2014 Ryder Cup: Contracts up for grabs on procurement website

Image caption, The Ryder Cup will be played at Gleneagles in Perthshire in September 2014

Ryder Cup organisers have said they hope 5,000 people will be involved in supplying goods and services to the Gleneagles event next year.

The contracting process for services including catering, security, transport and merchandise begins on Monday.

For the first time, the Scottish government's website for procurement is being opened up to handle a private sector event.

The Ryder Cup takes place at Gleneagles in Perthshire in September 2014.

Ryder Cup Europe said it expected about 5,000 people will be employed on projects directly related to the event, with more likely to benefit through its supply chain.

Edward Kitson, match director for The 2014 Ryder Cup, said: "The direct contracts we will offer and the associated benefits through the supply chain will provide a boost to businesses across the country."

Contracts will appear online on the Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) website, which has 60,000 registered businesses, over a period of time.

The joint initiative between Ryder Cup Europe, the Scottish government and Scottish Enterprise is the first time that a series of private contracts will be available through what has been a public sector portal.

Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is an excellent opportunity for businesses across the UK, but particularly in Scotland.

"We can genuinely point to world class offerings in a variety of sectors and we encourage businesses to put themselves in contention."