Major investment, major opportunity for subcontractors. How can a company prepare to join a supply chain?

A major industrial investment can give smaller companies access to new orders, more stable clients and longer-term cooperation. It does not mean, however, that a local business will automatically win a contract. First, it must demonstrate that it can meet a larger buyer's requirements, scale its operations and finance the preparation stage and first deliveries.

In July 2026, MAN Group and representatives of the Polish public administration signed a memorandum concerning further investments in Poland worth approximately PLN 5 billion in total. The projects are expected to be completed by 2038. The largest is planned to be a new plant producing battery packs and modules in Niepołomice, with the project scheduled to begin in 2029. Further expansion of the existing plant, preparations for the next generation of trucks and an increase in production capacity were also announced.

This is news about a specific factory, but it also illustrates a broader mechanism. A major industrial project needs more than a production building and manufacturing lines. It creates demand for components, installations, transport, servicing, maintenance, logistics, technical work and operational support.

For a smaller company, this may be an opportunity to join a larger supply chain. The real question, however, is not only whether new orders will appear.

Equally important is: will the company be ready to accept and deliver them safely?

A major investment creates a market, but does not hand out contracts automatically

The MAN plant in Niepołomice has operated since 2007 and forms part of the group's international production network. The expansion completed in 2022 and 2023 tripled its area, production capacity and workforce. The plant now manufactures trucks from all of MAN's main series, while its output capacity has increased from approximately 70 to more than 200 vehicles per day.

This scale shows that a large production facility does not operate separately from its surroundings. It requires timely deliveries, efficient servicing, transport, subcontractors and partners capable of working to defined standards.

Not every service or delivery will be purchased locally. Some orders may go to the group's existing partners, centrally selected companies or suppliers that already hold the required certifications and experience.

A company should not therefore build its growth plan solely on the assumption that a major investment is being developed in its region. It should instead determine whether its offer addresses a genuine need of the larger buyer and whether the business is ready to complete the supplier qualification process.

The supply chain begins before the first order

Cooperation with a large manufacturer, general contractor or international group does not usually begin with a short phone call and an agreement on price.

Depending on the sector and scope of the order, the company may be asked to provide registration documents, references, financial information, insurance policies, certificates, quality procedures or data concerning its production capacity.

A larger buyer may also want to determine whether the supplier:

• can maintain consistent quality
• has adequate technical facilities and staffing
• can increase the scale of delivery
• has alternative suppliers or a contingency plan
• can remain on schedule at a higher volume
• can finance the period before the first payment

Not every requirement will apply to every relationship. Their scope depends on the sector, the type of order and the importance of the supplied item to the overall production process.

The conclusion remains the same: a larger client is not buying only a product or service. It is also buying confidence that the supplier will not stop the process when the first problem appears.

What does the journey from initial interest to the first payment look like?

The moment a large company begins looking for suppliers may only be the beginning of a longer process.

Much more time may therefore pass between the initial expression of interest and the first cash inflow than the project start date alone might suggest.

The company may already be incurring costs even though it has not yet generated any revenue. It may reserve staff, purchase materials, prepare tools, conduct tests or decline other assignments in order to keep capacity available for the new client.

This is the point at which the opportunity for larger cooperation begins to affect liquidity.

Additional capacity costs money before it starts generating revenue

Joining a larger supply chain often requires the company to increase its delivery capacity. It may need an additional shift, new employees, more warehouse space, new machinery, specialist software or another subcontractor. Not every such expense is a mistake. The problem begins when a business starts investing without a sufficiently strong commercial basis.

Two situations should be separated: costs required to fulfil a confirmed order and costs incurred only in the hope that an order will appear later.

In the first case, the company may already know the scope of work, schedule and expected inflows. In the second, it finances preparations whose return remains uncertain. Initial interest from a large buyer should therefore not be treated as equivalent to a signed contract. A letter of intent, an invitation to talks, participation in a request for quotation and an accepted purchase order represent different levels of certainty.

The greater the required investment, the more important it becomes to establish what the client has actually confirmed and what remains part of the negotiations.

Can the company scale without disrupting its existing operations?

A new major client can attract the full attention of the business. Existing customers, salaries, taxes, lease instalments and everyday operating costs do not disappear while the company prepares the new contract. The company may have the technical capability to fulfil the order but still be financially unprepared for its scale.

