Novice exporters to learn secrets of accessing hidden funding at latest We Are International event
22 May 2014
SECRETS on how to access hidden funding streams to support exporting will be unveiled to businesses wanting to break into international sales at this year’s first We Are International Export Network event in Leeds next month (June).
More than 100 novice exporters are expected to attend the event where speakers from UKTI, Enterprise Europe Network and Yorkshire Innovation Fund will explore Grants, Funding and No-Charge Assistance for Exporters in an afternoon event at Deloitte, Leeds, on June 2.
There will also be a case study presentation from birthing pool manufacturer, AquaBirths, Shipley, which gained funding support and has also broken into export markets.
The We are International initiative – delivered by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership with support from international trade specialists Chamber International, UKTI Yorkshire and Humber, Enterprise Europe Network and MY Export Hub – aims to add £1.6bn to the City Region economy and create thousands of jobs by 2018.
The latest Export Network event is the fourth since the initiative was launched in March 2013. Since then more than 300 businesses have contacted the We Are International export network and the campaign’s Export Ambassadors seeking support with issues including setting up overseas offices, establishing distribution channels, researching their product’s suitability for overseas markets, finding agents and distributors and advice on logistics and export documentation and several companies have secured their first overseas orders.
The Export Network of ambassadors from successful exporting businesses has now expanded to almost 40 with representation from companies in chemicals, architectural design, healthcare, textiles, flooring manufacturers, surgical instruments manufacturer, and business development volunteering to give unpaid mentoring to novice exporters. More than 370 novice exporters, including some from outside Leeds City Region, have attended events.
LEP Board member, Lead export network ambassador and managing director of Radio Design, Shipley, Eric Hawthorn (pictured right), says: “I am delighted that the Export Network continues to generate significant interest from SMEs wanting to break into exporting – and from successful exporters willing to give up their time to support them as Export Ambassadors.
“The We are International campaign is beginning to deliver real impact, with numerous businesses taking the first step towards trading overseas as a result of help from our Export Ambassadors and the Export Network events. There is strong appetite for exporting here, as shown by the region’s excellent export performance last year. We are determined to capitalise on this momentum, help more SMEs realise their products and services could have markets internationally, and ensure the Leeds City Region becomes a net exporter.”
To book please Tel: 0845 034 7200. For more information about the We are International campaign, visit www.weareinternational.co.uk
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