CIOB: The Bidding for Gold Network

Monday, 26 March 2007 12:00 AM

Bidding for Gold's first networking event will take place on the evening of Thursday 17th May 2007 at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in London.

Richard Wade, Head of Construction at Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons will be speaking at the event on the legal implications of partnering for SME's who are interested in bidding for larger construction projects. Richard specialises in construction law and advises on procurement, drafting and preparation of building contracts.

Bidding for Gold supports the employment and skills needs of the built environment sector in preparing for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It provides support and training to SME's in the built environment sector, to help them form flexible groups to bid for construction projects they may be unable to tender for as a single organisation. The project runs from July 2006 to June 2008.

Participating SME's will:

Discover potential business within the South East arising as a result of preparing for the 2012 Games
Gain a perspective on procurement training available through the project
Build networks with other construction professionals and organisations

Companies already engaged on the project have started taking part in training workshops. Workshops have taken place in Surrey and covered the areas of Market Analysis, Business Improvement Procurement and Tendering and Bid Writing. Other workshops taking place in the next couple of months include Partnering and Financial Management. Additional workshops will be repeated in Kent this summer and will also take place in various other locations across the South East from September 2007 and into early 2008.

Barry Sherman, managing director of Sherman Project Services Ltd who offer construction and project management services in the UK said, "Bidding for Gold provides SMEs like Sherman Project Services with an opportunity to improve our ability to become involved in some of the larger construction contracts in the South East that we could not consider alone. Through the training workshops and networking events, Bidding for Gold can help my company take part in a very exciting time in the industry and provide us with significant opportunities for the future."

The networking event will encourage all participants to 'bring a friend' along. Companies already signed up to the project will be invited to the event, and any other interested companies are also welcome to attend at no charge.

Anyone interested in attending the event or signing up to the project should contact Bidding for Gold Project Administrator, the Chartered Institute of Building, Englemere, Kings Ride, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7TB. Tel 01344 630791 email: biddingforgold@ciob.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

Bidding for Gold is a European Social Fund (ESF) and Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funded project, run in partnership with Business Link, the Chartered Institute of Building and the South East Centre of the Built Environment

Bidding for Gold is open to any SME, as defined under EU regulations, working in the built environment sector and based in the South East. The EU defines an SME as a business that has fewer than 250 employees and either an annual turnover not exceeding ?50 million (£34 million) and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding ?43 million (£29 million).

The Chartered Institute of Building is the qualifying body for more than 42,000 construction professionals in over 100 countries worldwide. It has a Royal Charter to promote the science and practice of construction for public benefit, and has won recognition from Government, other professional bodies and the industry itself as being a central voice in construction.

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