Short supply chains: Frameworks and extensions to public procurement

Recently, policymakers’ interest in short supply chains (SSCs), i.e., removing the non-value-adding intermediaries in the supply chain, has increased as these are seen as a means of supporting employment and sustainability goals. This article aims to elaborate on the understanding of SSCs, identify what motivates participants to get involved, examine their replicability in different sectors of the economy other than the food sector and how they can be fostered through public procurement. Policymakers’ objectives with public procurement align with those associated with SSCs; therefore, transferability may be possible in the context of public procurement, in addition to sustainability, and access to opportunities for SMEs. Semi-structured exploratory interviews were conducted with SSC stakeholders to examine this and conclude that SSCs can be a valuable means of conducting socially responsible public procurement, with mixed views about their ability to foster gender equality. A case study is also presented with the key message that the application of SSC should consider suppliers’ capabilities in addition to the mandatory application of SSC in the tendering process. Achieving positive results will require a shift in traditional procurement logic towards more flexible forms of co-opetition.