Woodward led England's rugby team to World Cup glory in 2003

The scheme will see FTSE 100 companies partnering a sport to try and help them become more professionally run.

"It's a transfer of knowledge, not a sponsorship scheme," British Olympic Association elite performance director Sir Clive Woodward told BBC Breakfast.

"This is about partnering people up on a long term process."

The FTSE-British Olympic Association Partnership Initiative was launched at the London Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

We're talking about long term partnerships here, hopefully way, way beyond 2012 Sir Clive Woodward

Thirty three of the top 100 companies will pair up with a national sport governing body, including British Gas and hockey, GlaxoSmithKline and boxing, British Airways and snowsportGB, and Group 4 Securicor and judo.

The BOA's target is to move Britain up from 10th in the medals table at Athens 2004 to an unprecedented fourth at London 2012, behind the United States, Russia and China.

"A lot of the top 100 companies coming in and helping with their expertise is great news for sport. This is about really putting best practices into the sports," added Woodward.

"It's not about money, the money is a totally separate deal.

"We're talking about long term partnerships here, hopefully way, way beyond 2012 to form real good business partnerships between the sports. That is priceless."

BOA chairman Lord Colin Moynihan said: "These partnerships will provide an exchange of values which, I am sure, will be beneficial for both the worlds of sport and business."