Businesses located close to London Gatwick are to benefit from a new partnership between the airport and data and analytics platform mnAi.
The airport will use the company’s new AI tool to improve understanding of companies within the local and regional supply chain and the services they can provide.
The platform will enable London Gatwick to identify nearby businesses from which they can request proposals and quotes for a range of key projects, as well as supplying goods and services.
The new partnership with mnAi – which also has a base in Edinburgh - is in line with London Gatwick’s procurement policy, which states all procurement-led requests for proposals and quotes (RFPs) will include a minimum of one local or regional supplier, where suitable businesses exist.
Local/regional is defined as one of the 12 postcodes set out in the airport’s second Decade of Change – its sustainability policy which looks ahead to 2030 and sets out Gatwick’s goals on the transition to Net Zero.
Richard Lennard, economic partnerships manager at London Gatwick, said: “As we continue our second Decade of Change, it is vital we increase our understanding of the impact our procurement decisions have on the local economy.
“I am pleased to be working with mnAi to gain greater insight into our local, regional and UK supply chain. This increased transparency will allow Gatwick to seek out and actively include suitable businesses in our RFPs for new opportunities.”
John Cushing, CEO and founder of mnAi, added: “Our partnership with London Gatwick is an alliance that marries innovation with scale. It signifies a collaborative step forward for both mnAi and Gatwick, and is a milestone for the local economy. Our shared vision encompasses far more than just local progress; this is a blueprint for what can be achieved nationally."
Image: London Gatwick
