Competitive Dialogue: An Instrument Toward Value-based Procurement in Health Care

Competitive dialogue is a value-based procurement method that enables procuring entities to enter into dialogue with shortlisted candidates prior to the final tendering process to explore possible solutions capable of meeting their requirements. Despite the large potential of value-based procurement, there is still limited understanding of how these practices could be implemented in Canadian health care systems to produce innovative solutions for the benefit of patients, the health system, and the economy.

This report describes and analyzes the competitive dialogue process, its application to health care systems, and its compatibility with legal frameworks in Europe, Ontario, and Canada at large. The goal is to assist decision-makers in understanding the potentials and pitfalls of implementing value-based procurement approaches, and to provide case studies that highlight how competitive dialogue advances health care innovation and value-based health care.