Ann Steward

Norfolk businesses urged to compete for Olympics contracts as figures show the county is so far missing out on a London 2012 financial bonanza

Shaun Lowthorpe, Business editor Saturday, January 28, 2012
12:30 PM

Businesses across Norfolk are being urged to make a last-minute dash for Olympic Games contracts as figures suggest firms in the county are missing out on the promised London 2012 financial bonanza.

Figures released by CompeteFor, the free service run by the regional development agencies including the East of England Development Agency, which matches buyers with potential suppliers enabling businesses to compete for contract opportunities linked to the Games, show that while Suffolk has landed 29 contracts worth £7.9m, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has 56 deals worth £13.7m, Norfolk is currently a clear last in the race with 27 contracts worth only £230,000.

Meanwhile Hertfordshire has won 146 contracts worth £57m.

More than 1,000 Norfolk companies, have registered with the CompeteFor process, and with less than six months to go before the Games get under way, CompeteFor officials insist there is still time for Norfolk companies to grab a slice of the action.

About 73 businesses have signed up for a CompeteFor meeting due to take place at the Holiday Inn, Ipswich Road, in Norwich on Monday setting out why it is not too late for firms to get involved.

But with only 4pc of Norfolk companies signing up to CompeteFor, one leading county business  figure suggested that firms had been put off by the red tape involved, while the value of many of the contracts involved did not justify putting in the effort.

David Coulson, Regional London business lead for CompeteFor, said the figures did not reveal the whole story about how Norfolk companies had fared, and he was aware of Norfolk firms landing contracts who were unable to disclose them because of commercial confidentiality deals.

“The whole region has been incredibly successful in terms of CompeteFor contracts,” Mr Coulson said. “But CompeteFor is only one part of the Olympic contracts that get awarded and as a region from Bedfordshire to Norfolk, we have won more than £1bn worth of contracts.

“Norfolk has been a part of that. I am aware that much larger contracts have been going to Norfolk businesses and there are some significant contracts that have been awarded, but they don’t go towards these figures. There are still opportunities out there and Norfolk businesses are still really interested,” Mr Coulson added.

“It’s still a competitive process and if you compare Norfolk’s figures with some other regions or the devolved authorities you are doing phenomenally well. Our problem is a nice one in that the rest of the region has done even better.

“It isn’t that they have done badly, it’s just that others have done better through CompeteFor,” Mr Coulson said.

Caroline Williams, chief executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said she felt firms had been put off by the processes involved.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” she said. “A lot of the smaller businesses in Norfolk have found that the procedure and information they have to give and the time it takes isn’t worth it for the value of the contracts on offer. For the bigger contracts it’s definitely worth it, but not the smaller ones.

“I think businesses have got a bit jaded with the whole public sector procurement process involved and because of the distance involved for some smaller businesses, it just isn’t worthwhile. Part of the problem is that we may not have the right businesses for what they need.”

Ann Steward, cabinet member for economic development at Norfolk County Council, said: “We are pleased to note that Norfolk companies have already secured 27 Olympics contracts so far and hope that figure will grow further in the months ahead. In addition, we are aware of several substantial contracts successfully secured by Norfolk companies which unfortunately can’t be made public because of Olympic contractual issues.

“The number of businesses registered under CompeteFor is very similar to Suffolk and we have worked hard to promote opportunities as they come in. Norfolk businesses are winning Olympics contracts and we are encouraging them to push further in the coming weeks and months.”

shaun.lowthorpe@archant.co.uk

COMMENT – Page 30

13 comments

NCC. Lets jump on the bandwagon and make out and make out we had a hand in it. Lets make ourselves look good.

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"V"

Monday, January 30, 2012
Bored now!

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IT Man

Sunday, January 29, 2012
@1t man ..Coming from the construction trade its a well known fact that the building work on the olympics was stolen from our own countrymen and given away to foreign firms and labour. If you google this i am sure you will come across this info, Its a wonderful thing the internet . You cannot hide the truth of what the labour party did to the construction trade and how they stole the livelyhoods and futures of construction workers in the uk

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milecross

Sunday, January 29, 2012
@milecross, I am not disputing the merits of the Labour party, I agree that we would noy, as a country be in the mess we are currently in if it weren't for them. I am simply curious to know where 90 percent of the work on the Olympic preparations has been given to foreign firms and workers which was your original statement .....Bombardier trains are not really Olympic related and the current government has just awarded them two contracts and they are working on projects for Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and Italy. I suppose that in those countries, people are moaning about work coming here to a 'foreign country'! It is a global economy.

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IT Man

Sunday, January 29, 2012
This site is not link friendly due to it's software.

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nrg

Sunday, January 29, 2012
@11 man.This is the labour party who also signed away the bombodier contracts forcing the tories to give a huge contract to a german enginering firm resulting in thousands of job losses in derby . The labour party were good at giving away peoples jobs to other people

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milecross

Sunday, January 29, 2012
I do not recall seeing the information, which is why I asked for a link to the pertinent information with facts and figures, not just something that the Sun comic might have printed!

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IT Man

Sunday, January 29, 2012
@11 man. Try reading the news mate . This information has been about for a long time now on all the major news outlets

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milecross

Sunday, January 29, 2012
I would be very interested to know the source of information that milecross' figures come from. 90% of all the work does seem a little on the high side! Please let me have a link to this factual information.

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IT Man

Sunday, January 29, 2012
90 percent of the work has gone to foreign firms and workers. Most of the merchandice has been also been contracted out abroad thanks to the labour party when they were in power . The olympics has been definately SOLD OUT.Norfolk firms arent stupid . They are not going to fight over the dregs left over

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milecross

Sunday, January 29, 2012
FS you a so right, why do these silly council paid people think they know what they are doing, a waste !!!!

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London in Norfolk

Saturday, January 28, 2012
One thing for sure, Norfolk was never gonna compete with the Chinese for Olympic merchandise, 25p per hour takes some beating.

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nrg

Saturday, January 28, 2012
Oh stop bleating on about it! the title says what it is "London 2012" not UK 2012. The capital will swallow up your cash and spit you out as usual

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Farquarson-Smythe

Saturday, January 28, 2012