Unpacking the framework of unsolicited proposal for public private partnership projects – the Indian case

Purpose The most recent advent of the unsolicited proposal in the public private partnership mode of infrastructure procurement has changed the duties and roles of private and public sector agencies. Also, they have increased the practitioners' difficulties to work out strategic mechanisms and methods to manage these unsolicited proposals (USP) effectively. So, this study aims to understand how well equipped are the Indian USP guidelines for managing procurement. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis with coding procedures was carried to understand the regulations of USP frameworks of India over the four stages of USP procurement. Findings The findings show that there are severe flaws in various states' frameworks. The states have flaws in their policies in implementation features across the stages of USP such as defined objectives, the absence of fees and review timeframes in the submission, time frame and guidance on benchmarking and market testing in evaluation and development, time frame for bidding and access to information in procurement stages. Originality/value The USP implementation framework developed as part of this study can direct the policymakers and practitioners to improve public procurement regulations and the necessary changes for the successful implementation of USPs. In doing this, the private sector is enabled to develop more competitive and innovative proposals.