Sands China’s Innovative Initiatives Support SMEs in Business Expansion

A decade of partnership with Macao Chamber of Commerce

Sands China fully supports the SAR government’s policy of assisting local SMEs. Over the years, the company has actively helped them expand business opportunities and enhance their international competitiveness.

To strengthen support for local procurement, Sands China and its long-term partner – the Macao Chamber of Commerce – jointly launched the Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme in 2015. Through financial support, business matching sessions, and professional training, the programme has facilitated increased collaborations between local suppliers and Sands China. Since its launch, the programme has achieved remarkable results: by Q3 2025, Sands China’s cumulative procurement reached MOP 119.4 billion, with local procurement accounting for as high as 83%, marking a fruitful milestone for the programme’s 10th anniversary.

In addition, the two parties co-organised the Sands Procurement Academy with the Macau Productivity and Technology Centre, inviting seasoned professionals from various fields to train local suppliers. The goal is to enhance suppliers’ business skills in working with large international clients, laying a solid foundation for future market expansion.

 Providing free exhibition platforms to advance with SMEs

As Macao’s largest sale event, the Sands Shopping Carnival embodies Sands China’s long-term commitment to Macao. During the pandemic in 2020, Sands China created this free marketing and promotion platform at Cotai Expo to support local SMEs. By showcasing alongside international retail brands, local merchants benefited from strong synergies and achieved significant sales results, helping to boost Macao’s economy. The event has now been held six times to great acclaim, attracting over 640,000 visitors in total.

For six consecutive years, Sands Shopping Carnival has provided a free business platform for local SMEs while holding various activities including the Little Master Chef Workshop.

Its customer base has expanded from neighbouring regions to more cities across the Greater Bay Area, making it a popular annual leisure event for both residents and tourists.

Introducing entrepreneurial solutions to revitalise community

To support the SAR government’s community revitalisation projects, Sands China launched an innovative initiative in 2024 combining district characteristics with SME participation – the Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme for Rua das Estalagens. By offering entrepreneurial funding and other measures, the programme encouraged local entrepreneurs and merchants to establish themselves in Rua das Estalagens, unleashing creative business ideas while stimulating the district’s economy. The initiative received an enthusiastic response, with over 120 applications submitted. Seven outstanding proposals were selected and already settled in the district this year, becoming a new model of integrating tradition with innovation.

Advancing Macao’s tech innovation and international connections

Technological innovation is a core driver of the SAR government’s push for economic diversification. To promote high-tech development and facilitate the transformation of Macao’s research achievements, Sands China established the Sands Resorts Incubation Centre in 2023. Through seminars, training courses, and competitions, the centre identifies promising local startups and supports upward mobility among young entrepreneurs.

Participants from the Macao Technological Innovation Exploration in Lisbon attended the Web Summit and a business networking forum to learn about the latest innovations and exchanged ideas with Portuguese tech enterprise representatives.

Building on this foundation, Sands China in 2024 partnered with the Macao Economic and Technological Development Bureau to organise the Macao Technological Innovation Exploration in Lisbon, creating a forward-looking international platform for local enterprises. The initiative enables participants to learn about cutting-edge innovation trends, broaden their horizons, and build networks. Strongly supported by the industry, the initiative has continued this year, with 42 local enterprises participating across two editions. Many have successfully established collaborations with Portuguese tech companies, achieving two-way interaction of “bringing in” and “going out.”

This year, Sands China also hosted the inaugural Macao Hengqin Technological Innovation Industry-Academia-Research Reverse Business Matching. The event deepened cooperation between Macao and Hengqin enterprises in R&D, academic research transformation, and industry-academia collaboration. Through Q&A and business matching, tech companies and universities provided Sands China with solutions for smart tourism development, showcasing the dynamic synergy of “tourism + technology.”