Nuevo León promotes open public contracting with PROVEE NL event

The Mexican state of Nuevo León recently held the fifth edition of PROVEE NL, an event dedicated to public procurement. Hosted in Monterrey, the "Synergy"-themed gathering convened a diverse group including companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), government agencies, academic institutions, international organizations, and civil society groups. The event provided a platform for six conferences and panels, an exhibition space with 100 modules, and dedicated sessions for business-to-government matchmaking and supplier advisory services. PROVEE NL aims to foster greater participation in public contracting processes. Since 2022, the state government has been actively reforming its purchasing system. Key initiatives include enhancing information transparency regarding contracts, providing staff training, and integrating digital tools to streamline procurement. Nuevo León has opened over 16,000 procurement processes across more than 190 agencies using the Open Data Standard for Public Procurement. These efforts have garnered international attention, including an honorable mention from the Open Government Partnership in 2025 for its transparency actions. The state also applied the MAPS methodology, developed to assess public procurement systems, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank, becoming the first subnational entity to undergo such an evaluation. Further professionalization efforts include a Master's program in Public Procurement for public servants, offered in collaboration with the University of Castilla-La Mancha. The state is also developing a project to embed digital, regulatory, integrity, sustainability, and transparency components into its procurement system. PROVEE NL 2026 took place just before the 20th Annual Conference of the Inter-American Network of Government Procurement, which is set to gather representatives from over 30 countries in Nuevo León.