Consultants competing to win the contract to programme manage the London 2012 Olympics are urging the London Development Agency to use British firms.

The lobbying comes as jockeying for position among the six shortlisted consortiums has intensified.

The shortlist is expected to be made up of six consortiums including Arup and Gardiner & Theobald, Capita and Kellogg Brown & Root, Bovis Lend Lease, Mace and Davis Langdon, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Amec. The firms are now considering pairing off to increase their chances of winning the deal to project manage not only the Olympic stadium but also the athletes’ village and a number of other venues.

It is believed that the Mace and Davis Langdon consortiums and the Arup/G&T consortium are in pole position for the job as they worked for the LDA in the lead up to London’s victory being announced.