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Olympics Minister visits Scotland

067/09
1 May 2009

Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell, will be visiting Glasgow on Friday 1 May to see how businesses and sport in the city are capitalising on the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The minister will visit BiP Solutions, who developed the software for the first ever supply chain ‘business dating’ website CompeteFor, which alerts potential suppliers to upcoming Games-related contract opportunities. She will also visit Miller Partnership, who is helping with the designs for the fastest cycle track in the world at the Olympic Velopark where Olympic champion Chris Hoy will defend his title.

BIP Solutions and Miller Partnership (who employ 182 staff and 26 staff, respectively) are just two of 13 businesses in Scotland that have won work directly supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority, with a further 15 Scottish businesses winning Games-related work through the supply-chain.

The Games is also helping to drive up jobs and skills across the UK. A total of up to 30,000 workers will help build the Olympic Park in the period up to 2012 with more than 4,000 workers currently on site. As the ‘big build’ accelerates the workforce is expected to peak at 11,000 on the Olympic Park and Village in 2010. The ODA is also creating 2,250 training, apprenticeship and work placement opportunities on the Olympic site. To support this work the ODA will contractually require companies to provide at least three per cent of apprenticeships for remaining contracts.

The visit to Glasgow is part of a series of trips the Olympics Minister is making across the UK to see how the Games are benefiting the country. She will also be visiting Scotstoun Leisure Centre and the National Badminton Centre with Scotland Office Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ann McKechin. The centre has been listed as a pre-Games training camp, potentially able to host international teams preparing for the Games.

Media are invited to a media call at BiP Solutions, Digital Media Quarter, Medius House, Pacific Quay, Glasgow G51 1EA at 10:30 and Scotstoun Leisure Centre, 72 Danes Drive, Glasgow, G14 9HD at 12:00 on Friday 1 May 2009.

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Tessa Jowell said:

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games are economic gold at a time of economic need providing a tremendous shot in the arm for the UK economy.

“BIP Solutions and Miller Partnership are excellent examples of the important role that businesses all over the UK are playing in delivering the Olympic and Paralympic project and how the benefits of the Games are spreading way beyond London. Both companies are typical of the small and medium sized enterprises that have won the majority of contracts awarded by the Games so far and the wide variety of business expertise needed.

“If Chris Hoy goes on to win gold again in 2012 it will be fitting that a Scottish company helped with the designs of the velodrome.”

Ann McKechin said:

"The 2012 Games present real opportunities for businesses in Scotland. In these uncertain economic times, the Olympic contracts provide guaranteed revenue that firms can rely on for future workforce planning, which is particularly important given that the Glasgow 2014 Games are also on the horizon.

“With 30 facilities in Scotland meeting the tough criteria to be listed as Olympic or Paralymic pre-Games training camps the country has a real opportunity to experience the spirit of the Games right on its doorstep, helping to ensure that the legacy of the 2012 Games reaches beyond just businesses to young aspiring Scottish athletes and to the wider population in Scotland.”

To confirm attendance please contact Julia Smith on 0207 211 6215 or 07995 440740.


Notes for editors

  1. The ODA and LOCOG expect to award £6bn worth of direct contracts generating approximately 75,000 supply chain opportunities over the coming years. Of the 935 companies that have won work with the ODA 98 per cent are UK based, over two-thirds (69 per cent) are small or medium sized businesses and just under half are based outside of London.

  2. In January 2009 Scottish companies and business leaders met with Olympic Park contractors and London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) to discuss opportunities helping deliver the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

  3. CompeteFor was launched in January 2008. The site is a part of the London 2012 Business Network alerting potential suppliers across the country to around 20 per cent of upcoming contract opportunities in the supply chains. Over 67,000 businesses across the UK have registered with the CompeteFor website so far with 1929 in Scotland.

  4. Scotland has listed 28 Olympic and 11 Paralympic Pre Games Training Camps.

Press Enquiries: 020 7211 6052/6277
Out of hours telephone pager no: 07699 751153
Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6200

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