Don't miss out on the London Olympic opportunities
Declan Cushley, of Birmingham law firm Browne Jacobson, says West Midland companies are not making the most of the opportunities the 2012 Olympic Games offer them.
Although it’s difficult to obtain specific figures on the number of Olympic contracts that have been won by West Midlands firms, the news recently that just 22 of the 600-plus construction contracts had gone to local businesses confirmed a hunch I had had for a while.
Despite the efforts of the regional development authority, Advantage West Midlands (AWM), and other agencies to promote the commercial opportunities created by the 2012 Games, the region’s businesses have not really woken up to the significant growth potential the event has created.
For while many totally capable and eligible manufacturers, caterers, service providers, printers, security businesses and transport companies in the region are still thinking about the 2012 Olympics, many of their competitors are already out of the blocks.
And while the games are still four years away, what’s not realised is that many contracts – in addition to those relating to the construction of facilities – have already been awarded.
Think about the huge amount of other products and services that need to be ready for 2012 and you get some idea of the scope of opportunity. The games will need not just world class stadia, accommodation and medals, but also meals, printed material, cutlery, cups, signage, storage equipment, carpets, IT, media services, transport, mobile telecoms, clothing and of course flowers for those all important award ceremonies!
Too many smaller businesses think that the process to register an interest in the 2012 games is too much bother and only for the bigger companies. This is not the case and all companies need to do is produce a “profile” for their organisation, including basic information on such topics as employment policies, equal opportunities, health and safety and a statement on diversity within their organisation.
While this may sound onerous to many smaller businesses, it is no more demanding than the basic requirements when tendering for any public sector work. Once this profile is complete, your company details are there on the CompeteFor system, which automatically informs you of all relevant forthcoming contracts.
The 2012 Business Network – the portal used by companies to compete for contracts - has three component parts: essential information on upcoming opportunities and how to supply London 2012; business events; and the new CompeteFor service, a business “dating agency” that will match companies to thousands of opportunities supplying London 2012 contractors. Up to a fifth of London 2012 supply chain opportunities are expected to go through the CompeteFor system.
The common misconception that is stopping smaller businesses taking up these opportunities is that Olympic contracts are just for the larger companies. Our recent experience proves that this is not the case. We have just advised on the formation of a joint venture where two companies in the construction sector have agreed to work together to provide a solution, winning them both valuable work from the 2012 games.Midland companies also need to understand that while we often read about the large contracts signed on the construction side of the games, there are numerous smaller contracts that are much more suited to specialist businesses that may have never really considered the Olympics as a source of new work.
The Olympic games in 2012 presents the West Midlands business community with a great opportunity. When the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and London Organising Committee (LOCOG) launched the London 2012 Business Network, it announced over £6bn of work as part of an estimated 75,000 future business opportunities.
Clearly, the opportunities are there for the region’s entrepreneurs, tradesmen, artists, service providers and craftsmen. All that’s needed is the confidence, self-belief and drive to realise the scope of opportunity. To encourage local businesses to register their interest in the latest batch of contracts, Browne Jacobson is organising an event on November 9 in Birmingham to provide advice and support to businesses looking to pitch for Olympic contracts.
The event will include a speaker from AWM, the organsiation responsible for co-ordinating business’s engagement with the 2012 games.
