The contracts range from Scottish company who have designed the electrical substation, a Welsh firm which is providing the steel for the iconic Aquatics Centre roof and a organisation from Bolton which is providing the steel for the Olympic Stadium.

John Armitt, the chairman of the ODA, said: “Thousands of companies across the UK are already winning gold from London 2012.

"Businesses of all sizes and from every sector are working together to deliver the largest project this country has seen for generations and are reaping the benefits of millions of pounds worth of work.

"For example, a Scottish company has won a contract to build the basketball structure and a Northern Irish company is constructing the main pedestrian bridge within the Olympic Park.
 
“There are still golden opportunities up for grabs through the UK-wide supply chains, so companies should sign up to CompeteFor to be part of a unique opportunity to showcase UK plc to the world.”

Of the 1,036 suppliers that have won the more than £5 billion worth of work with the ODA, 98 per cent are UK-based, 68 per cent are small or medium sized, 46 per cent are located outside London and one in 10 work in one of the five Host Boroughs, according to the figures released today.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: "Today's figures show that the UK is already reaping the benefits of London 2012 three years before the Games kick-off. 

"Over a thousand suppliers, large and small, have won contracts with the ODA worth more than £5 billion. 

"These businesses stretch the length and breadth of the UK - the steel for the Aquatics Centre was rolled in Gateshead whilst a Scottish firm is working on the cycle track in the Velodrome.
 
“These suppliers are in turn creating thousands more supply chain contracts providing companies with work in a time of economic uncertainty and boosting the economy across the UK at a time when it is needed the most."

LOCOG, who are responsible for staging the Games,  has now started its key procurement for Games-time goods and services, which will peak in the next two years.
 

More than 1.1 million pieces of sporting equipment for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games,, including more than 1,000 shuttlecocks, 1,200 hockey balls and 44 Paralympic table tennis tables will have to be sourced.

London 2012's licensing programme has also gathered pace this year.

Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012 (pictured here with Armitt), said: "With three years to go until the summer of 2012, LOCOG is beginning its procurement journey in earnest.

"The challenge of staging a Games requires the support and expertise of hundreds of thousands of people - including UK businesses both large and small.

"As we prepare to give the athletes the best possible chance of performing at their best come Games time, we are also offering UK plc a unique opportunity to be part of our journey and create a lasting legacy of skilled businesses fit and ready to compete on the global stage."
 

London Mayor Boris Johnson encouraged businesses of all sizes to bid for contracts, including through the CompeteFor programme - a business "dating agency" that matches companies to opportunities.

Up to a fifth of London 2012 supply chain opportunities are expected to go through the CompeteFor system.

Johnson said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for companies who will be able to say that they were involved in the creation of the London 2012 Games."

Charles Allen, the chairman of the London 2012 Nations and Regions Group, hopes that today's figures will help convince companies outside the capital that they can benefit from the Games being staged in Britain.
 
He said: "The Games in London in 2012 offer social, sporting and economic opportunities across the whole of the UK .

"Spreading the economic benefits of the Games is a key area of our work, and UK businesses being better able to compete for domestic and international business opportunities will be a valuable legacy.”