Olympics offer gold medal opportunities

FIRMS in Hereford and Worcester are being urged to cash in on the business being generated by the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Companies working in the food and drink, cleaning services, waste management and many other sectors are all missing out on potential opportunities, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce has said.

SMEs which think they may not be large enough to compete should not be deterred as contracts are available on all scales, said the chamber.

The smallest Olympic contract secured to date across Herefordshire and Worcestershire is for just £10,000, it said.
 
Nicky Griffiths, Director of Business Development at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It isn’t just about big businesses, many of the contracts will be tendered over the next two years and smaller companies have been winning contracts across the UK.

“It is hard to imagine the breadth of products and services that are required in order to fulfil the vision for the 2012 Olympic Games.”

The chamber has said it is important that businesses know how to register, how to access support and how to maximise their chances of tendering success.

It said while tendering sounded very onerous, much of the work was done when a business registered their interest and in addition, there was a strong support network in place to help businesses win the contracts.
 
On Wednesday February 10, the chamber is hosting an Olympic Workshop at The Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford.

It is free for all businesses to attend  and will outline the tendering process, the variety of new business tender opportunities created by the 2012 as well as the best ways to access and tender for contracts.
 
Firms wanting more information or to book a place should contact Lisa Sanders on 0845 641 1523 or e-mail lisas@hwchamber.co.uk