Green procurement, sustainable school meals, circular economy and innovation: the Compraverde Buygreen Awards 2026 were presented in Rome during the event organised by Fondazione Ecosistemi.
The 20th edition of Italy’s leading forum on sustainable public procurement concluded with the presentation of 25 recognitions, including awards, special mentions, the International Award and the Special +20 Awards dedicated to organisations that have contributed to two decades of Green Public Procurement in Italy.
With 3,000 participants, representatives from 12 countries, more than 250 organisations including public institutions, businesses, universities and international networks, over 120 speakers, more than 20 events, 20 talks on ecological transition and 25 awards presented, the 2026 edition of Forum Compraverde Buygreen came to a close in Rome.
Organised by Fondazione Ecosistemi, the Forum brought together key actors from the public and private sectors to discuss the strategic role of public demand in ecological transition, industrial competitiveness and sustainable development.
The 2026 edition celebrated twenty years of Green Public Procurement in Italy, tracing the evolution of a tool that has grown from a pioneering practice embraced by a few specialists into a central pillar of environmental, industrial and social policies. Discussions throughout the Forum focused on European industrial policy, low-carbon infrastructure, energy efficiency in public buildings, circular economy, sustainable school food systems, social responsibility in supply chains, environmental education and international cooperation.
The event concluded with the presentation of the Compraverde Buygreen Award 2026, Italy’s leading recognition for excellence in Green Public Procurement. Promoted by Fondazione Ecosistemi, the Award recognises public authorities, businesses, procurement bodies, universities and organisations that use sustainable purchasing as a driver of environmental, social and economic innovation.
Established in 2008, the Award highlights organisations that excel in implementing Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM), promoting sustainable school catering and food education, supporting local supply chains, advancing circular waste management, improving energy efficiency, encouraging sustainable mobility and tourism, and developing production and consumption models aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The 2026 edition presented 18 awards and special mentions across the categories of GPP Policy, Green Tender, Green Canteen, Green Building, Social Procurement, Green Culture, and Supplier Rating & Sustainable Purchasing. In addition, the International Award was presented to the City of Ghent, while six Special +20 Awards were created to celebrate the Forum’s twentieth anniversary.
Winners by category
In the GPP Policy category, the Award was presented to the Veneto Region for the value of its initiatives and its pioneering approach to introducing innovative procurement practices in new and strategic sectors. Special mentions were awarded to ARIA S.p.A. and the Liguria Region.
In the Green Tender category, a joint award was presented to Intercent-ER and the Metropolitan City of Milan. Intercent-ER was recognised for an innovative healthcare laundry service procurement model based on circular economy principles and digitalisation, while the Metropolitan City of Milan was awarded for its advanced implementation of environmental criteria in cleaning services and sustainable public procurement. Special mentions went to the Lazio Region, the Molise Region, and Intercent-ER for an innovative pharmaceutical procurement procedure concerning the active ingredient Treprostinil Sodium.
The Green Canteen Award was presented to the City of Settimo Torinese for its comprehensive sustainability vision covering the entire school catering cycle, from food production to communication with families. Special mentions were awarded to the Regional Procurement Agency of Abruzzo and the Polytechnic University of Turin for innovative projects in collective and university catering.
In the Green Building category, a special mention was awarded to San Marco Group for developing a high-performance wall coating compliant with Italian environmental criteria for construction and designed to reduce resource consumption throughout a building’s life cycle.
The Social Procurement Award was presented to Intercent-ER for a security services procurement procedure designed to promote job quality, social inclusion and fair labour practices.
In the Green Culture category, joint awards were presented to Associazione PRO+ for the project Vivi Fortezza and Fondazione Casa Lajolo for Festa degli Orti. A special mention went to ALDES|SPAM! – Associazione Lucchese Danza e Spettacolo for the theatre programme Tempi Moderni.
In the Supplier Rating & Sustainable Purchasing category, the joint award was presented to Pedevilla Società Benefit and CAP Holding for advanced supplier qualification systems based on ESG criteria, circular economy principles and social responsibility throughout the supply chain.
International Award
The International Award 2026 was presented to the City of Ghent (Belgium) for reducing the carbon footprint of its school catering system by 38% over six years, partly through the introduction of vegetarian menus. Ghent was also recognised for integrating strong social, ethical and policy dimensions into the service, transforming school meals into a tool for sustainability and inclusion.
Special +20 Awards
To celebrate the twentieth edition of Forum Compraverde Buygreen, Fondazione Ecosistemi established six Special +20 Awards to recognise organisations that have distinguished themselves over the years through their long-term commitment, capacity for innovation and contribution to the development of Green Public Procurement in Italy. The recipients were: Veneto Region Intercent-ER Metropolitan City of Turin, Municipality of Padua, University of Cagliari, Fano Jazz Network.
Overall, the Compraverde Buygreen Awards 2026 recognised organisations that are helping to advance sustainable procurement practices across Italy, demonstrating how public purchasing can drive ecological transition, industrial innovation and social cohesion.
After twenty years of activity, Forum Compraverde Buygreen remains Italy’s leading platform for Green Public Procurement and one of the country’s most important forums for discussion on sustainability policies, bringing together institutions, businesses, academia and civil society to promote more sustainable, innovative and inclusive development models.
Today, the Compraverde Buygreen Award stands as Italy’s foremost observatory of excellence in Green Public Procurement and of the public administrations and organisations using procurement as a strategic lever for ecological transition, industrial innovation and social progress.
