Humanitarian Procurement Centres (HPCs) are non-profit organisations specialised in the procurement of supplies and services necessary for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the provision of related technical assistance, supply purchasing or logistics services.

An HPC may either be an independent entity or a specialised supply or procurement department of a non-governmental organisation or an international organisation, provided that it has the appropriate levels of specialisation and discretion in procurement decisions.

The HPC must comply with the HPC Charter. As such, it maintains high standards of integrity and transparency and is available to supply goods and services to all ECHO Partner Organisations based on equal treatment regarding, for example, price, performance and quality.

The HPC Register is the published list of the currently recognised HPCs by DG ECHO, including their contact details, warehouse locations, countries and regions to which they can supply, and level of compliance with greening policies.

The HPCs supply goods or services in one or more of the following areas of specialisation: Pharmaceutical products & medical supplies; Medical devices & equipment; Prosthetic Technology; Veterinary; Food; Livelihood support; Water & Sanitation; Shelter & Non-Food items; Engineering, Radio and Telecommunications; Transport; Administration and Services.

DG ECHO regularly updates the HPC Register. This implies a thorough assessment to ensure that the HPC's quality assurance systems fulfil the supply of safe products. Nevertheless, it is ultimately the responsibility of both contracting parties - i.e. the humanitarian organisation and the HPC - to guarantee that the delivered supplies or the rendered services are of satisfactory quality and in accordance with the technical description provided in the contract. In cases of serious breach, DG ECHO partners may call upon DG ECHO to exercise its supervisory powers under the HPC Charter.

This is in line with the Provisions on medical and food supplies applicable to actions funded under the EU Humanitarian Partnership Certificate 2021 – 2027

DG ECHO periodically audits HPCs, so Partners may be assured that HPCs are respecting the procurement requirements and obligations outlined in the HPC Charter, including the assessment of the HPC’s fair pricing structures and the fulfilment of the best value principle. It is therefore not advised to contact and compare several HPC offers, which may create unnecessary financial and administrative burden for HPCs, and result in additional delays.

The explanation of the recognition process and relevant templates are available below. Organisations interested in becoming HPCs must fill in the HPC questionnaire and submit it to the functional mailbox: ECHO-HPC-CONTACT@ec.europa.eu .

DG ECHO will assess the applications in accordance with set rules and criteria that reflect the HPC Charter, including appropriate legal personality and registration, non-profit nature, non-discriminatory sales and fair pricing methodology and policy, expertise in procurement and related activities, well-documented and fair procurement procedures, adequate financial and administrative capacity, and environmental sustainability.  Specifically for medical  suppliers, DG ECHO assesses the quality assurance provisions of the HPCs, based on the WHO Model Quality Assurance System (MQAS).

There are two steps in the process:

• (1) a desk-based review of the submitted documentation;
• (2) an on-site audit examination. During this period, DG ECHO may contact the applicant to request additional information or clarification, as necessary.

Please note that the overall assessment of each application may take several months to complete.

If the outcome of the assessment is positive, the applicant will be requested to sign the HPC Charter and provide all relevant details to the HPC Register, for DG ECHO's recognition to become effective.

Once an HPC is recognised, it will be subject to periodic on-site examinations, necessary to establish that the HPCs maintain their commitment with the HPC Charter. Failure to respect these rules and commitments may be sufficient ground for the suspension or termination of ECHO's recognition.

The HPC Charter is the expression of the signatory organisation's commitment to a minimum set of common principles and good practices and the acceptance of a number of obligations vis-à-vis DG ECHO and its Partners, including willingness and ability to provide its services to all ECHO Partners. HCPs play an important role in the global humanitarian aid effort, and as such are expected to conduct themselves with high levels of integrity, transparency and respect of procurement principles, such as best value for money and absence of conflict of interest.

The HPC can request the removal from the HPC Register and the termination of its recognition as HPC at any time. The request must be sent in writing to ECHO-HPC-CONTACT@ec.europa.eu .

Any DG ECHO partner who considers that an HPC is not compliant with the HPC Charter may submit its observations to: ECHO-HPC-CONTACT@ec.europa.eu . DG ECHO will examine the information and determine the appropriate course of action.

For further clarifications, please contact: ECHO-HPC-CONTACT@ec.europa.eu