The original schedule stated that would-be suppliers who passed the first stage of the bidding process would be invited to tender (ITT) on Tuesday (25 September).

However, the ODA has  had to postpone contacting printers until November, due to the “phenomenal” level of interest it has received.

A spokesman for the ODA said: “We have received almost 400 pre-qualification questionnaires, all of which need to be given equal consideration. It is encouraging that so many people are interested.”

PrintLondon, which has been lobbying the ODA to ensure that the London 2012 contract would be accessible to small and medium-sized firms, was pleased with the industry’s response.

Director Chris Patefield said: “This huge level of applications confirms the industry’s interest in Olympic print tendering and reinforces PrintLondon’s message to the ODA that there should be open access to the SME print community.”

But while response to the four-year print framework has outstripped expectations, it could conceivably have been even greater, but for the complexity of the pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ).

“There has been concern expressed that the PQQ was overly burdensome for SMEs to complete,” said Patefield.

• PrintLondon has set a date for its first conference, “Building your Printing Business in London”. The London Development Agency-sponsored event will take place at Barclays Bank in Canary Wharf on 17 January.