5th July - Global Trade Specialist 1:1 session

Are you a novice or experienced exporter looking to expand your brand further overseas? Are you a company looking to add resilience to your supply chain by exploring overseas providers? Perhaps both apply, and you currently import and export your goods and/or services.

Global trade can be complex but incredibly rewarding; it can carry a level of risk above and beyond your dealings in your domestic market, so it pays to sanity check your plans with an expert before investing your time, resource, and funds. This is where the Empowering SMEs in International Trade programme can help.

What 1:1 support is available as part of the Empowering SMEs in International Trade programme?

The programme provides several kinds and levels of dedicated 1:1 support:

• Global Trade Clinics (up to 2 hours of support)
• Global Trade Deep Dive Sessions (up to 8 hours of support)
• Global Trade Compliance Review (up to 8 hours of support)
• Sustainable Trade Planning (up to 12 hours of support)
• Global Trade Manager Programme (up to 30 hours of support from a dedicated Global Trade Manager)

All of the above support options are client-led and fully funded, providing support on a range of importing and exporting challenges and opportunities. Trade Clinics are more high level and geared towards novice importers/exporters; whilst the remainder are more suited to existing and more experienced importers/exporters. Support covers a wide range of topics including but not limited to the subjects below.

• Trading post Brexit (covering documentation, regulation, compliance, tariffs, licensing, etc.)
• Trade compliance
• Trade facilitation (looking at trading opportunities for businesses)
• Commodity code analysis
• Customs warehousing
• Transit procedures
• Customs special procedures
• Rules of Origin
• Valuation for Customs purposes
• Evidencing Proof of Export
• Authorised Economic Operator
• Letter of Credit Management and other financial safeguards
• Effective trade finance; Incoterms
• And much more

And finally, the Global Trade Manager Programme allows for up to 30 hours of targeted, hands on support to facilitate overseas expansion and global supply chains. Areas of focus can range anything from market research, regulatory compliance, partner sourcing and vetting all the way through to product adaptation, marketing, local market launch, and Customs Special Procedure authorisation application. Support is delivered via a combination of targeted coaching and hands on activity, the focus here is on transparency, collaboration and knowledge sharing to ensure that your team is constantly learning and acquiring best practice that can be taken forward as you become more self-sufficient.

What are the eligibility criteria?

There are no specific eligibility criteria for the Global Trade Clinics, Deep Dive sessions, Trade Compliance Reviews and Sustainable Global Trade Planning support other than you must be an SME and registered in either Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, or Derbyshire.

In terms of the Global Trade Manager Programme, experience of importing or exporting is not necessarily mandatory, you can also be either a goods or services-based company. However, you must be a business registered in either Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, or Derbyshire. As well as this, you must have:

• An annual turnover >£250K
• Demonstrable success in your domestic market
• Funds / reserves to invest in import / export activity

What are the next steps?

Register for one of these Global Trade Specialist 1:1 sessions. These 30 minute sessions enable you to learn more about the programme, discuss your global trade ambitions and challenges, and together with the Specialist, devise and plan a support approach that will deliver optimum value to your business.

About our specialist Andrea Collins of the Global Trade Department

Andrea is an international trade specialist with almost 25 years’ experience in the industry. A linguist fluent in French and Spanish, Andrea specializes in Importing, exporting, EU Exit preparedness, business resilience, and business growth. A passionate ambassador of UK micro businesses and SMEs, she launched the Global Trade Department (formerly The Export Department) to assist these companies expand their horizons internationally and raise the profile of UK goods and services abroad. As well as supporting private clients with their global trade endeavours, Andrea delivers 1:1 support and 1:Many support for a number of Growth Hubs nationwide and is responsible for the design and delivery of a range of EU transition, international expansion, and business resilience support programmes operational across Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and the South East Midlands.