OCBC’s partnership with Marriott International gives the world’s largest hospitality group’s SME suppliers in the three markets quick and seamless access to capital, and enables them to go sustainable

Singapore, 4 December 2025 – OCBC and Marriott International have announced a strategic partnership to support the hospitality group’s 12,000 SME suppliers in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in two priority areas. They are: timely access to working capital and support in adopting sustainable business practices, including obtaining independent sustainability ratings. These needs are particularly pressing in today’s environment, where businesses face rising cost pressures, and sustainability is increasingly becoming a critical business imperative – especially in the global hospitality industry.

Suppliers working with Marriott International via its procurement platform will gain access to digital invoice financing, with same-day approval from OCBC. Additionally, OCBC will equip these suppliers with tools to establish a baseline measurement of their sustainability performance, along with resources to strengthen their sustainability capabilities.

Quicker access to funds via digital invoice financing

Under the partnership, the SMEs will be able to tap same-day financing approval from OCBC of up to 80% of the invoice amount. They do not need to submit bank statements or financial reports, as the Bank will assess their credit quality based on the transaction data from the invoices on Marriott International’s procurement platform. The loan disbursement and settlement will be automated.

The ability to access funds quickly helps the SMEs to optimise their cash flow in a seamless and hassle-free manner, allowing them to react more nimbly to growth opportunities.

This partnership builds on OCBC’s SME Ecosystem Banking focus where the Bank has been availing financing solutions to SME suppliers on leading ecosystem platforms, including business-to-business supply chain platforms, across Singapore and Malaysia. Since the existing programme was launched by OCBC in 2023, about S$250 million in loans have been disbursed to hundreds of SMEs in Singapore and Malaysia to date.

Enabling SMEs to start sustainable practices

Through the partnership, SMEs will receive end-to-end support from OCBC to help them meet Marriott International’s sustainability expectations and remain competitive. This includes knowledge sharing, practical guidance, and access to financing.

The Bank, partnering external assessor EcoVadis, will guide the SMEs to establish a baseline measurement of their sustainability performance. SMEs will also be offered targeted training and workshops to help improve their sustainability practices.

Additionally, SMEs can access sustainability-linked loans from OCBC, where the cost of borrowing is tied to their ability to improve their baseline sustainability measurement over time – providing both financial support and a clear incentive for continuous improvement.

According to research by the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the global hospitality industry needs to reduce its carbon emissions by 66 per cent per room by 2030, and 90 per cent per room by 2050 to ensure the industry’s forecasted growth does not lead to a corresponding increase in carbon emissions. Sustainable procurement is therefore a key pillar of the industry’s climate action plan.

On this front, Marriott International is committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2050. As a founding member of the Hospitality Alliance for Responsible Procurement (HARP) and the largest hospitality group in the world, it aims to foster close collaboration with its trading partners to enhance transparency and drive positive impact throughout its value chains.

Empowering SMEs in their sustainability transition is similarly a core strategic priority for OCBC. As of December 2024, the Bank has extended sustainable financing to over 4,000 SMEs across the region, with total commitments exceeding $9 billion — representing a year-on-year increase of more than 40%.

The shared commitment to advancing sustainability practices in SMEs and across supply chains makes this partnership a natural and strategic progression for both organizations. Launched in Singapore in the first half of 2025 and Malaysia in the last quarter of 2025, OCBC and Marriott International plan to expand this programme to Indonesia in the first half of 2026.

Ms Rashida Ismail, Head of SME Embedded Finance (中小企业嵌入式金融董事总经理), Global Commercial Banking (环球商业银行业务), OCBC (华侨银行), said: “We are passionate about supporting SMEs across Southeast Asia to achieve their growth ambitions. In striking up this partnership with like-minded Marriott International, we intended to focus on two important areas – helping their SME suppliers gain quicker access to financing to improve their cashflow, and providing the SMEs support and resources to kickstart their sustainability journeys. We are confident these initiatives will empower the SME suppliers to thrive in an increasingly challenging and competitive business environment.”

“Marriott International is committed to driving sustainable operations across our properties, and our suppliers play an integral role in extending our sustainability efforts across the supply chain. Tackling climate change in a meaningful way requires a whole-of-society approach. The partnership with OCBC empowers our suppliers in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to join us in our mission by providing frictionless lower financing cost,” said Cristiano Rinaldi, Chief Lodging Product & Services Officer （首席住宿产品官）, Marriott International （万豪国际集团）, Asia Pacific excluding China.

IT services and custom software development company Ergo SG and food caterer Nosh Cuisine are two suppliers of Marriott International who have accessed financing from OCBC and obtained a baseline measurement of their sustainability performance through the partnership.

Mr Keith Lim, Director of Ergo SG, said: “In the IT business, project timelines can run long which creates pressure on cash flow. Through the programme offered by OCBC and Marriott, we were able to have quicker access to working capital to manage our operations smoothly. Beyond that, the programme has helped us kickstart our journey towards ESG readiness and align our practices with international ESG standards. This is increasingly important as this positions us as a strong, future-ready partner for our global clients like Marriott International who are similarly looking to elevate their sustainability practices.”

Mr KH Chew, Director of Nosh Cuisine, said: “Running a food catering business means cash cycles can be unpredictable, especially when demand spikes. With the financing support offered by OCBC, we are able to manage working capital more smoothly and flexibly without compromising on quality or freshness. The ESG rating accorded to us has also helped us strengthen our sustainability practices. Thanks to OCBC and Marriott, we’ve become sharper financially and greener operationally”.