Sands China Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of its Local, Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme

Representing the commitment Sands’ regions make to local business and supplier advancement, Sands China celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its Local, Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme earlier this year with a special ceremony at The Londoner Macao, followed by the 2025 Sands China Local Supplier Open Day.

The open day connected 250 small and medium enterprises with Sands China procurement representatives and featured procurement booths covering several categories of business properties at the company’s Macao resorts. In addition, a Sands Procurement Academy booth offered information and registration for the free SME training program.

“We were honored to celebrate the 10-year milestone of our Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme with the SME Open Day, demonstrating our philosophy of supporting the development of local SME suppliers and fostering their prosperity by providing a high-level, effective platform for them to grow,” Grant Chum, Sands China chief executive

officer and executive director, said. “Over the past 10 years, we have proactively launched various initiatives to support local SMEs and consistently adjusted our strategies in response to the latest market changes and demands, putting innovative ideas into practice to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.”

Sands China’s Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme is the first of its kind in Macao – a pioneering initiative that helped spearhead industry efforts toward supporting local SMEs and a buy-local mindset. Sands China created the program with the Macao Chamber of Commerce in 2015 to increase procurement opportunities for local SMEs, targeting three types of local businesses: small and micro suppliers, Made-in-Macao companies and Macao young entrepreneurs.

The Local, Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme encompasses an array of SME initiatives that span training, growth opportunities and business development, including Sands China’s F.I.T. (financial support, invitational matching, and training and development) program. Launched in 2017, F.I.T. aims to increase procurement opportunities between Sands China and local SMEs. In 2023, Sands China established the Sands Resorts Incubation Centre, which is dedicated to discovering and supporting local innovative enterprises with development potential, under the umbrella of the F.I.T. program.

The Sands Procurement Academy is F.I.T.’s training arm, a free SME training program the company runs in conjunction with the Macao Chamber of Commerce and the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre. Last year, the academy welcomed its 15th and 16th cohorts, increasing graduates to more than 550 SMEs. Academy graduates receive preference for Sands China procurement opportunities when their capabilities are equal to other vendors.

The company also is supporting the 2025 Macau Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in August. The competition empowers young people to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams, while injecting innovative elements into local industries to promote economic diversification in Macao.

Launched in August 2017 as a relief effort in the aftermath of Typhoon Hato, the Sands China Young Entrepreneur Advance Payment Programme is an example of the financial support available through the F.I.T. program. The initiative targeted Macao entrepreneurs with a staff of 15 or less and provided 30% advance payments on purchase orders to aid small businesses with financial overhead.

The third arm of F.I.T., invitational matching opportunities, is facilitated through local business showcases, roadshows and trade shows for SMEs to demonstrate their products and services.

Sands China also has integrated supplier advancement with its Community Revitalization Programme. This initiative is designed to enrich the content and function of Macao’s historic districts while maintaining their valued cultural context and features within the community. One of the revitalization program’s initiatives is the Entrepreneurship Recruitment Program for Rua das Estalagens, which is funding and nurturing Macao entrepreneurs with innovative entrepreneurial proposals to start businesses on the historic street.

Sands China’s extensive supplier and SME advancement programs demonstrate Sands’ recognition of the vital role local businesses play in its regions and its commitment to helping empower their success. To learn more about Sands’ supplier and local business initiatives, read the company’s latest ESG report: https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/