A new service will provide practical support for UK businesses to export to high growth markets in South East Asia.
The Headstart initiative, which was launched on 18 October, will help small and medium-sized businesses seeking to export to these markets for the first time, offering:
- access to local business networks
- introductions to already established UK companies
- temporary office space with local British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) representation
- ongoing access to BCC staff.
The service is a partnership between UK Trade & Investment, the UK-ASEAN Business Council and the British Chambers of Commerce in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.
Headstart will initially be offered as a six-month pilot in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, to which UK exports in 2011 totalled more than £10 billion. If successful, the scheme will be expanded to other markets in South East Asia.
Trade and Investment Minister Lord Green said: “Many more British companies could be exporting, but we know that striking out into new and unfamiliar markets can sometimes look daunting.
“Headstart will help small and medium-sized companies seize the many opportunities in fast growing economies of South East Asia by connecting them with local support quickly. We want to see another 100,000 businesses exporting by 2020.”
Headstart is available to companies with a maximum of 250 staff and maximum annual turnover of up to £25 million. The service is available for a nominal fee, which will typically range from between £220 to £500 for up to a year of support.
Link: Headstart information