For example, a manufacturer may have a suitable production line but need to purchase a large volume of materials in advance. The margin on the contract looks attractive, but the client will pay only after delivery and acceptance. At the same time, the company must continue financing orders for its regular customers.

In this situation, the problem is not a lack of competence or profitability. The problem is the point at which cash leaves the business and the point at which it returns. Before making a decision, it is worth calculating separately whether the company can afford a larger contract, taking into account the timing of delivery costs, acceptance dates and the impact of the new project on current obligations.

A contract with a major buyer does not always mean fast payment

A large and recognisable customer may reduce some commercial risks. It does not mean that the money will appear immediately after the work has been completed.

The EU Payment Observatory Annual Report 2025 indicates that problems resulting from late payments affected 52% of the European companies surveyed in 2024. Average payment periods in B2B transactions exceeded 60 days, and the larger the company, the less likely it was to pay on time.

In practice, the cash inflow may also be delayed by:

• the need to approve the completed work
• corrections or additional testing
• a missing document
• discrepancies between the purchase order and invoice
• settlement only after completion of a project stage
• the buyer's formal invoice approval process

The nominal payment term does not therefore always show the full period for which the company must finance the contract.

If materials must be purchased in the first week, delivery takes two months, acceptance takes another week and payment arrives 60 days later, the company finances the project for much longer than the payment term shown on the invoice.

How can a company assess whether it is ready to join a larger supply chain?

A smaller business does not need to build an extensive corporate system before every commercial conversation. It does, however, need honest answers to several fundamental questions.

A major client can stabilise sales and increase risk at the same time

Long-term cooperation with a larger buyer can improve the predictability of orders. It can also result in a significant share of the company's revenue becoming dependent on a single customer. This risk does not arise only when the client stops ordering altogether.

It may also appear when the client:

• moves the delivery schedule
• reduces the volume
• renegotiates the price
• changes technical requirements
• delays acceptance
• moves the order to another supplier

The situation becomes particularly risky when a company purchases specialised equipment or expands its team exclusively for one project and the resulting resources are difficult to use elsewhere.

Before increasing capacity, it is therefore worth checking what share of total sales the new client will represent and what will happen to the business if orders remain below expectations for three or six months. The goal does not have to be avoiding large buyers. The point is to ensure that growth from one contract does not also mean losing commercial independence.

When can contract financing help?

Financing may make sense when the company already has an agreement or confirmed order, the project is profitable, but expenses arise before the corresponding cash inflows. The capital may then cover the purchase of materials, salaries, subcontractor costs, transport or preparation of delivery. It should not be used to finance a project whose margin is uncertain, whose requirements have not been agreed and whose source of repayment depends solely on winning further orders.

The difference is fundamental.

Well-matched financing closes a defined gap between cost and payment. It does not create profitability where the contract does not make economic sense. Once the company knows the contract value, costs and cash inflow schedule, it can explore how contract financing supports larger projects without tying up its own cash.

What does the MAN investment mean for smaller companies?

The announced MAN projects may increase the scale of industrial activity in Niepołomice and the surrounding region over the coming years. This does not mean that every local company will gain access to orders or that the effects will appear immediately. The strongest opportunities will be available to businesses that combine sector expertise with operational and financial readiness.

A company should therefore monitor not only the investment announcement itself, but also:

• which projects will actually be launched
• who will manage procurement and supplier qualification
• which standards will apply
• when genuine demand may appear
• what scope of cooperation will be available to external companies

Only then should the business make decisions about purchases, recruitment and increased capacity. A major investment can create an excellent moment for growth. The company should, however, prepare for a real contract, not merely for a headline about billions being invested in the region.

A larger supply chain requires greater readiness

Becoming a supplier to a major company may provide access to more stable cooperation, larger orders and valuable references. The most difficult part is not always securing the first meeting. The real test is the company's ability to maintain quality, deadlines and liquidity from the preparation stage until payment is received.

Before scaling, the company should therefore determine not only how much it may earn. It must also establish:

• which requirements it must meet
• when the first costs will arise
• how much cash will be needed at the peak point
• what will happen if acceptance or payment is delayed
• whether the new client will account for too much of total sales

A major contract should help the company grow, not require it to place its entire existing operation at risk for a single payment.