Creative Circular Cities | The Open Market Consultation (OMC) will happen on 30/06, 13:00-15:00 EET
On June 30th, the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (NDPC) will host an Open Market Consultation (OMC) to kick off a Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) process aimed at developing new circular economy solutions for the Baltic Sea region as part of the project Creative Circular Cities.
Organised on behalf of a group of public buyers, this OMC offers early engagement with companies, creatives, and researchers. It’s part of a wider Prior Information Notice (PIN) that outlines the expected scope, funding, and timeline of the upcoming tender.
The OMC is being organised as per the notice nr. “285317-2025″ published on Tenders Electronic Daily on May 2, 2025.
Find all additional documentation at the bottom of the page.
What is an Open Market Consultation (OMC) — and why should innovators pay attention?
OMC stands for Open Market Consultation. It’s a key part of public innovation procurement processes, like Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP), used to prepare well-informed and competitive tenders. An Open Market Consultation (OMC) is a way for public institutions to talk to companies, researchers, and other stakeholders before launching a formal tender. It helps ensure that the upcoming challenge or project is realistic, relevant, and attractive to potential suppliers. Everyone can give input, but participating in the OMC is not required to later apply. The process must be open, fair, and transparent.
What is the goal?
To address two real-world challenges — selected from six cities’ proposals — that drive practical shifts toward circularity.
In this Open Market Consultation, the following six proposals will be discussed, coming from various cities in the Baltic Sea region that are part of the CCC piloting actions:
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- Turku: How might we create an accessible, unified platform or system that connects service providers contributing to the circular economy, making it easier for customers to discover and use their services?
- Tallinn: How can we develop an accessible and affordable tool or methodology that enables SMEs to evaluate and improve the circularity of their products or services, even if they lack in-house expertise or external support?
- Riga: How might we implement an interoperable, city-wide system or solution to eliminate single-use materials (such as cups, plates, and cutlery) at public events?
- Kiel: How might we create a system or solution for collecting, refurbishing, redistributing, and reusing second-hand components and items from buildings, fairs, and festivals?
- Gdynia: How might we develop an accessible, affordable, and sustainable solution — supported by cultural and creative sectors — to increase the reuse of bulky household waste?
- Aarhus: How might we develop a sustainable, circular, and culturally relevant solution to activate an underused dome structure at the harbour during the winter months?
The PCP will be divided into two lots, each aligned with one sub-challenge. The OMC is a chance to refine those two challenges and influence the tender before procurement begins. Participants are encouraged to propose creative, ambitious, and technically grounded suggestions, even beyond the listed topics
Find key details and the link to the session here
Update: The Open Market Consultation has successfully taken place. You can access the recordings of the session here below.
Find written questions on the Tallinn challenge here: PDF
For any questions related to the Open Market Consultation, please contact the organiser:
Kristīne Lipiņa
Project manager, Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture
