Businesses based in the West Midlands can find out how they can benefit from opportunities presented by HS2 at an online summit later this week.
HS2 is the largest infrastructure project in Europe and the most important economic and social regeneration project in decades, with the West Midlands at the heart of the new high speed rail network.
Construction work on phase one between London and Birmingham is well under way and the next phase to Manchester is in development.
Now small and medium sized enterprises can find out how to get involved with the project at a virtual summit which is taking place on Thursday, June 9.
READ MORE: Black Country industrial estate sold for £1m
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has teamed up with HS2 for the event, which will showcase the "tens of thousands" of opportunities available for local firms - in areas including catering, cleaning, design and engineering and logistics.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, who chairs the WMCA, and HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston, will be speaking at the event along with firms who have already secured HS2 contracts. This is the second WMCA-HS2 suppliers summit following a successful event in October 2020.
Andy Street said: "HS2 has the potential to be a game changing project for the West Midlands. It has already supported thousands of jobs and scores of businesses in our region through direct contracts, via the wider supply chain, and of course by employing many of our young people on site as apprentices.
"I want to make sure that we do everything we can to ensure HS2 has the maximum possible local economic benefit hence why we're encouraging local businesses to get involved in this summit.
"As we bounce back from covid, we can all play our part in helping our local business community to recover and come back stronger than ever."
HS2 CEO Mark Thurston said: "Over 2,500 UK-based businesses are already supplying services to support HS2's construction, which is playing a vital role in Britain's economic recovery from the pandemic.
"As work ramps up on the project, there are many more contracts open for companies of all sizes, so this is a fantastic opportunity for Midlands-based companies and their employees to get involved."
Councillor Ian Courts, WMCA portfolio holder for the environment, HS2 and leader of Solihull Council, is chairing the event.
He said: "HS2 is already bringing huge benefits to businesses across the region by creating new secure jobs, prompting spin-off developments, supporting a very long and high value supply chain as well as being a catalyst for wider improvements to our transport network.
"I am urging our local firms to sign up for the summit and find out how they too can share in this success and help the region maximise the benefits of this investment in our future."
To sign up for the event, or for more information, visit Eventbrite and search West Midlands Combined Authority.
