...
Application won’t be standalone and require WordPress to run
No choice for backend language - will have to be PHP
May not be appropriate for more complex future functionality (as entry point to the procurement process)
Building API-first may be awkward
Standalone
Off the shelve
Airtable API with custom frontend
Another possibility is to use the existing backend together with it’s administrative interface for managing the data and use Airtable API to build a new frontend with React or some other framework.
Advantages
Does not require build a new custom backend
Decouples front end into separate project - can connect it later to a different backend
Disadvantages
Requires continued Airtable subscription
Backend features might be restricted by the platform and cause issues with more advanced features, like API integrations with external services, such STRA management system
Recommendations
Decouple front end from the backend
Develop front end using react or similar framework
Try to avoid developing management interface from ground up, leverage existing packages, like nocodb or build an interface in Service Now.