International growth is crucial for supporting the local economy. Since April 2022, our team has provided expert advice on internationalisation, facilitating strategic partnerships between 116 SMEs in the South West and businesses across 62 countries. This has been achieved through our international contracts, including the Enterprise Europe Network, and our collaboration with the wider International Chambers of Commerce.
In this blog, we will explore how the Global Business Innovation Programme helps SMEs collaborate and explore global markets, and how the Enterprise Europe Network identifies growth opportunities and forges partnerships. We will also discuss our documentation services that assist with export paperwork, our international trade consultancy offering customised trade solutions, and our training workshops that provide essential export and import skills.
You can also learn about how we deliver wider growth support in our Impact Report.
1) Global Business Innovation Programme
Innovate UK’s Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) helps innovative SMEs to collaborate and explore global markets, accelerating business growth.
Each GBIP, focused on a specific market and technology or sector area, involves a cohort of up to 15 ambitious, innovative UK businesses looking to grow and scale globally.
Business West delivers the Innovate UK Business Growth service in the South West and has led 24 GBIPs in Asia and the Nordics, covering technology areas ranging from Advanced Manufacturing to Semiconductors to Advanced Therapies.
Thomas Sors, CEO, Beam Connectivity said: “We joined the Connected and Autonomous Vehicles GBIP to South Korea in 2023, and each day we benefited from a number of prearranged talks with experts in our sector. There’s no way we would have had that reach on our own.
“Following the GBIP, we made a successful application to a bilateral funding call with two South Korean organisations for a project that will improve over-the-air software updates to connected vehicles.”
2) Enterprise Europe Network
The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) spans 65 countries worldwide, helping SMEs to identify new opportunities for growth, and forge business, technology and research partnerships.
Innovate UK Business Growth, delivered by Business West in the South West, is the International Network Partner for the EEN and can help clients to exploit the partnership opportunities database and grow overseas.
Bristol-based Oort Energy, a hydrogen electrolyser company, worked with our Innovation and Growth Specialists to find partners in Germany and Latvia via the network. They are now working with these partners to boost the efficiency and lower the cost of their technology.
Hear from Oort Energy CEO, Dr Nick Van Dijk, in this video.
3) Documentation
Those new to international trade may find the world of export documentation difficult and confusing; even some seasoned exporters still experience problems when completing the necessary paperwork for their shipments.
Business West can advise SMEs on the trade documents required for each overseas market and can walk you through each stage, or handle the entire process on your behalf for Certificates of Origin, Letters of Credit, ATA Carnets and the majority of Customs documents.
Here’s a snapshot of the service today:
- 23-strong team of international trade experts
- 23,000 documents processed annually
- Over 800 International Trade customers
- 97% service satisfaction rate (Business West 2023/24 International Trade customer research)
- 99% of customers would recommend us to a friend or colleague
- Winner of Best Industry Champion for Digital Trade projects at the 2024 International Chambers of Commerce and Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation Trade Awards
4) International trade consultancy
Business West's International Trade Consultancy Service is well-equipped to address your international trade queries and customise a solution to meet your specific needs. Areas of expertise encompass a wide range of topics, including rules of origin, maximising the potential of Free Trade Agreements, temporary exports, customs warehousing, inward/outward processing, commodity codes, and Incoterms.
Billy Harvey, Director, EXB (UK) LTD, said: “We were very pleased with Business West's International Trade consultancy service. As a UK company post-Brexit, it was very informative for us and has already helped our company cut unnecessary costs.”
5) Training
Business West’s online export training workshops are designed to provide SMEs with the essential skills needed to understand the exporting and importing process, covering topics from export documentation and import procedures to customs declarations and rules of origin, commodity codes and Incoterms. We can also provide bespoke training tailored to the specific needs of your business.
Learn more about our upcoming courses here.
Get in touch to learn more
Business West helps SMEs internationalise by facilitating strategic partnerships, expert advice, and comprehensive services. From export documentation assistance to tailored trade consultancy and training workshops, we help businesses to navigate the complexities of international trade.
To learn more about how Business West is driving growth across our region, read our impact report.
If you think we can help you meet your international ambitions, contact us today.
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If you are an ambitious company looking to grow, Innovate UK Business Growth can help you reach your goals.
