DBA takes gold over free-pitching

The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic bid have responded to concerns that designers were being asked to free-pitch for identity work, after the intervention of the Design Business Association.

Barbara Cassani, London 2012 chairman, is due to brief interested parties today. Initially the commission was an open competition.

‘London 2012 was trying to do something in everyone’s best interest, but we can’t endorse work for no pay,’ says DBA chief executive Deborah Dawton.

After a discussion with the DBA, Dawton adds, ‘they agreed to change nature of entry to make it more an expression of interest, no more than two to three pages of top-line thoughts and sketches, to make it fairer for everyone’.

‘Six or seven entries are likely to be shortlisted’, says Dawton, and the groups involved will be ‘funded’ to develop their ideas. ‘[London 2012] has effectively doubled the budget, [with] £10 000 prize money for the winner, and a further £10 000 [to be split between] shortlisted projects,’ she explains.

The DBA may also be involved in assisting London 2012 in the process of selecting designers to implement the winning work, says Dawton.