Dutch Government Center Hosts Major Circular Procurement Networking Event
The Hague, Sunday, 21 December 2025.
PIANOo will bring together procurement professionals on January 29, 2026, at The Hague’s historic Remise venue for an afternoon focused on circular and innovative purchasing strategies. The event features economist Paul Schenderling, author of the bestselling ‘There is life after growth,’ opening discussions on sustainable procurement practices. Attendees can choose from specialized sessions covering innovation-oriented purchasing, environmental impact measurement, and sustainable civil engineering across three interactive rounds, concluding with a networking reception.
Building on Recent Momentum in Circular Procurement
The January 2026 event builds on substantial recent activity in the Dutch circular procurement landscape. Just three weeks earlier, on December 1, 2025, public and private purchasers gathered in Utrecht for a ‘Taking Circular Hurdles’ networking event organized by the Acceleration Network for Circular Procurement [1]. That December gathering focused specifically on overcoming obstacles and scaling up circular procurement practices, demonstrating the growing urgency around sustainable purchasing strategies across both sectors [1]. The momentum continued into mid-December when the European Commission established new rules for procuring net-zero technologies, including batteries, solar panels, and heat pumps, with minimum resilience criteria taking effect from December 30, 2025 [2].
PIANOo’s Role in Advancing Sustainable Public Procurement
PIANOo, headquartered in The Hague, operates as the Dutch public procurement expertise center under the Ministry of Economic Affairs [3][4]. The organization serves a network of over 3,500 procurement professionals, providing information, advice, tools, and practical guidance to everyone in the public sector involved in purchasing and procuring works, supplies, and services [3]. With Dutch government procurement totaling approximately €116 billion annually through government and special sector assignments [5], PIANOo’s influence on sustainable purchasing practices carries substantial economic weight. The organization’s mission centers on professionalizing procurement across all government levels while maintaining focus on both legality and efficiency, ensuring value for taxpayers’ money [3].
Comprehensive Program Structure and Expert Leadership
The January 29, 2026 networking event runs from 11:30 to 17:30 at the Remise venue on Ter Borchstraat 7 in The Hague [1]. The program features three interactive rounds where attendees select specialized sessions matching their interests, covering innovation-oriented purchasing, circularity, environmental impact measurement and reduction, sustainable civil engineering, and digitally sustainable procurement [1]. Paul Schenderling, an economist whose 2022 book ‘There is life after growth’ has been reprinted ten times, will deliver the plenary opening [3]. The event structure allows participants to customize their experience across the three session rounds, concluding with networking opportunities and access to an innovative entrepreneurs’ exhibition throughout the day [1].
Strategic Timing Amid Regulatory and Policy Developments
The event’s timing coincides with significant regulatory developments in European procurement law. A revision of procurement guidelines is expected in 2026, presenting opportunities to further strengthen circularity requirements [4]. From November 2025 to July 2027, the CIRCLASH research project seeks solutions for tensions between circular and procurement principles [4]. Additionally, in March 2025, the Dutch national government, Association of Netherlands Municipalities, Inter Provincial Consultation, and Union of Water Authorities agreed to jointly strengthen circular procurement during the National Conference on Circular Economy [4]. These policy developments underscore the strategic importance of the January gathering for procurement professionals navigating evolving regulatory frameworks while implementing sustainable purchasing strategies.