London 2012 suppliers to get Olympic Games boost
Tens of thousands of companies able to promote involvement in Olympics and Paralympics to help drive growth for Britain.
Suppliers to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be able to champion their involvement in last summer’s sporting spectacular, after a landmark deal has been reached by the Government, British Olympic Association (BOA) and International Olympic Committee (IOC). The deal will give companies the recognition that they deserve for the part they played in the success of the London Games.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller and BOA Chairman Lord Sebastian Coe today announced that the companies which helped build the Park, venues and provided goods and services for the Games will be able to actively promote their work on the London 2012 Games. The move is designed to provide a significant boost to the country’s economy by helping firms land contracts and deals on the back of their involvement with the London 2012 Games.
The new deal will benefit tens of thousands of British companies which were involved in the staging, construction and infrastructure of London 2012. Amongst others, these will include firms who built or designed the stadiums and venues, those responsible for clearing and preparing the Olympic Park and maintaining it in top condition during Games-time, as well as those with a role at venues outside London.
The Government has committed £2 million to the British Olympic Association to allow them to establish and operate the new ‘supplier recognition scheme’. Companies will be able to apply to the BOA for a free licence from 27 January. On receipt of the free licence they will be able to promote their work at trade shows both in the UK and internationally, apply for industry awards for their London 2012 work and use their involvement in direct pitches and tender documentation when competing for international contracts. Additionally, the licence will give businesses exclusive access to the Olympic Delivery Authority’s (ODA) library of more than 4,000 photographs from the project, enabling them to market their involvement with some of the London Games’ ‘stardust’.
This agreement marks the first time that, following an Olympic and Paralympic Games, companies that supplied goods and services will have the opportunity to promote their involvement to help develop new business.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Maria Miller said: “I am delighted that those companies that played such a crucial role in making London 2012 an incredible success can now be rightly recognised. By lifting these restrictions we will be able to maximise the economic benefits from the Games. Now we have removed the barrier, companies can capitalise on the role they played at home and abroad by really selling their involvement in one of the biggest and most successful projects this country has ever put on.”
British Olympic Association and LOCOG Chair Lord Coe said: “The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provided Great Britain with an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the very best of our what our country has to offer - from our athletes and volunteers, to our history and culture, and of course, the expertise and innovation of British businesses.
“Thousands of British businesses supplied goods and services that were essential to the successful staging of the Games, and I am delighted that many of these companies will now have the opportunity to highlight and officially promote their involvement in the Games. This should be a catalyst in creating new business opportunities and further growth for these companies, and that is an important economic legacy of the Games.
“It is also important to recognise and thank the International Olympic Committee and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for their support of this first-of-its-kind programme.”
The relaxation of the rules affecting promotional activity by UK companies was a key recommendation of last summer’s report by Sir John Armitt, chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, on how this country could maximise business benefits from the Games.
Sir John welcomed today’s announcement: “Businesses in Britain can now really build on the huge amount they have already achieved. UK firms won 98 per cent of more than £6 billion worth of contracts to construct venues and infrastructure for the Games, helping their finances in a difficult economic climate, keeping workers in jobs, boosting skills and equipping firms to win lucrative contracts in the future, at home and abroad. This ground-breaking new scheme will let them make the most of London 2012 and their involvement.”
“One company that will benefit from the scheme is construction firm Careys, a family-owned business based in North West London, that worked on London 2012 including projects such as landscaping the Olympic Park and laying the tennis courts at Eton Manor.
Careys Operations Director Jason Carey said: “Working on the Olympics projects has been a real privilege for both Careys as a company and for the individuals involved. The benefits of having worked on such an iconic project are endless, but probably the most unique and valuable practice the project engendered was collaborative working. Competitors, peers and the ODA all worked together to ensure best practice across every site, creating new benchmarks for the industry.”
The supplier recognition scheme licence will cover businesses that had contracts directly with LOCOG or the ODA. It will also cover businesses which had contracts with LOCOG or ODA contractors and subcontractors, or firms that can demonstrate that they provided goods and services that were required for the delivery of the Games.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is working to secure an £11bn economic boost to Britain from the Games, including major trade missions to the hosts of events like the World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympics - both in Brazil - and the following World Cup in Qatar in 2018. Businesses involved in the staging of the London Games have the potential to win significant contracts from future host nations.
Notes to Editors
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In the run up to London 2012, during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and for the immediate months thereafter, suppliers of goods and services were legally restricted from promoting their involvement. This was due to restrictions to protect the value of the London 2012 sponsors’ investment - sponsorship that helped pay for the staging of the Games.
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Legal restrictions were placed on LOCOG and ODA suppliers and contractors and sub-contractors. The restrictions prevent companies who provided goods and services from claiming an association with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Games bodies such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or International Paralympic Committee (IPC) or - for example - to Team GB and ParalympicsGB.
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The restrictions were essential before and immediately after the Games to protect the value of investment made by London 2012 sponsors, enabling LOCOG to meet its targets for commercial sponsorship and deliver a high-quality Games.
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The new scheme relaxes the restrictions for suppliers who take up the offer of a free supplier recognition licence. Licenced suppliers will be able to make extensive reference to their work in business-to-business communications. Licenced suppliers will also have access to an ODA database of images and will be able to use appropriate images from this website to promote their work.
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Eligible suppliers will be given a designation as a supplier to the London 2012 Games and will be able to use this along with details of the goods/services supplied on their websites, in business-to-business communications including in overseas markets. More details of the new rights available to eligible suppliers are set out in the FAQs.
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The scheme is open to all suppliers of goods and services to the London 2012 Games unless the supply is covered by one of the IOC sponsor categories.
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It will cover LOCOG and ODA suppliers but also contractors and sub-contractors who provided goods and services which were needed for the London 2012 Games. The Scheme is intended to exclude providers of bulk materials to sub-contractors (e.g. photocopy paper to an ODA Tier 1 supplier) or where the goods supplied and their link to the London 2012 Games is tenuous or incidental.
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Suppliers whose goods and services are within categories covered by IOC sponsors will not be eligible. Details of the exclusions are set out in the FAQs.
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LOCOG and ODA suppliers will receive letters next week inviting them to make an application. We will be marketing the scheme through various channels and business networks so that sub-contractors in LOCOG and ODA supply chains can also benefit.
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Companies will need to apply on line via http://www.srs2012.com/. The BOA will receive a grant of £2m from the Government.
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Payments will be phased over two years and linked to the successful launch of the scheme and other performance measures. The Scheme will operate until December 2015.
Press enquiries:
DCMS: Jose Riera - 07825 057 405
BOA: Darryl Seibel - 07553 355 159
Press Enquiries: 020 7211 2210
Out of hours telephone pager no: 07699 751153
Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6000