Heathrow Airport pledges to double SME supply chain investment to £2bn by 2027
Heathrow Airport has pledged to double its annual supply-chain investment to £2bn by 2027, offering a major opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in infrastructure, construction, and related sectors. The announcement was made at Heathrow’s recent 27th Business Summit.
image: Heathrow Airport, Lord Blunkett addressing delegates
The annual summit serves as a key platform for SMEs to connect with existing Heathrow suppliers, share insights and explore new opportunities to join the airport’s expanding supply chain.
Heathrow currently spends over £1bn per year through its supplier network, with SMEs already comprising around 60% of that. The planned increase reflects the airport’s ambition to involve more businesses in its modernisation programme, underpinned by a wider five-year plan to invest £10bn in airport upgrades.
For infrastructure companies, the increased investment signals significant opportunities as Heathrow ramps up projects ranging from terminal improvements to airside works. During the summit, SMEs were offered a platform to meet tier-one contractors and Heathrow procurement leads via “Meet the Buyer” sessions.
Heathrow’s Director of Communities and Sustainability, Becky Coffin, emphasised the company’s reliance on SMEs to help deliver its ambitious upgrade programme: “SMEs will be vital in helping us deliver these upgrades … even before construction begins on a potential third runway.”
Keynote speaker at the event Lord David Blunkett, said, “It’s pivotal that as Heathrow grows, so do the communities around it. That growth is not just measured in passenger numbers or infrastructure but in lives improved, careers built and local economies strengthened.
“Public entities, businesses and local communities each have a vital role to play—and only by working together can we create the kind of economic foundation that lasts. Bringing these groups together through collaborative initiatives like the Heathrow Business Summit, offers SMEs a platform to connect with the Heathrow supply chain, unlocking the potential for real, inclusive growth—growth that benefits everyone.”
To support SMEs in bidding for and delivering Heathrow contracts, the airport has also promoted its SME Academy, a training and development programme offering workshops on essential business areas including carbon reporting, health and safety, cybersecurity, and insurance.
SMEs interested in working with Heathrow can explore current opportunities via the airport’s CompeteFor portal, which provides access to supply-chain contracts and connects smaller firms with Heathrow procurement teams.