An Attractive Environment: The Netherlands Approach to Identifying/Screening PPP Projects

The Netherlands has a rich history of private participation in the development of its public infrastructure, dating back to the country’s beginnings in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, the idea of formalized PPP immigrated to the Dutch political establishment in the 1980s from the United Kingdom’s experimentation with private finance initiatives. As a solution to the country’s budgetary woes, the Dutch government attempted PPP for a couple of tunnel projects at the end of the decade.

Guard lock in the river Meuse in the municipality of Limmel

Guard lock in the river Meuse in the municipality of Limmel.

Tender  for design, build, maintain and finance (DBFM) prepared and executed under the leadership of Rijkswaterstaat. Contract includes the reconstruction of the guard lock and management and maintenance of the new lock, dyke structures, culvert and fixed bridge for a period of 30 years. New tendering method that aims to reduce CO2 emissions was applied and tendering parties were stimulated to offer a lean design and to apply innovative materials and working methods.