New strategy and relationship manager now in place to develop collaborative connections with small and medium enterprises

LONDON (June 21, 2022) — AECOM, the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, today announced it has a new SME initiative and SME Relationship Manager in place to build on the innovative and collaborative relationships it has with SMEs.

The new SME initiative is underpinned by a strategy focused on those firms with fewer than 250 employees, which make up around 80% of AECOM’s suppliers. Recognising the value of working with such a diverse group of businesses will bring, AECOM set up a working group to devise the SME strategy, with the vision of identifying key SMEs to build strong, long-lasting relationships that provide mutually beneficial, sustainable and profitable growth for all parties. This will help drive innovation, deliver projects and support its social value work. Joint activities could include sharing a pipeline of work, bidding, project delivery, marketing, training and mentoring. Investment in SMEs will be considered in some cases.

Clara Matty has taken up the role of SME Relationships Manager. Ms Matty will help implement, develop and evolve the AECOM SME strategy. Internal and external activities have been taking place to support this work. For example, AECOM has launched an SME hub, an environment to share ideas, create new ways of working and encourage collaboration – allowing access to key documents, resources, and contacts.

“As well as supporting project delivery, SMEs have a crucial role in helping us meet the environmental, social and governance goals (ESG) set out in our Sustainable Legacies strategy,” said Ms Matty. “By building relationships with SMEs we can create a diverse and inclusive supply chain and address key ESG topics and challenges that both AECOM and SMEs face, such as our journey to Net Zero, training and upskilling, and boosting local employment.”

Scott Motley, AECOM Director and Initiative Sponsor, said: “Working with SMEs is such a great opportunity to leverage the often-niche expertise they bring to projects, whilst enabling them to benefit from the support and perspective of working with a global, multi-disciplinary firm. By putting a strategy behind these relationships, we’re ensuring that purpose, goals and potential benefits for both the firms and clients are aligned and achievable.”

In FY 2021 AECOM worked with more than 500 SMEs on more than 1,000 projects in the UK and Ireland. One of these SMEs is Danebury, which specialises in implementing soft facilities management (FM) services for clients.

Danebury owner Mike Johnson said that through its partnership with AECOM, he had been able to access new clients through AECOM’s framework agreements which as a stand-alone firm, Danebury is too small to access. Likewise, he has been able to bring AECOM onto projects Danebury is leading and the two firms offer separate, but complementary services.

Mr Johnson said: “AECOM supported us through the process of becoming one of its approved suppliers, helping us to put into place policies and processes in areas such as ESG so that we met the criteria. We’re proud to be an AECOM supplier and I’ve found we share the same commitment to working collaboratively with clients to overcome challenges and implement solutions.”

Ms Matty joined AECOM after working as Partnerships Officer at the CORE Education Trust and prior to that, Corporate Partnerships Officer at the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

ENDS