Connecting Heathrow and valued partners
Procurement at Heathrow has grown over the past decade. It’s no longer just about cost, time and quality. Today, it plays a strategic role in shaping the airport’s future. Procurement is about more than transactions. It’s about building partnerships that deliver long-term value.
The Supplier Value Definition sets clear expectations for suppliers and aligns them with Heathrow’s purpose and vision. It’s a framework that goes beyond traditional measures to include;
Digital future
Suppliers support Heathrow’s digital transformation by:
Winning team
Suppliers help create a safe, collaborative culture by:
Value for customers
Suppliers deliver exceptional service by:
People and planet
Suppliers align with Heathrow’s sustainability goals by:
Focused to go faster
Suppliers enable efficiency and pace by:
Creating capacity
Suppliers help Heathrow grow safely and sustainably by:
Heathrow’s success depends on suppliers who share our values and deliver excellence. We know no one can be extraordinary in every area. What matters is being exceptional at what you do and committed to improving.
By defining what “extraordinary” looks like, we give the market transparency and our business confidence. The Supplier Value Definition makes sure every decision supports Heathrow’s ambition to be an Extraordinary Airport, Fit for the Future. It’s about creating partnerships that deliver long-term value.
At Heathrow, Procurement is more than a function; it is a trusted partner to the business. Our role is to spot value where it might otherwise be missed and connect it to the right opportunities. We support the full commercial journey across stages such as QVC, PQQ and RFP, helping the business identify not only the most competitive offers but also the most capable and aligned partners. Our focus is on shaping what an extraordinary supplier looks like: one that delivers excellence, shares our values and supports Heathrow’s long-term goals.
Value comes in many forms, and we assess it across multiple dimensions. Alongside commercial and technical considerations, we also evaluate how suppliers behave, including how they collaborate, lead and respond to challenges. These behavioural assessments, applied where relevant, provide a fuller picture of a supplier’s fit with Heathrow.
By combining insights from every stage of the process, Procurement plays a key role in ensuring the right suppliers are chosen and supported to deliver long-term, meaningful impact.
Heathrow’s tendering process has undergone a significant transformation. We’ve moved beyond the traditional “Time, Quality, Cost” model to adopt a more comprehensive approach—one that evaluates the full value a supplier brings to our operation.
We now assess suppliers based on:
This enhanced framework ensures that our supplier partnerships contribute to a more responsible, resilient, and future-ready Heathrow.
To support this shift, we’ve introduced:
These changes reflect real operational priorities and help us identify suppliers who not only meet our requirements but also share our commitment to excellence and integrity.
Pre-tender requirements
Before participating in any tendering activity—whether a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP)—all suppliers must complete the following:
These documents are essential to ensure all tendering is conducted with transparency, compliance, and trust. If you haven’t yet submitted your Conflict of Interest documentation, please contact your procurement lead before proceeding.
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)
The PQQ stage is a vital part of our process, helping us assess suppliers against Heathrow’s governance, operational, and technical standards. It acts as an initial filter to identify those best suited to progress to the RFP stage.
All PQQ questions are available via Theo, our procurement platform, with clear guidance to support consistent and fair evaluation.
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Our RFP process continues to run through Theo, following the structured guidance provided within each RFP. While the core process remains unchanged, associated documents and question sets have been updated to better reflect Heathrow’s current business needs.
As part of our supplier evaluation process, we conduct structured, interactive Behavioural Assessments to understand how your teams operate in real-world scenarios. These assessments go beyond technical and commercial capabilities and focus on the people behind the proposals.
We aim to understand how your team leads, communicates, adapts, and collaborates under pressure. The behaviours we assess, such as leadership, teamwork, resilience, and cultural alignment, are critical to successful project delivery.
By participating in these assessments, you help us gain confidence not only in what you can deliver but also in how you will work with us to deliver it. This insight allows us to identify strengths and potential gaps that traditional evaluations may overlook, ensuring a strong and effective partnership from the outset.
As part of our evaluation process, your team will take part in a behavioural assessment, this may be an interview, presentation, or a workshop. These assessments have been designed to help us understand how your team will work with Heathrow in practice, not just what you can deliver.
For more detailed information about the behavioural assessments please refer to the bidder engagement pack.
