The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) will hold the country’s largest Business to Government (B2G) summit, with the goal of bridging the gap between the state’s flourishing startup ecosystem and government departments/ organizations to build a channel for leveraging startup innovations.
The ‘Public Procurement Summit 2022,’ which will take place on April 26 at Hotel Mascot in the capital city, will provide an opportunity for start-ups to meet with government and public sector undertakings (PSUs) and learn about their needs. The event will also provide startups a chance to show off their wares.
Government departments and public sector organisations (PSUs) can submit their needs to startups and purchase their products and services.
The summit would also pave the way for KSUM to assist the establishment of Startup Innovation Zones in government agencies. The departments will benefit from process or product innovation as a result of this.
The conference, according to KSUM CEO John M Thomas, will offer new ideas from entrepreneurs that may be applied in government departments.
“This is one of the largest B2G summits happening in the country. The event will create a platform for deeper engagement between startups and departments. Startups can showcase their innovative products and services that are useful for departments,” he added.
According to Mr. Thomas, the event provides an opportunity for startups to network with state officials and representatives.
“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 startups to sell their products to government departments. Through the summit, startups can also learn about the best startup procurement practices in India adopted by various state governments and PSUs,” he added.
Visit https://pps.startupmission.in/ to register for the summit.
The Kerala State IT Policy 2017, which mandates the state government to participate as an early adopter for emerging technology firms from Kerala, has codified public procurement from startups.
Startup products/services up to a limit of Rs 20 lakh can be purchased directly, while products/services between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 1 crore can be purchased through a limited tender among startups.
The scheme has helped the execution of 135 startup procurements totaling more than Rs 12 crore. The plan was acknowledged as one of the best practices in the country by Startup India and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and it was presented to several states.
