Sands Procurement Academy Welcomes 10th Cohort of Local SME Suppliers

Free training programme popular among local enterprises

(Macao, Nov. 4, 2021) – Sands China Ltd. welcomed its latest cohort of local SME suppliers into the Sands Procurement Academy Wednesday, at an inauguration ceremony at The Venetian^® Macao's Adelson Advanced Education Centre. The intake is the 10th group to enrol in Sands China's complimentary local SME training programme to date.

The Sands Procurement Academy is co-organised with the Macao Chamber of Commerce and the Macau Productivity and Technology Centre (CPTTM) and is a first-of-its-kind industry training, focused on delivering practical knowledge to local SMEs. The business knowledge and skills it shares with local SME suppliers helps promote the development of their businesses, specifically targeting four types of local suppliers: small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), micro-enterprises, Macao young entrepreneurs, and "Made-in-Macao" enterprises.

"It's wonderful to see the Sands Procurement Academy reach this milestone of welcoming its 10th cohort of suppliers," said Charlie Cai, vice president of procurement and supply chain for Venetian Macau Limited. "This group of 55 participants includes our existing suppliers, local SMEs, members of the Macau Youth Entrepreneur Association, and exhibitors from this year's Sands Shopping Carnival.  We believe this diverse mix demonstrates that our door will always be open to local SME suppliers in Macao to receive practical training to enhance their capability to work with large enterprises. Our gratitude goes to all the lecturers for their dedication and contribution, and to the Macao Chamber of Commerce and CPTTM for their long-term collaboration on this useful and popular training programme."

The academy's graduates consistently share feedback about the positive impact that their participation has had on their businesses. Graduates receive a completion certificate and are given preferential procurement opportunities with Sands China under otherwise equal circumstances.

Since the programme launched in 2017, more than 5,530 training hours have been delivered. Nearly 370 suppliers have enrolled to date, including this cohort, and over 280 have already graduated.

The Sands Procurement Academy supports the third pillar of the company's F.I.T. programme, which offers Financial Support, Invitational Matching, and Training and Development. F.I.T. targets both existing and new local Sands China suppliers as part of Sands China's Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme. It seeks to continually increase and strengthen procurement between Sands China and local SME suppliers by enhancing their capabilities.

The academy's participating local SME suppliers learn through tailor-made practical training modules, presented by lecturers with diverse areas of expertise. The programme's modules comprise six topics: logistics management, quality assurance, procurement contract basics, procurement process and system overview, supplier code of conduct, and Macao labour law fundamentals.

In 2015, Sands China took the initiative to co-launch the Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme with the Macao Chamber of Commerce, aligning with the Macao government's initiative to "buy local" and demonstrating Sands China's commitment to supporting local enterprises as part of the company's corporate social responsibility efforts. It is part of Sands China's supplier relationship management strategy, which guides the company's long-standing effort to support local suppliers, whom it views as its strategic partners.

Photo caption: Sands China's holds an inauguration ceremony Wednesday at The Venetian Macao's Adelson Advanced Education Centre for the 10th group of local SME suppliers joining the Sands Procurement Academy. The ongoing training initiative has helped local SME suppliers gain experience and capacity for working with large-scale enterprises like Sands China Ltd. since launching in 2017.