KIB Newsletter Feb-March 2021
International Trade Webinars & Online Events – diary dates for Feb & March:
Why not take a couple of hours to brush up on your knowledge of export processes and get some valuable advice and information to help your business with all things international?
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- DIT: Latin America and the Caribbean (LATAC) Roadshow 2021, 1-4 March, Click here for more information
- DIT: Going Global in a Day – South East, 2-3 March, Click here for more information Please register by 25 Feb!
- Innovate UK: Innovate East, 2-3 Mar Click here for more information
- Boost4Health: Life Sciences: How to navigate the reimbursement environment, 3 March, Click here for more information
- KICC: EU Immigration & Employment, 3 March Click here for more information
- Boost4Health: Life Sciences: Voucher Scheme Launch, 9 March, Click here for more information
- DIT: Drive Business Success Through Brand Innovation, 9-10 March, Click here for more information
- DIT: Next Step Growth: How to Raise Trade Finance for SMEs, 9-10 March, Click here for more information
- DIT: America Made Easy – Streamlining Your US Expansion, 9 March, Click here for more information
- KICC: EU Transition – Ask the Experts, 16 March Click here for more information
- DIT: Pitching and Winning Business Online, 16-17 March, Click here for more information
- DIT: London and South East Virtual Trade Mission to South by Southwest (SXSW) – Music, Film & Creative Industry, 16-20 March, Click here for more information
- DIT: Next Step Growth: How to Raise Trade Finance for SMEs, 23-24 March, Click here for more information
Life Sciences Update:
Boost4Health:
The Boost4Health Project connects Kent to Life Science clusters across Europe. We’ve now launched our latest voucher scheme.
B4H can offer Kent companies ‘Connection’ Vouchers (grants of up to €500 to forge a partnership in mainland Europe) and ‘Internationalisation Support’ Vouchers (grants of up to €1500 to facilitate a project with a service provider in another European country. Please click here to visit the Boost4Health website to find out more. You can also attend our online launch event on 9 March 2021. Please email kcc@boost4health.eu for more details.
The Boost4Health online service provider database encourages international business collaborations and partnerships. Our database helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who wish to develop internationally to find service providers who can support them with taking life sciences and medical products to market in another country. Become a B4H Service Provider by clicking on this link.
Coming Soon: IMPULS Project:
The new IMPULS project (Innovation in Manufacturers and Production Units in Life Sciences and Nutrition) will provide free innovation support through a programme of cross-border events and webinars, which will connect French and Kent based life sciences and nutrition businesses of different sizes and their production sites.
We’ll publish further information as soon as it is ready. In the meantime, please email international.affairs@kent.gov.uk to express an interest in participating.
Help develop Life Science Skills in Kent:
A group of colleges, universities, training providers, schools, and local authorities are planning future skills provision for Kent to ensure that it meet business needs. Kent County Council and its partners wish to hear from businesses in certain sectors about any skills issues they may be facing including in Life Sciences. Insights from Kent firms would be invaluable for the report and a one-off virtual meeting in March will enable Kent companies to to provide feedback some of the key skills issues facing the sector and priorities for action.
The meeting will take place on 5 March from 13.00-14.00 via Zoom and there are 12 spaces available. Please email Sylvana.Jones@kent.gov.uk as soon as possible if you are interested in participating.
Coming Soon: SEED Project
Kent County Council and Kent Invicta Chamber along with counterparts in Essex, Medway and East Sussex have secured funding from SELEP (the South East Local Enterprise Partnership) for a new project called SEED (South East Export Development).
The project will run from March and will organise a series of virtual trade missions and free activities to help companies to access new international markets. The project will focus on the following sectors:
- Agri-food
- Life Sciences
- Digital & Creative
Project planning is currently underway including the targeting and selection of the international markets and we’ll publish further information as soon as it is ready. In the meantime, please click here to visit www.kentinternationalbusiness.co.uk/seed/ to find out more and to download and expression of interest form.
Other Sector News:
Help boost Manufacturing Skills Development in Kent:
A group of colleges, universities, training providers, schools, and local authorities are planning future skills provision for Kent to ensure that it meet business needs. Kent County Council and its partners wish to hear from businesses in certain sectors about any skills issues they may be facing including in the manufacturing sector. Insights from Kent firms would be invaluable for the report and a one-off virtual meeting in March will enable Kent companies to to provide feedback some of the key skills issues facing the sector and priorities for action.
The meeting will take place on 4 March from 08.00-09.00 via Zoom and there are 12 spaces available. Please email Sylvana.Jones@kent.gov.uk as soon as possible if you are interested in participating.
Future Agri-Food Supply Chains in the UK and Europe
Nottingham Trent University are partners in the Interreg REAMIT project which is inviting agri-food businesses to participate in free technology demonstrations to reduce food waste.
The project team would like to support companies in maintaining food quality without human intervention, at this difficulty time of COVID through technology. This will involve fitting sensors in warehouses, retail stores, food pallets, and/or trucks to monitor food quality round the clock. We would also analyse the data for you to support your rapid decision-making. The REAMIT project is providing a free service to trial this technology to improve your business operations, all in efforts to reduce food waste across North-West Europe. This is an initiative funded by Interreg North-West Europe to encourage resource efficiency of fresh-food supply chains. If you are interested to discuss your participation or need more information, please get in touch with usha.ramanathan@ntu.ac.uk.
Innovation Event:
InnovateEast is a virtual 2-day event for people with ambitious plans for their ground-breaking ideas.
The event is all about business support, funding and how you can tap into the region’s science and innovation strengths: Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, East Sussex and surrounding areas. Take a look at the agenda and book your space now by clicking here.
Why attend?
- You’ll find out about the national and local business support, including help to form collaborative partnerships and undertake Research and Development.
- You’ll find out about funding opportunities and gain practical skills during a Grant Writing Masterclass
- You’ll hear from local businesses about their innovation journey
- You’ll learn about opportunities for innovation around clean growth and net zero, healthy aging, the bioeconomy, manufacturing, digital and much much more.
- You’ll network with people you could collaborate with to fast track your innovation
Government announces £20 million SME Brexit Support Fund
The £20 million SME Brexit Support Fund will help small businesses with changes to trade rules with the EU through providing up to £2,000 to help with training or professional advice, if your business has up to 500 employees and no more than £100 million annual turnover.