In light of the pressing sustainability challenges, new solutions are needed in all aspects ofsociety. Sustainable public procurement (SPP) plays a crucial role in aligning publicorganizations' own actions with political goals and ambitions. In this paper, we focus on thefirst stages of procurement processes in order to realize the potential of SSP to contribute to amore sustainable society. We also acknowledge the potential advantages of the StrategicSustainable Development (SSD) approach, including a common definition for sustainability,promoting a more holistic understanding and these together enabling organizations to actmore strategically. To realize these advantages in practice, we propose an applicable tool for analyzingprocurement needs through an SSD lens. The tool guides procurers to consider sustainabilityaspects and to apply strategic and systemic thinking early on in procurement projects. Weargue that this supports more efficient use of resources, including not only the benefits ofincreased sustainability considerations, but also use of public funds. We further argue thatdespite current challenges of insufficient resources allocation to proper SPP considerations, itis essential to include foundational considerations such as what the need is and what optionsexist to meet the given need in every procurement project.