Public Procurement & Business Research

Public procurement significantly impacts society. Each year, public organizations, such as academic hospitals, municipalities, and ministries, spend billions of euros; not just on basic office supplies, but also on major purchases such as medicines, social support services, public transport, construction, and defence. Procurement practices vary widely within and between countries, ranging from price-focused approaches to strategies that incorporate policy objectives related to health, sustainability, social inclusion, national security, and economic development (e.g., entrepreneurship, innovation, market growth). The content part of this course provides an overview of how to procure, emphasizing its relevance for achieving environmental, social, and economic goals.

Building on this content, students subsequently work on the analysis of a practical case related to public procurement. Business research skills are crucial for individuals with an academic background who are taking their first steps in the professional domain. These skills are often used in decision-making preparation, providing an overview of the market or the state of the art, analyzing data, and writing reports. This course aims to strengthen students’ business research skills. We achieve this through a series of tutorials that cover the core components of applied research, helping students develop and practice the skills necessary to conduct sound research during their business internships and/or professional careers. Facilitating, among other skills, the identification of patterns, themes, and insights in qualitative data.

This course is part of the master Science & Business Management and specifically designed for participants without a background in the subject matter and with a focus on organizations that operate in (life) science sectors. Participant will be in a mixed classroom with master students.

On completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Understand and analyze strategic procurement decisions made by public organizations to support policy objectives related to environmental sustainability, social progress, and market development.
• Apply public procurement theory from a public buyer and a business perspective, to develop and analyze a formal supplier selection model, and write and evaluate a bid.
• Apply qualitative methods for data collection and analysis to real-world public procurement issues, to help understand (key) trends and/or identify opportunities for professional practice and business innovation.
• Critically evaluate data from the perspective of a consultant, in terms of its relevance and impact on professional practice and business innovation.
• Synthesize main research findings into a comprehensive academic blog, with clear conclusions and recommendations for a wider audience.

This course is aimed at professionals working in healthcare science, with a bachelor’s/master’s degree (or even PhD) in the science field and with an interest in the business side of organizations.

4 weeks, 2 contact moments of 2 hours (on Tuesday and Thursday) + 14 hours of work in between per week

This face-to-face course is offered via lectures and tutorials on-campus, which require your physical attendance (mandatory). Only 1 seminar needs to be attended, either choose Seminar 1 or Seminar 2 from the schedule.

Alongside these, participants are expected to dedicate approximately 14 hours per week to self-study, individual assignments and groupwork on projects. Questions on theory and exercises can be posted on the appropriate forum on the university digital learning environment (Brightspace) or asked during the lectures or tutorials. The exam will be on location (i.e. not online).

General questions

For general questions, please contact:

Content questions

For specific questions about the course content, please contact:

To enroll in this course, you need to have:

• Dutch residency
• Master Degree in Life Sciences or Natural Sciences, with graduation date <10 years
• No previous formal education or work experience in the course topic

Selection of (open-access) academic articles and book chapters.

Please note that this course is part of an existing program within the Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.) in collaboration with the Graduate School of Life Sciences. Tuitition fees may alter during the year.