Over 40 companies are in the race to be the Olympic delivery partner according to the Independent on Sunday.

The Independent on Sunday reported that more than 40 companies worldwide are vying for the Olympic delivery partner contract, either alone or as part of a consortium. The contract, which replaced the recalled programme manager tender, is to oversee the entire Olympic construction programme. The paper claims that the interim Olympic Delivery Authority will reveal the exact level of interest later this week.

Meanwhile, The Observer reported that BAA is on bid alert as speculation in Madrid points to a Spanish-led consortium launching a £10 bn bid this week. The consortium is spearheaded by Spanish construction giant Ferrovial who, the paper says, is on the verge of receiving financial backing from Spanish bank Santander, which took over Abbey National, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland.

In other news:

  • The Financial Times said that Corus, the UK steel maker, could be set for a return to the FTSE 100 after the quarterly reshuffle on Wednesday.
  • The government's decision to commandeer and then sell off King's Cross landowner London & Continental Railways could lead to delays in finishing the new Eurostar terminal at King's Cross and St Pancras, according to Sunday Telegraph columnist Liam Halligan.
  • Saturday's Independent published a report suggesting that European-funded construction work is destroying the natural habitats the EU has pledged to protect. The WWF document said that EU-funded projects were threatening the survival of the Iberian lynx and the brown bear in Greece.