The 2012 Olympics in London should be used as a springboard to help improve the government contract tendering process for small businesses throughout the UK, according to one industry body.

Welcoming the announcement that more than 70 per cent of deals relating to projects for the Games have been awarded to small firms, Matt Goodman, policy representative for the Forum of Private Business, urged the government to make sure that this was not just a flash in the pan.

He said: "What is really needed is an improved framework and better support for small firms that do tender for public contracts.

"Currently, there are so many reasons small firms are discouraged from tendering."

These include the lack of a single point of contact for all contracts, the time-consuming process of submitting a bid and a lack of transparency in the tendering process, he added.

Earlier this week, the Federation of Small Businesses urged the government to make good on its commitment to award 30 per cent of all state contracts to small firms.

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