Social enterprises get in on 2012 Olympics deals

SOCIAL enterprises in East London are among the 551 companies and organisations which have so far won contracts for the massive 2012 Olympics project, the large percentage of them small and medium size, the Olympics authority revealed this-afternoon

By Mike Brooke

SOCIAL enterprises in East London are among the 551 companies and organisations which have so far won contracts for the massive 2012 Olympics project, the large percentage of them small and medium size firms.

They include Tower Hamlets Bikeworks that will provide bike services to site workers and Hackney Community Transport which won the contract for bussing workers during the construction, the Olympics authority revealed this-afternoon.

A-quarter of the companies are in London, most of them in the host’ boroughs including Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham and Waltham Forest. Seven-out-of-10 are small or medium sized firms.

Many more small companies in East London and elsewhere have been supplying the contractors through the supply chain.

“Direct contracts are only the tip of the iceberg,” said Olympics chairman John Armitt. “There are still opportunities up for grabs through the supply chains with companies signing up to our business dating’ agency.”

The London 2012 Business Network

has information about contract and links to business dating’ that matches companies to Olympic 2012 opportunities.