The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) will host a Business to Government (B2G) summit aimed at bridging the gap between the State’s vibrant start-up ecosystem and government departments and agencies so as to create an avenue for leveraging the innovative solutions developed by start-up companies.
The ‘Public Procurement Summit 2022’, to be held at Hotel Mascot here on April 26, will set the stage for start-ups to interact with and understand the requirements of government and public-sector undertakings (PSUs). The event will also provide a platform for start-ups to display their products.
The government departments/PSUs can present their requirements before start-ups and procure products and services from them.
The summit will also pave the way for setting up Startup Innovation Zones in the government departments, which will be facilitated by the KSUM. This will initiate the process or product innovation in the departments.
John M. Thomas, CEO, KSUM, said the summit would introduce innovative solutions from start-ups that could be implemented in the government departments. “The event will create a platform for deeper engagement between start-ups and departments. Start-ups can showcase their innovative products and services that are useful for the departments,” he added. Mr. Thomas said the event would provide an opportunity for start-ups to build a rapport with officials and representatives of the State government.
Policy announcements
“Policy-level interventions and schemes will be announced and proposed at the summit. The Kerala government has the ‘Government as a Marketplace’ scheme, which enables start-ups to sell their products to government departments. Through the summit, start-ups can also learn about the best start-up procurement practices in India adopted by various State governments and PSUs,” he added.
For registration of the summit, visit: https://pps.startupmission.in/.
Early adopter
Public procurement from start-ups has been formalised from the Kerala State IT Policy 2017, which mandates the State government to act as an early adopter for promising technology start-ups from Kerala. Start-up products/services up to a ceiling of ₹20 lakh can be directly procured and from ₹20 lakh to ₹1 crore can be procured through a limited tender among the start-ups. The scheme has successfully facilitated completion of 135 procurements worth more than ₹12 crore from start-ups.
Startup India and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) have recognised the scheme as one of the best practices in the country.
