Are You Ready to Compete at the London 2012 Games?

You don’t have to be able to run 100 metres in under 10 seconds to be able to compete in the Olympic Games. In fact, you don’t have to be good at any sport at all because now everyone can get involved! Northwest Vision and Media is supporting efforts to get companies from the region’s digital and creative industries to compete for some of the opportunities available to supply the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Games will create opportunities for businesses, large and small not just in the construction of the infrastructure but in all the surrounding activity. The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has been set up to organise, publicise and stage the games and is keen for companies from all over the UK to benefit from the event. To get involved, companies can register at CompeteFor.com, the chosen site of London 2012 for the publication of Games-related contract opportunities. It acts as a brokerage service between buyers throughout the London 2012 supply chain, and potential suppliers. CompeteFor also provides access to business support services; building skills and capacity to ensure that businesses across the UK can access opportunities linked to the hosting of the London 2012 Games.

Companies of all sizes can register on the site as a supplier allowing them to search for and respond to advertised opportunities. Business Link is running a “fit to supply” programme to help companies ensure that their internal processes are up to the standard needed to supply the Olympics. “Business Link wants Northwest digital and creative companies to have the best possible chance of supplying the Games. Through our “fit to supply” programme, we can offer practical support to give Northwest companies the best chance of success,“ says Steve Mulvaney, Digital and Creative Industries Broker for Business Link Northwest.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is providing £2 million of funding to support the delivery of the London 2012 Business Network in the Northwest. The NWDA will also be inviting companies who apply for or successfully win contracts to a series of sector focused networking events.

“CompeteFor is a really simple way for the region’s digital and creative companies to hear about opportunities to supply the Games and Northwest Vision and Media are keen to encourage digital and creative companies to register on the site. Already, one Manchester based digital agency has been short listed for the digital marketing roster for London 2012. Just like the games itself, it’s a competitive process, so companies should take advantage of the help on offer through LOCOG and Business Link,” says Lynsey Taylor of Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the TV, film, radio and digital content industries to grow a world-class media economy in England’s Northwest.

For more information on how you can register your business visit www.competefor.com/london2012. To enquire about Business Link’s “fit to supply” programme visit www.businesslink.gov.uk