I.A.4. Strategic Internal Alignment and Leadership Commitment Secured

Estimated Execution Time

2-4 weeks

Objective

Secure formal approval and long-term commitment from internal decision-makers including resources in case of proposal approval, based on clear goals, acknowledged risks, and a realistic understanding of what the process entails. This step goes beyond permission, it aligns strategic priorities, frames both opportunities and uncertainties, and sets honest expectations about what this innovation journey can (and cannot) deliver.

Notice that if the innovation procurement is promoted in a top-down approach (e.g. mandate from management or at the system level), this step should be focused on making sure the absolute and enthusiastic support from the team (clinical and organizational) involved rather than obtaining a GO from management to pursue the opportunity.

Who is Involved

Champion – an internal initiator and facilitator who recognises a need or has a mandate. Champions may come from management, clinical practice, support units like innovation, or even from attached institutions.
Project office department – in charge of the project management (e.g procurement, innovation, etc…) could be internal o external. This could be optional depending of the participating entities procedures.
Specialist support – entity or consultant specialist on procurement. This entity could also act as project management support to the champion or the project office department.
Hospital Management – in the procurer entities is the person in charge of making final decisions about financial and clinical commitments. If there is a region or healthcare system the equivalent position.
Financial / Administrative Department – holds the information about financial capacity or available economical resources.

Activities / Tasks

I.A.4.1. Strategic Alignment

Align this procurement initiative with institutional strategies: digital transformation, innovation mandates, workforce relief, patient care improvement, etc.
Clarify how public innovation procurement (PCP, PPI) supports mission-critical goals.

I.A.4.2. Realistic Project Goal Definition

Define the high-level impact (e.g., “reduce diagnostic time for condition X” or “improve continuity of care for elderly patients”) for the detected unmet need. Here you can use the information collected in the unmet need identification and existing solutions characterization (see I.B.1.1).
Also define what success could realistically look like, including incremental improvements or partial solutions.
Clearly articulate what the initiative is not (e.g., not a guaranteed market-ready product; not a short-term procurement).

I.A.4.3. Risk & Uncertainty Framing

Acknowledge and document initial known uncertainties and assumptions (technological feasibility, market maturity, internal capacity).
Highlight the stepwise design of the PCP/PPI process, which allows learning and adaptation along the way. Here you can rely on the understanding of the PCP/PPI process you got in step I.A.1.
Don’t worry if you still don’t have all the details, as you advance the process you will be having more information on what can be done and cannot (i.e., after consulting the market).
You can also mention the risks of not pursuing this opportunity now (e.g. becoming obsolete, rising costs, etc.) to sustain your narrative.

I.A.4.4. Expectation Management

Be transparent: innovation procurement is an opportunity to create tailored solutions, but outcomes are not guaranteed.
Use scenario-based framing:
- Best-case: innovation solves the problem and scales
- Mid-case: partial success, learnings inform future procurements
- Worst-case: no viable solution, but market learned and capacity built internally
Reinforce the value of the journey, not just the final purchase

I.A.4.5. Secure Formal Commitment

Present to leadership and secure a documented commitment to proceed and support the initiative (time, visibility, resources).

Tips / Common Pitfalls

✅ Identify and share success cases from countries with similar healthcare and legal contexts.

✅ Show that EU support (e.g. Horizon funding) isn’t only about money, it adds legitimacy and lowers risk.

✅ Test the waters before presenting: Have informal conversations with key decision-makers to identify their main concerns (e.g. legal uncertainty, budget risk, lack of successful examples). Use those insights to tailor the narrative and proactively address their fears.

❌ Avoid presenting overpromising results.

❌ Only requesting permission, not commitment. Procuring innovation is a long-term strategic investment needing active sponsorship.

Outcome / Deliverables

Slide deck or document to present the opportunity to management.
A clear GO from management to move forward with the preparation of a strong proposal for the execution of the innovation procurement process and acknowledged its long-term, strategic nature.

Resources

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