One of the parts I have loved about taking on this role as CEO of UK Trade & Investment has been discovering how many different partners we already work with. I had a strong sense we could do more for business if we thought a bit differently.
So I'm thrilled that we've signed strategic partnerships with some of the UK’s leading high street banks, as well as accredited 116 organisations under our Trade Challenge Partners initiative, all in the last month. These exciting new partnerships will play a vital role in helping us to achieve our trade and investment ambitions. Working together, we are committed to getting more of the UK’s businesses exporting and increasing the amount of inward investment brought to the UK. Government can’t, and shouldn’t, do this on its own.
UKTI has long worked closely and successfully with major banks, professional services companies and trade associations to support the trade and investment agenda. These new strategic partnerships will further deepen these relationships, bringing together the best of public and private sector expertise to provide a stronger range of support and advice to a much greater number of exporters and investors.
Through these strategic partnerships, beginning with Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, Santander and KPMG, our ability to reach new exporters and investors increases exponentially and can be transformative in the way we deliver our services, working side-by-side with commercial partners.
Together we will deliver events and missions for UK businesses looking to export; coordinate work in key high growth markets such as China to ensure UK businesses are given the help they need to succeed; and coordinate our efforts throughout the regions so that the UK’s small and medium-sized businesses are made aware of the benefits of exporting.
UKTI’s programme to accredit leading trade associations and industry bodies as Trade Challenge Partners brings these organisations into a more structured relationship. Combining unique sector expertise and wide networks with many years of experience, our Trade Challenge Partners have pledged to support their 50,000+ members to start or continue exporting. This initiative will enhance UKTI’s reach to businesses, helping even more to achieve their export goals.
Our bold aspirations around transforming the UK’s export performance to export £1 trillion of goods and services by 2020 requires a more collaborative approach from Government and our partners in business and industry. These partnerships illustrate how, when playing to our strengths, Government and the private sector can combine to provide a compelling package of support for UK businesses.
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1 comment
Comment by Dara Khan posted on
Great blog! I agree Dominic. There are many really creative ways to help companies export globally. Having worked at UKTI in Boston for several years, UKTI is bar none the best spot to begin a discussion. What would really set the experience apart is what you are proposing, working with private industry and creating small measurable programmes that help companies take a step approach into market. As a budding lawyer and someone who has just started to work independently helping companies expand into the US and abroad, it is critical that companies to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly about expansion and that they are given a truly meaningful assessment of their probability of success in market. There is no point in expanding if the strategy, resources, and positioning of the company is all wrong.