An 'unsolicited proposal' is a proposal made by a private party to undertake a PPP project, submitted at the initiative of the private firm, rather than in response to a request from the government. Accepting-and encouraging-unsolicited proposals allow governments to benefit from the knowledge and ideas of the private sector. However, unsolicited proposals also create challenges that mean they risk providing poor value for money, particularly if the government chooses to negotiate a PPP directly with the project proponent.
Section 3.6.1 further describes these Benefits and Pitfalls of Unsolicited Proposals. The remainder of this section then describes how some countries have introduced specific policies for dealing with unsolicited proposals for PPPs. These policies are typically designed to provide incentives to private proponents (to varying degrees) to submit high-quality PPP proposals; to deter poor quality proposals; to introduce competitive tension; and to promote transparency.
Section 3.6.2: Creating Competitive Tension describes how competition can be introduced, while rewarding the original proponent with some form of advantage or compensation. Section 3.6.3 provides guidance and resources on Dealing with Intellectual Property in unsolicited proposals. Section 3.6.4: Defining Clear Processes describes and provides examples of processes for receiving, appraising, and implementing unsolicited proposals for PPP projects.