Firms in Coventry and Warwickshire have been urged to put themselves in the frame for £145 million worth of Commonwealth Games contracts available in 2020.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce organised a video conference call with the organisers of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to discuss the business opportunities available from the event.
Firms heard that of the £330 million worth of private contracts on offer, £145 million were expected to be awarded this year while, overall, the Games is expected to be worth in excess of £1 billion to the regional economy.
Contracts available include everything from fleet vehicle hire to security and from uniform production to construction work. They can be found at the www.finditincw.co.uk platform.
David Grady, Chief Financial Officer for Birmingham 2022, said: “It’s not quite business as usual because of the current circumstances but we are very much open for business.
“Now, more than ever, the Games are a critical opportunity for this region and they can be a catalyst for change for the local economy.
“The Commonwealth Games has a history of delivering much more than just a few days of sport. There are the procurement opportunities – which this year alone amount to £145 million – there are jobs directly associated with the Games which will see around 1,200 people employed by us.
“This is a critical time for our procurement programme as we are engaging the market with several key contracts and we really do want to see local suppliers putting themselves forward.
“When you look at it in light of COVID-19, this is a fantastic opportunity for companies and the whole region and Birmingham 2022 can be a major part of the recovery and resurgence.”
Chris Nagle, Events, Communications and Marketing Manager for the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This has been a tough time for the whole country and businesses are starting to emerge from the crisis.
“Having the Commonwealth Games in our region in 2022 – on the back of UK City of Culture in 2021 – can be a massive boost for everyone, including our business community.
“We are very grateful to David Grady and the team for providing this update and we would urge firms from across Coventry and Warwickshire to find out about all the contracts available through the FinditinCW portal.”
For more information go to www.finditincw.co.uk and for information about how to tender for Birmingham 2022 business go to www.birmingham2022.com