ORGANISATIONS have six weeks to make a bid for the Olympic Stadium, for use after the 2012 games.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company opened the formal bidding process for the Stratford site today.

Any companies hoping to bid for the stadium will have to ensure the venue provides value for money and remains a "physical symbol" serving both the needs of elite sport and the local community.

Chairman of the OPLC, Margret Ford, said: "The stadium is at the heart of the Olympic Park and securing the most appropriate solution is crucial to our long term aspirations.

"We have generated a great deal of interest by working with the market to understand how they would use this iconic venue."

There is also an option of reducing the capacity of the 80,000 seat stadium for its future use.

Interested parties have until noon on September 30 to make a bid, and the OPLC says a formal lease agreement should be signed by the end of the financial year.