Welcome to the Heathrow Supply Chain Opportunities Portal
As the UK’s only international hub airport, Heathrow is a crucial connection between the UK the rest of the World.
The smooth operation of our airport is dependent on the sourcing of a wide range of works, goods and services, from Cyber and Technology, Infrastructure and Operational procurement. To give an indication of the scale, the airport spend was over £1.6bn in 2023 with more than 1,200 suppliers from around the UK.
We want to use our influence to encourage others to adopt ethical, low carbon and sustainable practices as outlined in our Connecting People and Planet Sustainability Strategy.
Heathrow has a key role to play in creating a thriving local economy for our SME community and meeting our previous Local Recovery Plan recommendations released in April 2022. To achieve this we have focused on the following areas:
Procurement for Value: ensure Heathrow is procuring for value by implementing a Balanced Scorecard to identify and illustrate what is valued from the airport’s supply chain, including the use of SMEs and local businesses.
Heathrow’s balanced scorecard is below. These strategic aims feature in all our procurements. All businesses seeking to work and operate at the airport should consider and promote their ability to deliver these aims.
Procurement opportunities: add greater visibility of direct and subcontract procurement opportunities for SMEs in the local area.
We started using CompeteFor at the end of 2022 and will continue to register visible opportunities from Heathrow and our supply chain for local SMEs.
Innovation and start-ups: encourage the establishment of innovation hubs for start-ups and businesses in the local area, encouraging engagement on aviation challenges.
We will continue to support the Local Enterprise Partners (LEP’s) and Chambers of Commerce regarding innovation hubs and businesses in the local area. Our Lift Off events have been running on a quarterly basis since March 2023, providing an opportunity for innovative SMEs including micro-SMEs to meet a panel made up of Heathrow and supply chain partners best placed to progress and work with them. We have interacted with a number of interesting SMEs so far with meaningful engagement and trial opportunities.
Heathrow Local Growth Taskforce (HLGT): chaired by Lord Blunkett, was launched in 2025 to ensure Heathrow’s growth delivers tangible benefits for local communities. It brings together Heathrow, local authorities, local chambers of commerce and business groups, education providers, and other local stakeholders to drive inclusive and sustainable economic development, focusing on job creation, supply chain opportunities, surface access, and sustainable growth. The taskforce builds on previous recovery and economic growth forum and now serves as a reporting and governance mechanism to support and hold Heathrow accountable for local growth outcomes.
A key pillar of the HLGT is the Supply Chain Task and Finish Group. The team has played a key role in providing guidance and steer throughout the development of our SME Engagement approach. By bringing together key partners and encouraging collaboration, we’ve helped shape our engagement initiatives and ensure that local voices are reflected in Heathrow’s supply chain strategies. The group’s input has supported the development of programmes like the SME Academy, translating strategic ambitions into collaborative, grounded, practical steps.