How are AWS & NTT Data Transforming EU Public Procurement?

Public procurement, the process through which governments and public authorities buy goods and services from private companies, plays an essential role in the European economy, representing over 13% of Europe’s GDP.

In spite of its economic weight, public procurement data in Europe has long been fragmented and difficult to access. But now, a new initiative aims to address this issue, opening up procurement data and promoting a more cohesive, data-driven approach to public spending.

The challenge of fragmented procurement data

Public procurement across the European Union (EU) involves a staggering £1.7tn (US$2.2tn) in spending each year, yet the data underpinning these processes is notoriously fragmented.

While the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) portal provides access to some procurement information at the EU level, it covers just 20% of the total procurement data. The other 80% remains scattered across national, regional and local databases, each with its own unique format and standards.

This fragmentation makes it challenging to access and analyse EU-wide procurement activity, limiting the ability to identify trends and patterns that could improve efficiency and drive informed policy.

With so much procurement data scattered, decision-makers struggle to gain a comprehensive view of how public spending is distributed and whether it’s achieving desired outcomes.

The lack of data cohesion impacts everything from assessing the value of specific suppliers to measuring the effectiveness of public procurement policies.

Launching the Public Procurement Data Space (PPDS)

To address these challenges, the European Commission has introduced the Public Procurement Data Space (PPDS), a project designed to consolidate, harmonise and open up access to procurement data across EU member states.

The project, developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in collaboration with AWS Partner NTT DATA, is a digital solution that leverages cloud infrastructure to collect, standardise and store procurement data on a centralised platform.

The PPDS uses Amazon Web Services’ Cloud platform to power its data integration.

By transforming procurement data from different sources into a common language, or "ontology" (the eProcurement Ontology), the PPDS creates a coherent dataset stored within Knowledge Graphs - structures designed for connecting and enhancing data.

This structure allows data to be enriched and linked to other EU data spaces, creating a broader web of valuable information.

The PPDS also incorporates advanced analytics capabilities, offering a suite of dashboards, indicators and tools for in-depth data analysis.

Users can evaluate data quality to ensure that information is both accurate and useful. This robust toolset opens doors to actionable insights for EU policymakers and public authorities, who can now analyse and improve procurement practices based on real data.

Key lessons from NTT DATA

AWS and NTT DATA's collaboration empowers organisations to create secure, scalable data spaces that drive public and private sector innovation. Their combined expertise in infrastructure, interoperability and advanced analytics supports initiatives like PPDS, Gaia-X and EMDS, fostering seamless data integration.

NTT DATA leads in public sector transformation, providing advisory services to projects such as the Once Only Technical System (OOTS) and CyclOps. Through frameworks like EIRA and CAMSS, NTT DATA helps entities like the European Union Agency for Railways to manage and evaluate public policy data.

AWS complements these efforts with a secure infrastructure and tools for advanced analytics and AI. It enables organisations to gain deeper insights from data, as seen in projects like Bosch’s COVANTO and the Smart Freight Centre’s SFC Network.

Expected benefits of the PPDS

The PPDS promises to raise available procurement data from 20% to full coverage across the EU in the coming years, which could lead to several transformative outcomes:

1. Evidence-based policy: EU policymakers will gain access to reliable data for decision-making, allowing for evidence-backed choices that enhance public spending efficiency.

2. Streamlined public procurement: Public procurement officers across the EU will have access to a comprehensive knowledge base, making it easier to find suitable suppliers and improve the overall procurement process.

3. Increased opportunities for businesses: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and other businesses gain visibility on EU-wide contracts, promoting competition and increasing their access to new contracts.

4. Innovative services: Data providers and analysts can use PPDS data to develop new value-added services that enhance procurement intelligence and offer deeper insights into public spending patterns.

5. Transparency for citizens and researchers: The availability of this consolidated data means that journalists, researchers and the public have access to previously hidden insights on how government spending is allocated and utilised.

Beyond the immediate improvements to procurement processes, the PPDS aligns with the European Commission’s ambition of creating a strong data economy and establishing Europe as a leader in data-driven innovation.

By connecting with other EU data spaces, the PPDS can contribute to far-reaching impacts, such as linking procurement data in healthcare with health system performance, paving the way for more informed spending in public health.

The PPDS exemplifies how centralised, cloud-based data solutions can foster greater transparency, collaboration and trust across the public sector.

By unlocking access to comprehensive procurement information, the PPDS has the potential to transform public spending practices in the EU, creating a more accountable and efficient public procurement landscape.

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