Open Market Consultation (OMC) is a strategic pre-procurement tool that enables public buyers to engage with the market before launching a formal tender procedure. Rather than a mere information-gathering exercise, OMC plays a decisive role in bridging the structural information asymmetry between public institutions and a rapidly evolving market, shifting procurement from a prescriptive "what to buy" logic to a functional, outcome-oriented "what problem to solve" approach. By facilitating early dialogue with a diverse range of economic operators — including start-ups, SMEs, research centres, and innovation ecosystems — buyers can validate technical feasibility, map the supplier landscape, identify barriers to participation, and design more realistic and competitive tenders. Ultimately, OMC establishes the operational and strategic foundations for innovation procurement, aligning public needs with market capabilities and increasing the likelihood of achieving genuinely innovation-oriented outcomes for both buyers and suppliers.