Explore the Agenda
Get a first look at what’s waiting for you at Forward Summit 2026.
Discover two days of thought-provoking discussions, practical insights, workshops, roundtables, and matchmaking sessions, all designed to spark connections, create opportunities, and move procurement forward across Europe.
Summit Program
Doors, Registrations & Coffee
Start the day with registration, coffee, and conversations. Meet fellow attendees, plan your day, and explore the agenda for Day 1.
08:30 AM - 09:30 AM
Foyer
Welcome to the Forward Summit
EGLCC, ESDP, and telos open Forward Summit 2026 with a shared ambition: to connect the people who can make inclusive sourcing work at scale and turn conversation into meaningful action. Set the ambition for the two days ahead.
Challenges Ready, Set, Go
One challenge per Summit day. Introducing the challenges we need to tackle together during the Summit. Get ready to question assumptions, share perspectives, and set the direction for the conversations ahead.
Amsterdam Principles Introduction: From Ambition to Action
What would it take to create a stronger, more connected European approach to inclusive sourcing? Throughout the Summit, we will explore the challenges and actions needed to move the market forward. The Amsterdam Principles will bring these conversations together into a shared framework, shaped by the people in the room and designed to turn ambition into action.
09:30 AM - 09:50 AM
Auditorium
Setting the European Context: Why Europe is Different
Why does Europe need its own approach to inclusive sourcing? Explore the specifics of European markets, fragmented national approaches, ownership diversity, the social economy, policy and procurement, and the opportunities this creates.
09:50 AM - 10:40 AM
Auditorium
The New EU Public Procurement Framework:
What It Means for Corporations and Small Businesses
How will the new EU public procurement framework shape business opportunities? Explore the changes, challenges, and implications for corporations and small businesses across Europe.
10:40 AM - 11:30 AM
Auditorium
Break the Ice: Network & Connect
Take a break over a cup of coffee, continue the conversation, and meet new contacts.
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Foyer
Inside the Supplier Communities
Hear directly from LGBTIQ, ethnic-minority, and social-economy businesses about their experiences in the market. From accessing opportunities and navigating barriers to building sustainable growth.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Auditorium
Procurement Masterclass: How Buying Actually Happens
How does corporate procurement actually work? Get practical insight into sourcing cycles, categories, frameworks, onboarding, compliance, and, crucially, how suppliers can reach the people making purchasing decisions.
12:30 PM - 01:00 PM
Auditorium
Lunch & Networking
Connect over lunch with procurement leaders, suppliers, partners, and peers.
Themed Buyer Tables:
Designed to help you meet the right people and explore potential opportunities. An easy way to start conversations and discover potential business connections.
01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Foyer
Curated 1:1 Matchmaking with Specific Requests from Corporates
Move from networking to targeted business connections. Prearranged one-on-one meetings connect underrepresented suppliers with buyers for focused conversations around real procurement opportunities.
02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Breakout Rooms
General Roundtables and Structured Networking
Practical insight for suppliers ready to grow. Explore what it takes to win business with multinational companies, alongside focused roundtables and ecosystem conversations for deeper discussion and connection.
02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Breakout 3 + Foyer + Auditorium
Networking Workshop:
Mastering the Art of Networking
Discover practical techniques to network with confidence, build genuine relationships, communicate your value, and create meaningful connections that can lead to new opportunities.
04:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Auditorium
Recap: From Insight to Action & Day 1 Close
Bring the day’s ideas together, identify the themes that matter most, and connect them to the Amsterdam Principles. What have we learned, what needs to change, and what should we take forward together?
05:00 PM - 05:15 PM
Auditorium
Evening Reception
Keep the connections going. Join fellow attendees, speakers, buyers, and suppliers for an evening of curated networking, conversation, and a special performance before drinks and informal connections continue.
Surprise Performance: Something to sparkle up the evening!
From 05:15 PM
Foyer
Workshops
Practical insight for suppliers ready to grow. Explore what it takes to win business with multinational companies, alongside ecosystem conversations for deeper discussion and connection.
01:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Auditorium + Breakout Rooms
Doors, Coffee & Connections
Start the day with coffee, conversations, and new connections. Meet fellow attendees, plan your day, and explore the agenda for Day 2.
09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Foyer
European Perspectives: One Europe, Multiple Markets
In Europe, inclusive sourcing does not look the same everywhere. Explore different regional and thematic perspectives and what they mean for businesses looking to build more inclusive supply chains.
10:00 AM - 10:40 AM
Auditorium
Day 2 Provocation: The 2030 Challenge
What could success look like by 2030?
A senior corporate perspective sets the challenge for the day and asks what needs to change now to create meaningful progress in inclusive sourcing.
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
Auditorium
Break the Ice: Network & Connect
Take a break over a cup of coffee, continue the conversation, and meet new contacts.
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Foyer
The Amsterdam Principles
Now it’s time to turn the conversation into a shared commitment. Review the Amsterdam Principles shaped by the discussions across the Summit and have your say through a live vote. Together, we’ll define a practical framework for moving inclusive sourcing forward across Europe.
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Auditorium
Lunch & Networking
Continue the conversation over lunch with procurement leaders, suppliers, partners, and peers.
Themed Buyer Tables:
Designed to help you meet the right people and explore potential opportunities. An easy way to start conversations and discover potential business connections.
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Foyer
Closing: From Amsterdam to Action
Three voices. Three commitments. One shared direction. Buyers, suppliers, and advocacy leaders make commitments to take inclusive sourcing forward after the Summit.
03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Auditorium
Summit Close
04:00 PM
Auditorium
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Key Activities
Matchmaking Sessions
Prearranged one-on-one meetings connect underrepresented suppliers with relevant buyers for focused conversations around real procurement opportunities.
Workshops
& Roundtables
Practical workshops, focused roundtables, and interactive discussions designed to help you explore new ideas, solve challenges, and build useful connections.
Procurement Masterclass
Get practical insight into sourcing cycles, categories, frameworks, onboarding, compliance, and how suppliers can reach the people making purchasing decisions.
Networking
Opportunities
Dedicated opportunities to meet new people, start conversations, exchange ideas, and build genuine professional connections throughout the Summit.