Procuring healthcare public-private partnerships (PPPs) through unsolicited proposals during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has left nations around the world scrambling to procure emergency healthcare capacity, services and equipment. To meet this unprecedented demand on global healthcare systems, governments are increasingly looking to partner with the private sector via public-private partnerships (PPPs). However, the protracted procedures of traditional PPP procurements are not suitable for times of crisis. This is where unsolicited proposals (USPs) may play a pivotal role. Design/methodology/approach To explore the relevance of USPs for the current pandemic, this Viewpoint paper describes both the advantages and challenges of USPs, discusses the emergence of several PPPs to combat COVID-19 as well as some of the ad hoc processes governing current USP consideration, highlights an example of streamlined USP solicitation from Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation and articulates a pragmatic and practical approach for encouraging and procuring healthcare USPs. Findings This Viewpoint paper concludes that USPs could play a crucial role in the COVID-19 pandemic as boundary spanners between public agencies and the private sector in the PPP procurement process. Social implications Deploying proactive and strategic healthcare PPPs at speed and scale through digital USP platforms may help mitigate the pandemic’s long-term effects. Digital USP platforms may also serve as crucial tools for effective crisis communication, decision-making and partnership. Originality/value Using the digital USP platforms proposed in this paper, infrastructure organizations can develop and maintain effective partnerships with other sector organizations prior to and during crises like COVID-19.