Firms across Scotland have been told they still have time to bid for tens of millions of pounds of work required for the staging of next summer’s Commonwealth Games.
After meeting business leaders in Dundee, the Glasgow 2014 head of engagement and legacy Paul Zealey said potential deals were not limited to opportunities at the city’s games village or the shooting events at Barry Buddon.
He was keen to stress that the vast majority of the contracts already awarded had gone to native firms from areas the “length and breadth” of the country.
The visit was one of a string of events run by games organisers alongside partners at Scottish Enterprise and Public Procurement Scotland, designed to ensure that businesses across the country are aware of supply opportunities.
Mr Zealey said some £50m of contracts remain up for grabs, with deals advertised for open procurement via the Glasgow Business Portal and larger contracts posted on the Public Contracts Scotland website.
Opportunities currently advertised include a £17,500 deal to provide thousands of pin badges, as well as deals to supply workforce merchandise and safety stewarding.
“Around 70% of our operational budget is to be spent on external contracts, and we’re committed to advertising all the work we need to purchase,” Mr Zealey said.
“We report quarterly on the work which has been won.
“At the end of June we crossed the £300m barrier, with 555 contracts awarded, and 85% of those contracts had been won by Scottish companies.”
He said organisers were very keen to ensure tier-one suppliers spread their contract awards across the country, giving sub-contract work to Scottish SMEs wherever possible.
“We’ve still got £50m of goods and services to buy. There’s a very wide-ranging and very broad spectrum of things that the operating company still has to buy,” Mr Zealey added.
“Everyone thinks about the sports equipment, but we require all sorts of things: fences, portable cabins, lighting, creative services for the ceremonies, catering contracts.
“There are procurement opportunities related to Carnoustie and to the Games Village to be established in Dundee.
“But we’ve already got companies across Scotland winning contracts in the supply chain. We’re very keen to dispel the myth that this will just benefit Glasgow. We’ve already got firms in most local authority areas in Scotland which have won work.”
Much of the infrastructure work and many of the games venues, including the Emirates Arena and Tollcross International Swimming Centre, are now complete.