Temasek Holdings managed a portfolio valued at S$389 billion (approximately US$290 billion) as of March 2024. It is Singapore's sovereign wealth fund and one of the most influential institutional investors in Asia. If you're a diverse or small supplier looking to do business in Singapore or across APAC, understanding the Temasek ecosystem matters more than most guides will tell you.
Here's the key fact up front: Temasek itself is not a large direct buyer. It has roughly 700 employees and functions as an investment holding company. You will not find a vendor registration portal on Temasek.com.sg that leads to purchase orders.
What Temasek represents is a family of state-linked enterprises (SLEs) that share ESG frameworks, procurement reporting requirements, and in some cases, formal supplier development programs. Getting into one of these companies is the actual goal.
The Temasek portfolio companies that buy at scale
Ten Temasek-linked companies account for the bulk of procurement opportunity for outside suppliers. These are the ones to research:
- Singapore Airlines (SIA): Buys aircraft services, catering, IT, ground handling, and professional services. Annual revenue exceeds S$19 billion.
- DBS Bank: Singapore's largest bank. Sources technology, operations, compliance services, consulting, and facilities management.
- Singtel: Southeast Asia's largest telco. Buys network infrastructure, IT services, professional services, and marketing.
- PSA International: Operates 60+ ports globally. Sources engineering, logistics, technology, and port operations services.
- Keppel Corporation: Infrastructure, urban development, and asset management. Buys engineering, construction, environmental, and technology services.
- Sembcorp Industries: Energy and urban development. Sources engineering, environmental, and facilities services.
- CapitaLand Investment: Real estate investment manager across 40+ countries. Sources property management, facilities, technology, and professional services.
- SATS: Airport and food solutions. Buys food production, logistics, and aviation services.
- ST Engineering: Defense and commercial engineering. Sources specialized components, IT, and engineering services.
- Mapletree Investments: Real estate. Sources facilities management and professional services.
Each company runs its own procurement function. There is no central Temasek supplier portal that covers all of them.
What Temasek's ESG commitments mean for suppliers
Temasek publishes an annual sustainability report under its "T2030" framework, which includes commitments to responsible investing and supply chain governance. The T2030 framework requires portfolio companies to adopt responsible procurement standards, which in practice means larger SLEs are under pressure to report on supplier diversity, local sourcing, and small business engagement.
Temasek Foundation, a separate philanthropic entity, runs enterprise development programs including the Temasek Foundation Enterprise Development Grant (previously the Temasek Foundation-SMU Social Enterprise Fellowship). These programs focus on social enterprises and SMEs in Singapore and APAC, particularly in sectors like food security, healthcare, and clean energy. If you operate in these sectors and qualify as a social enterprise, Temasek Foundation programs offer direct access to the ecosystem.
The Business Times (Singapore) reported in 2023 that several Temasek portfolio companies formalized supplier diversity and local vendor development targets as part of their Scope 3 ESG reporting commitments. DBS and Singtel have both published supplier codes of conduct that explicitly include diversity criteria.
Where to actually register
Since there is no single Temasek supplier portal, you register directly with portfolio companies. Here are the specific entry points:
DBS Bank: Uses the Ariba Network for sourcing. Register at SAP Business Network (supplier.ariba.com). DBS procurement contacts are also reachable via procurement@dbs.com for initial supplier development inquiries.
Singapore Airlines: Operates a vendor registration system through its procurement portal at sia.com. Navigate to About SIA > Suppliers. SIA published a Supplier Code of Conduct in 2022 that covers environmental, labor, and diversity expectations.
Singtel: Supplier registration through supplier.singtel.com. Singtel publishes an annual Supplier Scorecard and has a formal Preferred Supplier Program for recurring vendors.
Keppel Corporation: Procurement inquiries handled through individual business units. Contact keppel.procurement@kepcorp.com for initial outreach. Keppel published a Group Supplier Code of Conduct in 2023.
PSA International: Supplier development contacts via psa.com.sg/about-psa/procurement. PSA has an Enterprise Development Program focused on local logistics and port technology suppliers.
