Business Opportunities
The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games offer great potential to South West of England businesses that want to maximise this once in a lifetime opportunity. The current economic down turn can make the Games appear distant and many businesses have priorities elsewhere. However, 2012-related opportunities are out there now and many of the things that businesses could be doing to prepare for 2012 will help them survive the economic downturn and put them into a stronger position in the future. For details of upcoming business events please visit our events page.
For more information on the RELAYS Business Strand please visit the UWE business website.
PreparingYour Business for the Games - Guidance Document
Preparing your business for the Games provides useful advice and guidance on things you can do before, during and after Games time, so that you can keep your business running during 2012 and make the most of the opportunities next summer. To download the document please click here.
Tourism for the Games events
With less than a year to go until London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games, now is the best time for the tourism sector to get ready. We have all heard how beneficial the 2012 Games will be to the UK economy, tourism and business sector. Three ‘Tourism for the Games’ events will be held during September to November 2011. These events are for you - to highlight the activity taking place to support the London 2012 Games in your region.
The first event was held in Bournemouth on the 22nd September. You can view the presentations from the day here. Two more ‘Tourism for the Games’ events are being planned in Exeter at Bristol in early November.
How to Win Business Before and Beyond 2012
Business Link, Deloitte, University of the West of England, Team West of England, Partners in Procurement and RELAYS held a FREE event with guest speaker Jason Gardener MBE - Olympic gold medallist.
Businesses were informed how they can capitalise on the opportunities presented by the London 2012 Games. Expert speakers outlined how to make the most of the support available, to ensure businesses maximise their profit and growth and capitalise on the opportunities of the London 2012 Games for what could be an unparalleled opportunity for profit and growth.
The forum signposted businesses to the many opportunities and benefits of engaging with the 2012 Games; how CompeteFor works and how to get it to work for them; the tips for writing tenders that win business and demystifying sustainable procurement.
You can download presentations from the day below:
DWP Health Work and Well-being Challenge Fund
Small and medium sized businesses and local partnerships can now bid for a share of £4million available over the next two years, to fund innovative projects to improve the health and welfare of their workers.
The Health Work and Well-being (HWWB) Challenge Fund is a competitive grant scheme from the Department for Work and Pensions, established to encourage innovative projects that improve employees’ health and welfare at work, with a particular focus on practical initiatives for employees' mental well-being. Small and medium sized enterprises (businesses which have between 1 and 249 employees), and local partnerships are eligible to apply to the Challenge Fund for grants of between £1,000 and £50,000. A Regional Assessment Panel will decide which projects will receive funding.
The HWWB Challenge Fund will be available until 31 March 2011 and there will be two rounds of funding. Please note, the entries for the first round of funding are closed. Details of the second round of funding will be released later in 2010.
For more details visit: www.workingforhealth.gov.uk/challengefund.
Towards 2012 - Business Engagement Opportunities
The University of the West of England (UWE) is currently developing a business engagement framework of the economic and social opportunities associated with the 2012 Games.
The framework will signpost businesses to the opportunities such as, contracting; tourism; brand awareness; corporate social responsibility; professional development; healthy workplace initiatives; athlete support programmes; and community involvement within the arts and sport.
Watch this space as a link to the Towards 2012- Business Engagement Framework will be available soon.
CompeteFor London 2012 Business Opportunities
The CompeteFor website allows the business community, including any business, college or university, to compete for contract opportunities linked to the 2012 Games. It acts as a brokerage service between potential suppliers and buyers throughout the London 2012 supply chain.
Any college or university can register on CompeteFor to access opportunities generated by the London 2012 Games. Registration is easy, free of charge and ensures that users are automatically matched with opportunities to apply for (after the completion of an organisation profile). A number of South West businesses have already been successful in winning 2012 Games related contracts through CompeteFor.
Website: www.competefor.com Helpline: 0845 2177804
Business guide to London 2012 Games opportunities
Information: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games - What your business needs to know: a business guide. This brochure developed by the London Development Agency (LDA) aims to help London’s SME businesses identify which dedicated business service could help them achieve maximum impact when tendering for any of the estimated 75,000 contracts that are expected to result from the London 2012 supply chain. Visit the website for more information.
Team South West
The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will transform people's lives and revitalise communities throughout the South West. The Games represent the single most significant opportunity in our lifetime to build on the strengths of the region; to develop our business base, involve our communities, drive up sports participation and to inspire our young people to believe in the power of the Olympic ethos, to be the best that they can be.
Website: http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/region/london2012/introduction.shtm