Scottish firms visit Olympic Park to compete for London 2012 business
The 2012 Business Network was launched in Scotland in September 2008. It provides a one-stop online shop for businesses looking to get involved with London 2012. The Network includes the 'CompeteFor' service, a business 'dating agency' that will match companies to thousands of opportunities supplying London 2012 and its contractors.
In the 4 months since its launch, more than 1,300 Scottish companies have registered on the 'CompeteFor' website. Over 1,000 opportunities worth millions of pounds in total have been advertised on the service and London 2012 has engaged with thousands of companies in visits to every nation and region.
Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said: "Opportunities provided by the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games for Scottish business, including the construction industry, are to be welcomed. We must ensure Scottish companies are able to take maximum advantage of these events to help Scotland emerge faster and stronger from the current downturn and stimulate job creation.
"In the meantime the Scottish Government will build on its economic recovery programme and efforts to provide advice and support for Scottish firms feeling the effects of global economic uncertainty."
Scottish Enterprise chief executive Jack Perry said: "The Olympic contracts offer great opportunities for companies, particularly in the current economic climate. The contracts are guaranteed, unlike others that may be scaled down during the downturn, and could go on to provide further opportunities for Scottish companies with the forthcoming Commonwealth Games."
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and LOCOG expect to allocate over £6 billion of work as part of an estimated 75,000 future business opportunities covering direct contractors and their supply chains over the coming years. Scottish companies that have already won work supplying the ODA include BiP Solutions from Glasgow, which is assisting the ODA deliver strong supply chain opportunities and the Miller Partnership is part of the team reviewing technical standards of venues.
ODA Chairman John Armitt said: "We want to work with the best in British business to deliver the venues, infrastructure and parklands for the London 2012 Games and legacy. Companies of all sizes from across the country have won work directly with the ODA. We still have a significant amount of Olympic Park work to place however the bulk of opportunities are now with our contractors and CompeteFor is already helping companies access this work."
How CompeteFor works
- ODA and LOCOG are advertising their direct contract opportunities online through CompeteFor, which is co-funded by Regional Development Agencies and the three devolved nations, and direct London 2012 contractors appointed will be encouraged to advertise their supply chain opportunities through the system. For example all contractors that have been awarded ODA infrastructure or venue contracts are registered as buyers on CompeteFor.
- Companies at every level of the London 2012 supply chain will be encouraged to advertise their supplier opportunities through CompeteFor.
- After registering basic company information any interested business can view the opportunities advertised. Companies can then complete a business profile, which involves answering a series of simple questions, to be able to compete for opportunities.
- A company's business profile is automatically tested against a small number of minimum standards in areas such as health and safety. If these requirements are not met the company is automatically referred to tailored business support to help improve their performance. This service is provided by Business Link in England and the support services in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
- Once a company's profile is successfully published on CompeteFor they are automatically matched to opportunities which suit their business and invited, by email, to apply for them by filling out a short, tailored application form. The buyer advertising the contract then selects a shortlist of companies and invites them to formally tender through the buyer's own procurement system.
- Details of the winning bidder(s) are published on CompeteFor and unsuccessful bidders receive feedback from the buyer. Throughout the process local business support agencies are on hand to help companies maximise their chances of success.
Additional quotes
LOCOG Chairman Seb Coe said: "As LOCOG moves from detailed planning to delivery, there is all to play for as we begin to release hundreds of opportunities for the best UK companies of all sizes to compete for work to supply our Games-time goods and services. The 2012 Games is already proving a golden opportunity to ensure growth in the UK economy and leave a legacy of fitter British businesses with the expertise of supplying the world's largest sporting event."
Tessa Jowell, Minister for the Olympics, said: "London 2012 is a key part of the Government's economic recovery plan providing jobs, training and billions of pounds worth of contracts for UK firms.
"CompeteFor and the wider London 2012 Business Network are playing a fundamental role in engaging business and highlighting the opportunities that the Games present to them.
"There will be benefits across the whole of the UK as a result of the Games, demonstrated by the visit by Scottish companies to the Olympic Park today."