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🆕Procurement Practice Lab: Developing Evaluation Criteria for AI Procurements

Apply to join applied learning workshops to customize evaluation criteria for your AI purchasing decisions! 🎯Application Deadline: July 27, 2026🎯

[August 2026] Procurement Practice Lab Series

Is your agency exploring an AI use case and looking to strengthen your procurement documents or evaluation approach before contracting with a vendor?

Governments are exploring AI-powered solutions to improve efficiency, but procurement teams face a critical challenge: how do you responsibly evaluate tools for accountability, data use, and vendor performance expectations? When teams learn and apply the principles of responsible AI procurement, it can lead to stronger solicitations, more meaningful vendor evaluations, better contract outcomes, and more responsible AI adoption.

Apply to join PEN’s interactive two-session workshop series to develop customized evaluation criteria for a real AI procurement use case!

How is the Procurement Practice Lab workshop series structured?

Application Form

Overview

This fast-paced, hands-on lab spans two interactive sessions (3 hours total) and helps governments to workshop real use cases for AI tools, build practical evaluation criteria, and leave with a customized draft to apply to future purchases!

Session 1: FOUNDATIONS

Participants are introduced to foundational principles of Responsible AI usage and explore a real-world procurement case study with the State of California.

Session 2: APPLICATION

Participants will begin apply learnings from Session 1 to draft evaluation criteria and SOW language for their own AI use cases with coaching support.
Event Date
Session 1: Foundations of Responsible AI Purchasing in Public Procurement
Thu, Aug 6 • 2:00-3:30 pm ET
Session 2: Development of AI Use Case Evaluation Criteria
Thu, Aug 20 • 2:00-3:30 pm ET
Event materials
Application Form - Apply Here! Preview Application Questions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Procurement Excellence Network is continually reimagining how we support governments in our virtual community—through interactive experiences and hands-on assistance that turn reform goals into real progress. Procurement Practice Labs is PEN’s newest offering, are applied learning workshops (up to 3 hours total) enabling participants to apply key learnings from PEN events to real-world challenges.

During this August 2026 workshop series participating teams will work towards a common goal: developing evaluation criteria for a real-word AI procurement use case for their government to help teams confidently scope, evaluate, and procure AI solutions.

All Procurement Excellence Network (PEN) members are welcome to apply.  We welcome applications from a diverse spectrum of public organizations in our network. Each government or agency should have an eligible use case for AI procurement.

What is an Eligible Use Case? 

  • A real or anticipated AI use case their agency is considering (even if early-stage)
  • Any existing SOW with AI requirements for further refinement
  • Critical questions before signing an AI vendor contract

PEN is excited to support up to 6 governments or agencies to participate in this exclusive opportunity. Each team is represented by 2-4 staff members from the government to support learning at scale.

Applicants will be notified of their selection status within 1 week after the application period closes. PEN plans to offer more Procurement Practice Lab opportunities consistently in the future. Keep an eye out for future updates on other events and offerings related to AI!

Each team participating in this Procurement Practice Lab represented by 2-4 staff members from the government to support learning at scale. Teams should attend together where possible, as the workshop sessions are designed for real use cases. We encourage teams to include representatives from the following roles:

  • Contract managers and contracting officers working on or anticipating AI-related procurements.
  • Program managers who will own AI solution requirements.
  • IT and data leaders involved in technical evaluation of AI vendors.
  • Legal support teams involved in contract review, development, and negotiations.
  • For further questions, please email PEN@partnersforpublicgood.org!