Helsingborg aims to reduce climate footprint using the Demand Acceleration methodology

Until now, the Demand Acceleration methodology has only been fully tested by Karlstad Municipality. In the procurement that was completed, a new VR service was developed that helps increase care staff’s understanding of people with cognitive impairment.

Now the use of the methodology is broadening both geographically and in terms of content. Helsingborg has been following the development of the Demand Acceleration methodology for some time, and during the spring participated in developing a Train the Trainer programme for the methodology.

Around midsummer, the city published an RFI (Request for Information) to find solutions that can radically reduce the climate impact of the city’s public consumption – purchases that annually amount to SEK 3.4 billion and correspond to approximately 115,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.

– Why should this challenge be taken on by Helsingborg specifically? Well, we have already been named one of Europe’s most innovative cities. What we need now is the concrete work with innovative companies, academia, and other actors. If we are going to get things done, Helsingborg really needs to become a testbed, says Tommy Boije, intrapreneur at the City of Helsingborg.

Demand Acceleration combines public procurement with innovation. In practice, this means procuring an innovation process rather than finished products and services. Therein also lies part of the answer to why Helsingborg chose to tackle the climate challenge with the support of the methodology.

– We won’t solve it on our own – if we think so, we’ve become arrogant. We need to have as many tentacles as possible out there, in as many smart environments as possible across Europe, says Tommy Boije.

An opportunity to explore needs

Anders Westerlund, Operations Developer at the City of Helsingborg, also thinks the Demand Acceleration methodology offers a new entry point to the climate challenge.

– What I find interesting is that the method starts several steps earlier than traditional procurement. The focus is really on the part that is often missed – the requirements specification itself – and it takes the user perspective as its starting point. Regardless of which procurement you are working on, the requirements specification is absolutely decisive. Here, we give ourselves time to explore our needs together with the market, says Anders Westerlund.

A challenge in the procurement is nevertheless the lack of a clear picture of what a final solution might actually look like, says Tommy Boije:

– I like to joke that it will be a set of birdhouses announcing how much we’ve bought each day. Or it could be a management training programme. What do I know. It’s very much about communicating the difference between a project where we know what we’re going to deliver in the end, and driving an innovation initiative. But we’ve been practising that for a while in Helsingborg.

For a potential solution to ultimately be procured, it should contribute to more than halving emissions from public consumption. A budget has been set for the procurement process itself, but there is not yet a budget for a potential solution.

Hoping to attract a breadth of entrepreneurs

Nor is there a clear picture of what type of company might participate.

– I imagine it could suit many startups – but it could just as well be a multinational company. And I hope we also get that breadth of suppliers, says Anders Westerlund.

Demand Acceleration has been developed within DigitalWell Arena, which is also supporting Helsingborg in the ongoing procurement. The collaboration is part of a project to apply the methodology within the green transition, which also includes WWF Sweden and Ignite Sweden.

Here you can find more information about the Helsingborg RFI, where the deadline for responses is 31 August 2023.