[...] The other bottleneck that raised significant debate was public procurement. Participants expressed their concerns about the ineffectiveness of procurement , which remains accessible mainly to those who have specialised skills and department. Too often SMEs which could provide better value for money are put off by the rigidity and bureaucracy of the process. Bidding implies a too high investment in proposal-making. Moreover, the information about procurement plans and opportunities is often unavailable, leading to difficulty in planning especially for SMEs. The process itself is often characterised by weak strategic approach, and does not include more open and flexible approaches such as prototyping, dialogue with providers, and even alternative tools such as prizes.