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Britain's smaller businesses can now have their own 2012 Olympic dream
Supporting the British Olympic and Paralympics teams is no longer the preserve of big business as today saw the launch of the Team 2012 fund, which is looking to raise £25m from Small & Medium sized businesses.
It is hoped the dedicated 'Our Team 2012' project for small and medium companies will raise up to £15m, which can provide 1,200 athletes with training and equipment.
A total of 750 firms will be asked to pay up to £9,500 (ex VAT) a year to take part in the two-year programme.
The programme launch comes just days after the two-years-to-go-milestone for 2012 games to begin in London.
Benefits
Employees of the firms taking part will get a chance to meet athletes, gain access to hospitality events, as well as tickets to major sporting events across the UK.
The firms will also enjoy networking opportunities in their own region, seminars, insight and training.
At the launch in London sports minister Hugh Robertson said "Sports funding has always come from a mixture of exchequer, lottery and private sources,"
He went on to add that it was important, given the present economic situation, "to have business behind our athletes".
Backing
Mr Robertson also said that supporting the Olympics was now within the reach of every small and medium-sized business in the UK and had gained the backing of leading business owners including serial entrepreneur, Dragons' Den and Business Matters columnist Duncan Bannatyne.
The Team 2012 initiative aims to help Britain's 1,200 Olympic and Paralympic athletes for the London games by providing a third stream of financial support from the private sector, complementing the support already provided by government and the National Lottery.
It is a joint venture between the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association, UK Sport and Locog.
The funding will be provided to athletes via their sport's governing body, in support of a performance programme that includes coaching, training and competition support, medical and scientific services and equipment and access to the best facilities.
Organisers also announced that the credit card firm Visa, a worldwide Olympics sponsor, had made "a major contribution" to the £25m target.
A video from the launch event held in London:
For more information on how to back the team go to: www.team-2012.com/support/sme
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