Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) seeks to ensure that products and services procured by governments are as sustainable as possible, both to generate the least environmental impact, as well as to produce the best social impact. By redesigning policies and procedures, governments can create multiplier benefits internally and throughout society that increase efficiencies, generate energy and financial savings, improve access to public services and create better working conditions. SPP serves as a key policy enabler that allows governments to reform markets through their purchasing power and regulatory leverage.

This Handbook for the implementation of SSP in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is a tool developed in collaboration with the Organization of the American States as Technical Secretary of the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement (INGP). The INGP brings together the highest technical authorities in government procurement from 34 countries in the Americas. Over the past few years, the INGP has worked to raise awareness, build capacity and generate knowledge on the relevance of SPP for public policy makers. Ultimately, this handbook is an effort to make public procurement a catalyst for inclusive green growth.

This handbook will guide government procurement agents also in designing procurement policies and preferential procurement programs that include SMEs, minority groups and women-owned enterprises, among others. It integrates environmental and social criteria throughout the public procurement cycle, from supplier qualification to technical specifications, award criteria and contract conditions.