Getting on track for the Olympics

Jan 26 2010 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

MORE than 2,000 companies across the North-east have signed up to the official London 2012 online brokerage service CompeteFor.

Launched in January 2008 by regional development agency One North East, the online dating agency for suppliers to the Olympic and Paralympic Games got off to a slow start, but 17 local companies and organisations have now secured direct contracts with the Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Organising Committee. Many more have won contracts in the supply chain, said ONE.

Around 50,000 supply chain opportunities are expected to arise from the Games, covering everything from promotional pens to multi-million pound builds. Already steel rolled by Corus on Teesside is going up at the Docklands ground as part of the fabric of the International Broadcast Centre (IBC), while Mammoet has worked on the Docklands Light Railway to bring millions of visitors to the sports spectacle. Railway supply company Henry Williams at Darlington are among the many smaller firms to have secured work on infrastructure projects in support of the Games.

Stacy Hall, director of communi- cations and tourism at ONE said it was encouraging to see the number of firms benefiting, but added “there are many more contracts still out there to be awarded so, to help increase their chances of success, I would encourage all businesses to sign up to CompeteFor.”

Compete North East, a new Business Link service, has also been set up to help tender for major emerging national and international contracts linked to the Games.

Experience of previous suppliers suggests that winning contracts for one Games is a passport to similar work with another.

Paul Taylor, project director at Business Link, said the service would give companies “all the support, help and guidance required to ensure they are tender ready and in the best possible position to win major contracts”.

To sign up to the CompeteFor service visit www.london2012.com.