Olympic cycling gold medallist Paul Manning is urging West Midlands businesses to use a new initiative to help them win a slice of £6 billion worth of contracts in relation to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Giving It Our All scheme from Advantage West Midlands (AWM) is the first project of its kind launched by a regional development agency, introducing businesses to a wide-ranging support package which includes sector updates, workshops and a national electronic brokerage service.
The intention is to link companies across all sectors to relevant projects ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, maximising the potential windfall for the West Midlands economy.
The scheme is also supported by Business Link West Midlands, the West Midlands Business Council and the Confederation of West Midlands Chambers of Commerce.
The Olympic Delivery Authority and London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games expect to allocate an estimated 75,000 business opportunities for direct contractors and their supply chains. These and other related contracts are estimated to be worth in the region of £6 billion.
Manning, who won gold in Beijing for the cycling team pursuit, is a Birmingham University graduate who lived in Burntwood for many years and rode for cycling clubs in Cannock and Shropshire.
He said: “London 2012 will be a fantastic event for the whole country and this scheme is a wonderful opportunity to help businesses play their part in getting it off the ground.
“As a proud West Midlander it will be great for as many companies as possible from the region to enjoy the economic benefits of the Games."
