CompeteFor, the online ‘business dating’ website which provides business opportunities for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is celebrating its second birthday with the 5,000th tender advertised on the service since its launch in January 2008.
Over 7,600 businesses in the West Midlands are currently registered on CompeteFor, to take advantage of the 5,000 opportunities ranging from printing to event management contracts from training to abseiling services.
To date almost 50 tenders have been won through the CompeteFor system by 43 different West Midlands firms, with a combined value of around £10 million. These include:-
• RMD Kwik Form of Brownhills
• Varley & Gulliver of Birmingham
• Hickman & Love of Dudley
• Tension Control Bolts of Whitchurch
• Slick Seating of Redditch
• Keller Ground Engineering of Rugby
• Bakers Coaches of Stoke
• Zaun Fencing of Wolverhampton
CompeteFor was designed to offer small and medium-sized firms the opportunity to bid for contracts from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Together with the Olympic authorities and their main contractors, more than 600 buying organisations are now placing opportunities on CompeteFor including the Olympic Authorities and their main contractors.
Around 74% of contracts awarded have been placed with small to medium-sized businesses, and 18% of contracts have gone to businesses with 10 or less staff.
Paul Painter, a co-founder of Zaun Fencing, Wolverhampton said: “As a result of winning this large project, we have benefitted from other work both on and off the Olympic site.”
Jim Johnston, Business Manager 2012 Games at Advantage West Midlands, said: “CompeteFor continues to go from strength to strength and we are very pleased that so many London 2012 and public sector supply-chain opportunities have thus become accessible to small businesses. In these very diffcult times for many firms, we would encourage them to use CompeteFor as a key strand in their business development activity.”
Ian Lucas, Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform, said: "This is a very significant milestone to have reached and illustrates just how successful and user friendly the CompeteFor website is.
Long term preparation and being in condition is the key to success - in sport and in business. With that in mind, the government has been helping UK businesses get in condition through Business Link and its portfolio of products - such as the Manufacturing Advisory Service – which has helped domestic companies win London 2012 contracts via CompeteFor.
The finish line isn’t in sight yet; there are still many more contracts up for grabs for small to medium sized businesses, which could also provide the opportunity to secure contracts for future global sporting events.”
CompeteFor is continuing to grow. There are still over £1 billion worth of Olympic-related contracts to come to the market. The Greater London Authority 'family' - the London Development Agency, Transport for London, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, and Metropolitan Police - now also use the system routinely for their procurement of goods and services.
To register on CompeteFor visit www.competefor.com
If West Midlands businesses want to find out how they can get fit to compete for London 2012 contracts, they should visit www.businesslinkwm.co.uk or ring 0845 113 1234.
For further information on how the West Midlands is maximising the opportunities created through London 2012 visit www.wmfor2012.com