Business owners in Ashfield thinking about trading abroad, or existing importers and exporters looking to drive international sales, can take advantage of a fully funded service from the Ashfield Accelerator Project.
‘Trading Overseas’ is part of the Project delivered by East Midlands Chamber and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). It forms part of Ashfield District Council’s Accelerator Programme and offers support to local businesses to tap into global markets. This could be for strategic as well as operational support.
Sole traders, micro and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can be supported by a specialist consultant – Andrea Collins of the Global Trade Department – to address import and export challenges such as finding new markets, suppliers, distributors and trade events. The service will be tailored to the needs of each business and could cover global trade functions, regulatory compliance or sustainability planning. Home Curtains, a maker and supplier of curtains based in Sutton-in-Ashfield, is one business that has already benefitted from support.
Home Curtains Head of Finance Rachel Binks said: “We were looking for support to guide us through the exploration of new markets abroad. We contacted the Accelerator project and explained what we were looking to investigate, and in turn built a plan to turn our ideas into practice. We were introduced to Andrea who worked tirelessly with us, showing patience and understanding in every question we had. The support and guidance paid significant dividends upon the acceptance of a Customs warehouse and continued support through applications for VAT numbers in EU countries and further afield.”
East Midlands Chamber Deputy Chief Executive Diane Beresford said: “We are delighted to be working with Ashfield District Council on the Accelerator Trading Overseas project. This is hands-on support for any business in Ashfield wanting to break into overseas markets or grow its current international portfolio.
“Eligible businesses also have access to the new Ashfield Accelerator Grant, which can provide between £8,000 to £30,000 to support costs for trading overseas as well as adopting new technologies, research and innovation, decarbonisation and workforce development.”
Businesses wanting to find out more should visit the Ashfield Accelerator pages of the D2N2 Growth Hub website and complete an Expression of Interest form. This project will end on 31 March 2025.
