3,000 UK companies to take part in Export Week
Thousands of companies will receive export help and advice as Export Week (7 to 11 April 2014) gets underway.
Export Week events will include a focus on mid-sized businesses and South East Asian markets.
Thousands of companies will receive export help and advice as Export Week gets underway, Trade Minister Lord Livingston announced today (7 April 2014).
UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) fifth Export Week will feature 70 events for small and mid-sized firms nationwide with companies attending seminars, trade workshops, intellectual property and marketing workshops across the country.
This Export Week there will be a particular focus on mid-sized businesses with a dedicated event in every region of the UK.
Earlier this year (2014) Lord Livingston announced that all 8,900 mid-sized businesses in the UK will be offered support from a dedicated relationship manager as well as tailored trade advice.
The CBI estimates that if mid-sized businesses reach their full potential, it would be worth between £20 billion and £50 billion to the UK economy.
There will also be a ‘Sizzling Southeast Asia Roadshow’ travelling across the country organised by UKTI and the UK-ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) highlighting the growing opportunities in this region. UK goods exports to Burma rocketed by 244% in 2013.
Trade Minister Lord Livingston said:
There has never been a better time for Britain’s businesses to break into new international markets and Export Week will highlight the lucrative opportunities available and how we can help firms take advantage.
Exports to high-growth markets like China, India and Brazil are at all time highs and show that the government’s long term economic plan to create jobs and reduce the deficit is working.
Exporting helps companies grow and research shows that exporters do better with UKTI’s help. I encourage all companies with global ambitions to get in contact with UKTI this week.
As part of the last Export Week in November 2013 UKTI launched its Exporting is GREAT campaign aimed at small businesses.
Notes to editors:
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Export Week enables businesses to access the knowledge and experience of experts from UKTI and its regional partners. Whether businesses are taking their first steps overseas, or are already established exporters, Export Week will equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in international markets.
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In November 2011 the Prime Minister and Lord Green launched the National Challenge - a major initiative to boost the number of SMEs that export - setting the target of getting up to 100,000 SMEs to either start exporting for the first time or spread to new markets over the next 5 years.
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Export Week is a major component of the National Challenge and is part of a concerted campaign led by Lord Livingston to increase the number of British companies that export, from current levels of around 20% to 25% or more. By increasing the number of companies that export by roughly a quarter, about £36 billion could be added to the UK economy. Any company wanting to take part in Export Week can get involved by visiting the dedicated website at www.exportweek.ukti.gov.uk which gives details of events in each area.
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Exporting is GREAT will reach almost 3 million individuals and 700,000 businesses with more than 4 employees, giving them a very specific call to action: to contact UKTI to find out more about exporting. It is intended to generate over 3,000 appointments with UKTI International Trade Advisers, giving small businesses direct access to expert advice, support and finance to help them export. The campaign will cost £2.4 million and drive £1.2 billion in incremental export revenue from the leads it generates. The campaign creative features 2 SMEs who have grown their business internationally as a result of UKTI advice. Their case studies are available from the UKTI press office. For more information, SMEs should go to www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/ukti or call 0800 093 2094.
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The government’s economic policy objective is to achieve ‘strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries’. It set 4 ambitions in the ‘Plan for Growth’, published at Budget 2011:
- to create the most competitive tax system in the G20
- to make the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business
- to encourage investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy
- to create a more educated workforce that is the most flexible in Europe
Work is underway across government to achieve these ambitions, including progress on more than 250 measures as part of the Growth Review. Developing an Industrial Strategy gives new impetus to this work by providing businesses, investors and the public with more clarity about the long-term direction in which the government wants the economy to travel.
6.UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is the government department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high quality investment to the UK’s economy – acknowledged as Europe’s best place from which to succeed in global business. UKTI offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. We provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage. For more information on UKTI, visit www.ukti.gov.uk or visit the online newsroom at www.ukti.gov.uk/media.