Firms enter final straight for Olympic bids

It is urging Yorkshire SMEs to register with CompeteFor, the procurement web portal, as the next wave of contracts becomes available from London Organising Committee (LOCOG) for the games. The major construction work is now complete; however, the next phase will require provisions including food, uniforms, soft furnishings, flowers, white goods, one million pieces of sports kit, medical equipment, and services, such as performing arts, training and security. Most contracts will be awarded by September 1.

Richard Beail, nations and regions manager for LOCOG, said CompeteFor will open direct contracts but there are opportunities for supply chain contracts as Tier 1 and 2 suppliers subcontract work. There will also be local opportunities such as the Torch Relay, which will spend three days in Yorkshire, and up to 25 training camps around the regions for foreign athletes.

“Many of these opportunities will be handled by local councils or universities,” said Yorkshire Gold project manager Lauren Pigg. “Firms should sign up to all the local portals, such as Buy for Sheffield, or the SCMS site for local authority procurement.”

Ian Taylor, managing director of Wakefield-based Media Displays, said he intends to sell into local councils to provide mobile screens to bring the Olympics experience to local communities.

Some firms feel their chances of winning contracts are slight.

“The CompeteFor website is good for straightforward products but anything truly innovative will get overlooked,” says Katy Foxcroft, director of Own Brand Sales, which sells next-generation hand and surface wipes.

Andrew Laver, managing director of timber merchant Arnold Laver, which provided 50 per cent of the timber for the Olympic Stadium, said companies must “mine” the CompeteFor website.

“Look for those contracts your product can complement; for instance, we don’t do seating but, as soon as a tender went in for seats, we offered the plywood to go under them.”

For more information see CompeteFor, www.competefor.com/business/login.jsp or Yorkshire Gold Business Club, www.ygbc.co.uk/ygbc/web.nsf