Pre-CommerciAl ProCuremenT of Innovative Personal ProtectiVe Equipment for First REsponders (ACTIVE PCP)
A joint pre‑commercial procurement initiative seeks the research, design and initial production of cutting‑edge personal protective equipment (PPE) for first‑responder professionals, including police, firefighters and emergency medical teams who face chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and hazardous materials (CBRN/HAZMAT) threats. The project’s aim is to identify unmet needs through collaboration with public‑safety end users and to guide industry research and development toward practical, deployable solutions that enhance responder safety and operational effectiveness in complex emergencies such as terrorism, industrial accidents and natural disasters.
The procurement follows a staged R&D model comprising three successive phases. In Phase 1, participating contractors develop concept designs and technical specifications, for which they will secure a dedicated contract and provide a foundational blueprint. Phase 2 requires the creation of functional prototypes that meet the agreed criteria, and only those firms that succeed in design will be eligible to produce refined prototypes in Phase 3, which incorporates final validation, testing and limited first‑product output. The contracting framework allows a flexible number of contractors to progress at each stage, ensuring that the most capable proposals are advanced toward field‑ready equipment. The required PPE must provide robust protection against CBRN and HAZMAT hazards, comply with applicable EU and national safety standards, and enable rapid deployment, maintenance and decontamination.
