Business performers take Olympic opportunity

On your marks, get set, spend!

It may be five years away, but excitement is escalating as preparations take shape for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the UK’s showcase sporting event for the early 21st century.

Despite media coverage focusing on the rising budget for construction of the Olympic Park and predicting that the project will fail to be ready on time, organisers are confident that doomsayers will be proved wrong.

One of the legacies of the Games for companies that are involved is work beyond the Olympics themselves and beyond 2012.

Patrick Adiba,

Executive vice-president of the Olympics and major events,

Atos Origin

Atos Origin, the official Worldwide Information Technology Partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has worked on Olympic Games projects since 1992, including previous “pre-condemned” Games, such as Athens 2004.

Patrick Adiba, executive vice-president of the Olympics and major events at Atos Origin, says the firm’s peerless experience, as well as online updates of the action, will dispel these media myths.

Lasting opportunities

Adiba says the Games offer local and national businesses the chance to operate on a new, global basis.

“One of the legacies of the Games for companies that are involved is work beyond the Olympics themselves and beyond 2012.”

The Olympic journey– from concept to completion – requires a huge diversity of skills.

Many tenders are opening up for the 2012 Games, particularly in transport, construction, infrastructure and IT, providing business opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as multinationals.

Breaking ground with electronic deal-making

In February the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), which is responsible for ensuring provision of venues, infrastructure and services for the Games and the subsequent transition to legacy uses, launched the world’s first online eTendering and planning package.

This helps companies compete for up to 2,000 contracts throughout the delivery of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

This is an opportunity for a major construction company to build a world-class velodrome fit for the best athletes in the world and to leave a lasting legacy for cyclists of all ages and abilities.

David Higgins,

Chief executive,

Olympic Delivery Authority

With dozens of future opportunities accessible to anyone around the world, the London 2012 eTender site gives advance notice of contracts ranging from designing sports venues and landscaping to providing occupational health services, and from logistical support to construction projects.

One such contract up for tender is the design and construction of the Olympic velodrome, a 72-month contract that is open for application until 11 July .

David Higgins, chief executive of the ODA, says, “This is an opportunity for a major construction company to build a world-class velodrome fit for the best athletes in the world and to leave a lasting legacy for cyclists of all ages and abilities.”

International construction companies go for gold

Three world-class contractors are currently competing to build the aquatics centre, a Zaha Hadid design featuring a spectacular sweeping roof, which will be the gateway to the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Balfour Beatty of the UK, France’s Eiffel, and Hochtief from Germany have been selected by the ODA to take part in the next stage of the competition to win the construction contract.

While the ODA proffers the contracts, UK site Business Links provides business support, so that local and international companies keen to take part can really get “fit to supply”.