CapitaLand: Vendor registration at capitaland.com/suppliers. CapitaLand's procurement team runs a Supplier Engagement Program with annual vendor assessments.
For smaller, emerging suppliers, the most practical first registration is with Enterprise Singapore (ESG, not to be confused with environmental/social/governance). Enterprise Singapore is the government agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry that runs the Local Enterprise and Association Development (LEAD) program. Being listed in the Enterprise Singapore supplier database puts you on the radar for SLE procurement teams that have local sourcing targets.
What categories these companies source from local and diverse suppliers
Temasek portfolio companies collectively prioritize local and diverse sourcing in several categories where Singapore has deep talent pools:
- Technology and IT services: Software development, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, data analytics
- Professional services: Legal, accounting, consulting, HR
- Facilities management and construction: Particularly for CapitaLand, Keppel, and Sembcorp
- Food and logistics: SATS, Singapore Airlines, and PSA are active buyers in these categories
- Marketing and communications: All major SLEs buy agency and creative services
- Sustainability and ESG services: Growing category across all portfolio companies given T2030 commitments
- Financial technology: DBS and several other Temasek portfolio companies run formal fintech supplier programs
Engineering and infrastructure services tend to go to large international firms on long-term contracts. Technology and professional services are where smaller diverse suppliers have the most realistic path to first purchase orders.
Does WEConnect International certification help here?
WEConnect International operates in Singapore and maintains a regional presence across APAC. WEConnect-certified women-owned businesses appear in the WEConnect member database, which several multinational corporations and some Singapore SLEs consult when looking for diverse suppliers.
The honest answer is that WEConnect certification is more useful for accessing multinationals with formal supplier diversity programs (Procter & Gamble, IBM, Citi) than for directly accessing Temasek portfolio companies. Singapore SLEs do not currently have published WEConnect-specific supplier diversity requirements. DBS and Singtel have internal diversity frameworks, but neither publishes a WEConnect-exclusive supplier pathway.
That said, WEConnect certification provides: - Credibility in conversations with procurement teams that do have diversity awareness - Inclusion in a searchable database that APAC buyers do use - Access to WEConnect's corporate member network, which includes several financial institutions active in Singapore
The WEConnect APAC team, based in Singapore, hosts matchmaking events with corporate buyers several times per year. For a women-owned business targeting Singapore SLEs, attending one of these events is worth the $1,000–$1,250 annual membership fee. The direct deal probability from any single event is low, but the relationship-building across three or four events does produce results.
Practical first steps and realistic timeline
Month 1–2: Get on the Enterprise Singapore radar. Register your business on the Enterprise Singapore company directory. If you qualify as a high-growth SME, apply for the SME Go Digital or Scale-up SG programs. These programs have direct referral relationships with SLE procurement teams. Cost: free to register.
Month 2–3: Identify your highest-fit portfolio company. Match your category (technology, services, logistics, etc.) to the specific SLE that spends most in that category. Register on that company's vendor portal. Singtel and DBS have the most structured onboarding processes for new suppliers.
Month 3–4: Request a supplier development meeting. Most SLEs have a supplier relations or procurement development team that handles new vendor inquiries. A cold email to the procurement development team with your capabilities, relevant past work, and certification credentials is a reasonable approach. Do not pitch; ask for a 30-minute introduction call.
Month 4–6: Build the relationship pipeline. Singapore procurement culture is relationship-driven. Initial meetings rarely produce immediate RFPs. Budget 6–12 months of relationship-building before a real sourcing opportunity appears.
Month 6–9 (if pursuing WEConnect): Attend a WEConnect APAC matchmaking event. These typically run in Q1 and Q3. The next event information is at weconnectinternational.org/events.
Realistic timeline to first purchase order: 9–18 months for a capable supplier new to Singapore SLEs. Companies with existing Singapore presence or referrals from current SLE vendors can compress this to 6–9 months. The first contract is typically a small pilot, often in the S$50,000–S$200,000 range, before a longer-term preferred vendor arrangement.
Singapore's procurement market is competitive and relationship-gated, but Temasek portfolio companies have real supplier development mandates and genuine interest in capable local and diverse vendors. The path is clear; the timeline just requires patience.
