London Olympics Organizers Offer 6 Billion Pounds in Contracts

The organizers of London’s 2012 Olympic Games plan to start hiring companies for 6 billion pounds ($11.8 billion) worth of contracts as they prepare for construction to begin later this year.

The vast majority of business opportunities remain to be let, and this year represents a huge opportunity for U.K. businesses,” said John Armitt, chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, in an e-mailed statement today.

The games have a budget of 9.3 billion pounds, and will be Europe’s largest public construction project. The organizers started clearing the 500-acre (200-hectare) Olympic Park site last year.

The delivery authority and the games’ organizing committee invited businesses to Manchester today to publicize Olympic opportunities. More than 500 contractors have won business worth 1 billion pounds so far, the authority said.

Businesses the length and breadth of the country will win contracts, and we hope gain a huge amount of experience of what it takes to stage and host big sporting events,” said Sebastian Coe, chairman of the organizing committee.

Closely held Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd., builder of the Olympic stadium for the 2000 games in Sydney, was the lone bidder to construct the main stadium in Stratford, east London.

Balfour Beatty Plc, the U.K.’s biggest construction company, was the sole contractor bidding to build the aquatics center after Hochtief AG and Eiffage SA’s Eiffel unit pulled out.

The building work includes new roads and bridges, a media center and seven other sport venues. Bidding details are available at http://www.london2012.com/business .