Glasgow City Council is to introduce specific clauses into the tendering process for major Commonwealth Games-related projects to create employment and business opportunities for local people and companies.

The new policy, agreed by the Council's Executive Committee will form a key part of the council’s commitment to ensure the 2014 Games leave a lasting legacy for the people of Glasgow.

It will focus on local training and employment opportunities, particularly for school leavers, local small business start up and growth, and equalities issues.

The move is aimed at maximising - as far as legally possible within EU procurement guidelines - economic and social benefits for residents and businesses in the city. Although being introduced as part of the build-up to the 2014 Games, the new policy will also be used in other areas of public sector expenditure in the city.

Glasgow is currently experiencing unprecedented investment in the physical regeneration of the city, with more than £4bn of work either recently completed, under way or in the pipeline.

The amount of work will pick up considerably as the Games developments and other major infrastructure developments reach the construction stage.

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It is likely that Glasgow will continue to provide much of the workload of the Scottish construction sector for the foreseeable future.

Glasgow City Council believes that the combined effects of the investments planned for the Games, Clyde Gateway and other major projects offer the chance to take a huge transformational step in the city's progress through the introduction of a targeted approach to securing community benefit in the procurement process.

The city will deliver a coherent, sustainable procurement policy focusing on long-term community benefit which will support the growth and development of the training and business supply chain while ensuring value for money.

Community benefits would include initiatives such as targeted recruitment and training, community consultation, promotion of social enterprises, contributions to education and resources for community initiatives.

In the first instance, appropriate community benefit clauses would be inserted in all procurement exercises related to the Commonwealth Games 2014, including expenditure which is linked to the Games but not directly dependent on it.

This would include the Commonwealth Games Village, National Indoor Sports Arena, the proposed arena at the SECC (where incorporation of community benefit clauses would be a condition of council funding), Tollcross Aquatic Centre, proposed works at Kelvinhall and Kelvingrove Park, proposed mountain bike development at Cathkin Braes and the East End Regeneration Route.

Councillor Steven Purcell, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said the 2014 Commonwealth Games will provide lasting benefits for everyone in this city – a legacy that will last for long after the event itself has come and gone.

"The Games and other major infrastructure developments present us with the chance to make all Glaswegians, particularly those living in the most deprived communities, wealthier, healthier, safer and more equal

"While there are other areas of community benefit to address, such as health improvement and crime reduction, long-term sustainable community benefit will come primarily through more jobs for our citizens and business for our companies.

"Unlike other past major regeneration projects, Glasgow’s people rather than places must be the main beneficiaries from the 2014 Commonwealth Games and its related investments," said Mr Purcell.

(GK)