Enprotex

In December 2007 the European Commission presented a Lead Market Initiative in order to stimulate the demand for innovative products and services particularly through public procurement which was identified as a major policy instrument for such stimulation. Six potential lead markets were identified one of which was protective textiles.

Subsequently in May 2008, and led by Directorate General Unit Enterprise and Industry, the Commission published a consultation document investigating the role, objectives, scope and activities of future public procurement networks that could be financially supported by the Commission. Based on the reactions of a wide community of industry, research and representative organizations, the outcome of the consultation was translated in their Call for Proposals.

The objective of the activities funded by the call was to support the establishment of public procurers networks in purchasing new and improved solutions, products and services in five specific lead market areas. Protective textiles was one of the selected lead markets. One of the reasons to select protective textiles was the observation that the European textile industry was heavily investing in the development of advanced protective textiles and due to labour regulations it was expected that the use of protective textiles would increase over the next decade.

Firebuy, the Dutch National Disaster Response Agency (LFR) and the Belgium Ministry of the interior (IBZ) joined to form a consortium to cooporate in formulating a bid in the field of the procurement of protective Textiles. In early September 2009 the Commission announced that the partners had been successful in its bid and that the proposed three year project would be fully funded as detailed in the bid proposal. The project title was agreed as ENPROTEX, which stands for: European Network for the Public Procurement of Protective Textiles.

A video message about Enprotex

Deliverables

The Enprotex-project finished in January 2013. Due to the numerous positive feedback from public procurement organizations, textile companies and from research and development, and due to obligations in the Enprotex project, it was decided to set up the Enprotex Association.

This project has a number of major objectives aimed at overcoming the negative effects that presently exist within the public procurement/protective textile world at present;

1. To establish and sustain a specialised European Network of Public Procurement Organisations which will be responsible for encouraging innovation in the field of protective textiles, the specifying  and purchasing of  protective and clothing. This 'platform' will allow significant cooperation amongst public procurers to assist in overcoming barriers and provide a common interface with both the end users of protective textiles and garments and industry as a whole.
   
   
2. To engage with the protective textile industry, the protective equipment manufacturers, including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), using existing Associations where appropriate, and research and development organisations to both encourage and direct innovation in the field of protective textiles through developing mechanisms to provide forward commitment to industry.
   
   
3. To liaise with stakeholders from the end users perspective to identify their needs and requirements leading to a structured dialogue with both research bodies and industry in order to bring innovative products to market.
   
   
4. To work together for exchanging ideas and mutual learning and to develop a number of common deliverables such as technical specifications and procurement strategies and methodologies to encourage best value procurement and improve end user protection and ease of use.
   
   
5. To develop an effective communications network or portal thereby allowing an exchange of information amongst Network members, including training, industry and the end user to bring mutual benefits and to ensure a wide recognition through events such as seminars and workshops.
   
   
6. To contribute to the wider Lead Market Initiative and to assist in meeting some of the main objectives of the Commissions Enterprise and Industry Directorate Work Programme such as increasing innovation, strengthening the competitiveness of EU industry and promoting European growth as well as sustaining the project beyond its initial term.

The Enprotex Association plans to organize the following activities on a regular basis:

• A round table meeting with public procurers. In order to meet public procurers in every part of Europe the Enprotex Association plans to have "regional" meetings, mostly combined with relevant fairs, exhibitions and congresses.
• Participation in fairs and exhibitions to make the Enprotex Association known to a broader public and to disseminate the results of Enprotex and its members.
• A networking conference which might be organized in cooperation with Euratex.
• To publish twice a year a magazine on relevant developments in public procurement and protective textiles, combined with interviews with public procurers on best practices and PPE-producers on innovative products.  
• To publish relevant tenders on the Enprotex Website (this is a continuation of this work in the Enprotex Project). Public procurers will have the opportunity to ask for relevant tender documents and the industry will be informed on current procurement projects.
• At the end of each year an annual report.

The Enprotex Magazine 

As announced the Enprotex Association will publish magazines due to inform all members and people who are interested to share relevant information.

The Enprotex Association has the pleasure to share this magazines. Enjoy reading!

Enprotex Magazine 1st edition  

Enprotex Magazine 2nd edition

Enprotex Magazine 3rd edition

Request magazine

We would also like to announce that we will publish a fourth edition of this magazine at the end of this year.
Please feel free to write an article (maximum 1 page) with a strict minimum of commercial content. You may also add some pictures as they will emphasize your story.

Unfortunately we do not have any budget to pay the photographers for their contribution therefore the pictures need to be free from copyright. We are urgently looking for pictures with a file size of at least 3MB, were protective clothing or the fire services at work (action shots) are exposed.

These articles are not intended as an advertising campaign, but given the fact that it will be published under the name of your company, it can be good publicity and eternal fame. 

If you are willing to help us, please send your article/pictures to enprotex@ifv.nl.

Enprotex conference 2015

On Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 December 2015 the Enprotex Association organized its 5th annual conference in Brussels. It was a successful conference with 70 participants from 14 countries. The Enprotex Association has the pleasure to share the presentations of our conference.

​​Presentations of 9 December 2015
Piet Verhage - Program Enprotex conference
Mauro Scalia - Textile Innovation Trends
Soeren Sass - A healthy working environment
Christine Jakop - EPSU Firefighters Network
Ronald Heus - Knowledge Center Occupational Safety
Tommy Verminck - DECO2
Anton Luiken - Occupational hygiene

​​Presentations of 10 December 2015:
Piet Verhage - Program Enprotex conference
Michiel Poppink - EFRIM
Philippe Quevauviller - Enprotex PhQ
David Matthews -  ISO SC13 Protective Clothing
Henk Vanhoutte - Standardisation: current and future work at CEN
David Matthews - Report to Enprotex
Nikoletta Nemeth - Announcement European PPE tenders
Christophe Veys - Smart@Fire

Become a participant of the Enprotex Association

You are invited to become a participant of the Enprotex Association: Membership registration form

The Enprotex Association is a non-profit organization. The membership includes information about activities and meetings of the association, receiving our magazine and being able to use the network.

Fill out the registration form and send this to enprotex@ifv.nl

Board

The Enprotex Association partners are represented in the board of this Association by mr Tommy Verminck (IBZ) and mrs Nikoletta Nemeth (IFV).

​Contact us!

Behind the Enprotex Association our team is available to answer your questions or comments regarding our core activities. You can contact us either by phone or email. 

Phone +31 (0)79 330 46 67

E-mail enprotex@ifv.nl

PO box
Instituut Fysieke Veiligheid
P.O. Box 7112
2701 AC Zoetermeer
The Netherlands