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A total of 2,073 firms from the region are now accessing the free service – launched on January 16 2008 – which acts as an online ‘dating agency’ aimed at bringing together UK businesses and Games’ suppliers.

Co-funded by Regional Development Agency One North East, CompeteFor is part of the London 2012 Business Network and provides access to business support services which build skills and capacity to ensure that companies across the country can access opportunities linked to hosting the London 2012 Games.

So far, at least 17 companies or organisations in North East England have won contracts to directly supply the Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG,) with many more firms winning contracts in the supply chain.

Local companies which have been supplying London 2012 contractors through the supply chain include Sotech Ltd from Peterlee which is supplying gutters and roof cladding edges for the Aquatics Centre, and The Communicator Corporation based at Rainton Bridge Business Park in County Durham, which is providing LOCOG with enterprise email management solutions to help deliver digital communications.

Stacy Hall, Director of Communications and Tourism at One North East, said: “It’s encouraging to see that firms across the region are benefiting from London 2012 commercial opportunities. There are many more contracts still out there to be awarded, so to help increase their chances of success, I would encourage all businesses to sign up to CompeteFor.”

A new Business Link service – Compete North East – has also been set up to help North East businesses tender for and win major emerging national and international contracts.

Paul Taylor, Project Director at Business Link, said: “It is very pleasing to see so many North East businesses taking the opportunity to access the range of tender opportunities related to the London 2012 Games through CompeteFor.

“The dedicated Business Link procurement service Compete North East is here to ensure that those with the ambition to compete for Olympic opportunities get all the support, help and guidance required to ensure they are tender ready and in the best possible position to win major contracts.

“There are still a huge amount of available opportunities related to the 2012 Games and I urge business in the region to make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity by registering with CompeteFor and getting in touch with Compete North East today.”     

For more information on the Compete North East service or the support Business Link can provide, visit www.competenortheast.co.uk or www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast, or call 0845 600 9 006.

To sign up to the CompeteFor service visit www.london2012.com