About The Forum

The PRIMO Forum is a major international platform launched by the World Bank in 2005 to support international knowledge sharing, the exchange of experience and institutional cooperation in the field of public procurement. Having evolved over time with the participation of other multilateral development banks and international organisations, the Forum brings together public procurement authorities, policymakers, practitioners, academia and private sector representatives from the Europe and Central Asia region on a common platform for dialogue.

The increasing impact of digital transformation in public procurement, data-driven decision-making processes, sustainability and emerging technologies is rendering the sharing of experiences and international cooperation between countries more important than ever. In this context, the PRIMO Forum serves as a high-level platform facilitating the assessment of current developments in the modernisation of public procurement systems, the sharing of best practice examples, and the discussion of innovative solutions.

The 18th PRIMO Forum, to be held in Istanbul on 8–9 June 2026, will be organised under the theme ‘Smart Public Procurement in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Innovation, Technology and Sustainability’. The Forum will address the transformative impact of artificial intelligence and digital technologies on the planning, implementation, oversight and governance of public procurement; it will also discuss current approaches aimed at strengthening efficiency, transparency, competition, accountability and performance monitoring capabilities within public procurement systems.

Over the course of the two-day Forum, topics to be covered will include regulatory frameworks for the use of artificial intelligence, the creation of AI-ready procurement ecosystems, data infrastructure and interoperability, data analytics and performance monitoring applications, sustainable procurement approaches, digital transformation strategies, and the use of data and artificial intelligence in complaint investigation and audit processes. Furthermore, experiences and case studies from various countries, particularly Türkiye, will be shared; the aim is to strengthen cooperation between public institutions, multilateral development banks, international organisations, civil society and the private sector.

The Forum, to be hosted by the Public Procurement Authority, is expected to bring together high-level representatives of public procurement authorities from the Europe and Central Asia region, as well as representatives from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and other international organisations.

Focusing on the principles of innovation, sustainability, interoperability and value for money, the 18th PRIMO Forum aims to contribute to the development of more resilient, transparent and future-proof public procurement ecosystems.