be prioritised for expanded centralised purchasing. The foodstuff catalogue developed by the Chamber of Commerce could serve as a supporting tool in this context.

• To better inform category selection and engagement strategies, Slovenia could enhance its national e-procurement system by distinguishing between central and subnational contracting authorities in procurement data collection.

• Collaborative approaches — such as joint or co-ordinated procurement — require contracting authorities to communicate needs and share procurement strategies. Currently, Slovenia lacks a structured mechanism to facilitate this type of exchange. The Government could support the creation of communities of practice to enable contracting authorities to exchange knowledge, identify joint needs, exchange templates and guidance, and build trust across institutions. These communities could also contribute to long-term capacity building.

• To ensure optimal participation, communities of practice should be organised around shared interests — such as geographic proximity, common procurement categories, or thematic areas such as green public procurement. A pilot initiative targeting municipalities with similar procurement profiles could serve as a practical first step to test and demonstrate the value of such collaboration before scaling up to other levels of governments or sectors.