Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude visited two businesses flying the flag for UK PLC through winning contracts to supply good for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Minister’s flying visit on Monday January 9 marked 200 days to go until the start of the games, and he visited two Cambridgeshire businesses, Touch of Ginger in Whittlesford and Spearmark in Eaton Socon.

Cambridgeshire-based companies have won over 39 contracts through CompeteFor, which is the key programme through which companies can bid for Games’ contracts, estimated to be worth between £5.3m and £8.6m. In the region, only geographically larger Essex has won more Olympic business through CompeteFor.

Francis Maude said: “I am delighted to see how local business are thriving as a result of the Games.

I welcomed the Minister to Cambridgeshire and was able to tell him about our ambitions to make Cambridgeshire the best county in the country. Part of the Olympic legacy is about business growth, and it is terrific to see local companies prospering as a result of the games. The revenue which contracts related to the Games generates will be reinvested in the business and that helps keep Cambridgeshire open for business, which benefits everyone.