03/03/2008 - On 26 February 2008, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Dagmar Wöhrl, and Dr. Holger Hildebrandt, chief executive of the Federal Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics eV (BME), in Berlin's Federal Ministry of Economics awarded the jointly-sponsored prize "Innovation creates a lead" to the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse for their concept of the Hessian Announcement Database (HAD). The Centre was honored not only for operating an Internet platform, but also for breaking new ground and launching convincing simplifications. The award ceremony took place at the BME event "Day of the contracting authority".

The Contract Advisory Centre Hesse (ABSt) was assigned by its members (Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Chambers of Crafts) to develop the HAD further than a pure Internet platform in Hesse. The HAD serves as a single contact person for companies, the so-called one-stop-shop. Due to their advisory activities for public entities and business, the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse has got many years of experience: It forms the centre of excellence of the Hessian Chambers for the entire public procurement. Since the introduction of the HAD as a mandatory publishing organ for all Hessian contracting authorities in November 2007, trade, crafts and freelance professionals have to consult only one platform to inform themselves about all procurement processes in Hesse.

Dagmer Wöhrl praised the contribution for reducing bureaucracy and increasing efficiency, which goes along with the comprehensive service of HAD: "We need to modernise the public sector increasingly, to reduce cost and at the same time to provide innovative companies with important reference products. also the practical administrative procurement processes must be improved with the available technical possibilities. Therefore, we can give an impulse today. "

The range of the HAD allows both, the economy as well as the public administration, a quick access to valuable information. The database provides a hotline, personal guidance for all users, comprehensive information services on all relevant legislation (EC, federal and state law), public procurement decisions of the Procurement Chamber Hesse, the possibility to get linked to other databases for notices and additional links. Initial as well as individual legal advice, and lectures and seminars can also be utilsed by the users. In addition to this central database function, the HAD contains a variety of decentralised acquisition modules with which the contracting authorities can process and document the complete procurement procedures. Multiple entries are dropped therefore.

Through a close collaboration with the procurement agencies in Hesse, comprehensive support functions could be established in the HAD. The Contract Advisory Centre Hesse knows through its grassroots advisory activity the practical work of contracting authorities and can quickly respond to individual needs in order to develop solutions that are available to all users by optimising the HAD-system. In this way, for example, the connection between the original and the correction notice and the e-mail search were developed and implemented.

In her presentation, the new managing director of the Contract Advisory Centre Hesse, Brigitta Trutzel, points out a substantial difference and the key factor of success to other procurement platforms: "The introduction of the" Hessian Announcement Database - (HAD) has "greatly contributed to the optimisation and efficiency of procurement processes, because through permanent integration and continuous exchange of information with the chambers and the public administration, the HAD has been developed always user-friendly. With the implementation of the HAD, it succeeded to create a synergy in public procurement between public and private sectors mutually. " Dr. Holger Hildebrandt states: "innovation-oriented procurement management does not only cause a consensual dialogue between users and providers of innovations, but above all, transparency in the institutions in regard of procurement processes and within planned procurements. The common prize of BMWi and BME gives valuable ideas for all involved market partners. "Dagmar Wöhrl emphasizes:" Especially the exchange of experiences between the administrations with each other deserves much more attention. With the Internet,it can be realized for procurement entities quite easily. "

Awarding of the Innovation Prize

Photo: From left to right: Mr. Smith (HMWVL), Dr. Riess CEO HWK Rhein-Main and Vice-Chairman of ABSt Hesse, Brigitta Trutzel, MD Contract Advisory Centre Hesse, Dr. Eugen Paravicini (Head of Department at the time III in HMWVL)