Olympic Stadium wanted by West Ham and 15 other parties

The Olympic Stadium will host the 2017 World Athletics Championships

West Ham are believed to be one of the 16 parties to have expressed an interest in moving to the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.

The Championship club had looked set to move into the venue but a deal with Newham Council collapsed in October.

The government opened a tender process on 20 December and bidders have until 23 March to submit full proposals.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) revealed the numbers after the 30 January deadline passed.

A spokesperson for the OPLC said: "There have been 16 registrations from parties interested in bidding to use the stadium after the Games. They now have until 23 March 2012 to submit their full bids.

"The Legacy Company plans to appoint the winning bidders in May 2012 and remains on track to reopen the venue in 2014."

Challenges from Leyton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as an anonymous complaint to the European Commission, led to fears that the battle for use of the stadium could go on for years.

However, after West Ham's bid collapsed it was decided that a new tender process would be opened in December 2011 for an anchor tenant at the venue and the government revealed the stadium would remain in public ownership.

The OPLC reiterated that the athletics track remaining in place was a non-negotiable part of the process.

The spokesperson added: "Each successful bidder will add to the athletics legacy already secured for the stadium, including the new national centre for athletics and host of the 2017 World Athletics Championships."