11th Cohort of Local SME Suppliers Begin Sands Procurement Academy

Free training programme popular among local enterprises

(Macao, Apr. 28, 2022) – The latest intake of local SME suppliers were inaugurated into the Sands Procurement Academy Wednesday at a ceremony at The Venetian^® Macao's Adelson Advanced Education Centre. It is the 11th group to date to enrol in Sands China's complimentary local SME training programme.

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

"Sands China is very pleased to welcome our 11th cohort of local SMEs, most of whom are not yet our suppliers – a testament to the popularity of this successful programme," said Charlie Cai, vice president of procurement and supply chain for Venetian Macau Limited. "Many of them enrolled via our website, which provides an open door for local SMEs to benefit from the academy's training programme and grow together with Sands China. Our thanks go to the Macao Chamber of Commerce and CPTTM for their continuous support, and we wish the best of luck to our newly inaugurated participants."

Graduates of the academy have consistently given positive feedback about the ways the programme has benefited their businesses. Graduates receive a completion certificate and are given preferential procurement opportunities with Sands China under otherwise equal circumstances.

The academy has delivered over 6,300 training hours since the programme launched in 2017. Including this cohort, over 400 suppliers have enrolled to date, and over 330 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 11th 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.