ABSTRACT
Sustainability is aimed at addressing environmental and socio-economic issues of this generation and future ones. Sustainability requires the engagement of stakeholders, as highlighted by Agenda 21 where stakeholder engagement and participation in economic, environmental and social change as one of its most important themes. The purchasing power of public-sector organizations can increase considerable the demand for sustainable products and services can be promoted, set a trend for other organizations and enlarge the market for sustainable products or services. Collaboration is a sine qua non of sustainable public procurement, since it harvests its benefits from differences in perspectives, knowledge and approaches, solving problems while at the same time offering benefits to all those involved in the process. Most sustainable public procurement discussion have focused on the interactions between procurer and suppliers. The triple helix helps to explain to the relations between university-industry-government. It also represents social innovation. The quadruple helix model is an extension of the triple helix, where the fourth helix of civil society is added. The quintuple helix model is based on the earlier helix models but are also take natural environments of society into account. This includes stakeholders such as local communities, employees, shareholders, business partners, suppliers, customers, public authorities and NGOs. The aim of this chapter is to contribute to SPP by proposing to move from engaging only supplier and procurer to a collaborative approach of the quadruple helix. The chapter is empirically based on a function procurement project (of lightening) in Bollnäs, Sweden, focusing foremost on economic sustainability and aiming to develop a quadruple helix model of public procurement. The Bollnäs municipality had a need for changing old roof and lightning and makes the schools and preschools local more flexible for different activities and individual needs. The procurement was done in a collaborative quintuple helix process and focusing on innovation within a holistic approach. The procurement was designed to achieve an effect on flexibility/modularity, sustainability in environment aspect and increased knowledge. The smallest company/supplier was able to win the contact because the process focused on new solutions/innovation. To work in collaborative quintuple helix process give a higher effect and outcome than just the contract. The stakeholders who participate in the process increased their knowledge and changed their mind set to a more holistic point of view, sustainable thinking.
