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Government withdraws TAP funding Robert Anslow M anaging Director If you r company is a me mb er of the Bab y Pro duc ts Ass ocia tion and you are not cur rently receivin g me mb ers ’ e-bulletins wit h industry upd ates , but would like to, ple ase em ail juli e@ b-p -a. org wh o will add you to the databa se.
www.b-p-a.org
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nursery today
Earlier this year, the Department for International Trade (DIT) announced its decision to withdraw the Trade Access Programme (TAP) funding to support SMEs to exhibit at international trade shows. This decision has been strongly objected to by the Sponsor’s Alliance, a membership group consisting of almost 70% of UK trade associations which have been delivering the TAP programme for over 10 years and of which the Baby Products Association is a member.
Collaboration
The Association became Trade Challenge Partner for DIT almost a decade ago along with numerous other UK trade associations supporting diverse industries from fashion and textiles, to engineering, brewing and music. These associations have been diligently managing and allocating TAP funding for British companies to exhibit at trade shows around the world helping to create access to exporting; particularly for small companies which are relatively new and inexperienced. In June this year, the Sponsor’s Alliance lobbied the government with a strongly worded letter to Graham Stuart MP and Minister for Exports for DIT and the majority of members, including the Baby Products Association wrote to their own MPs too expressing concern about the end of TAP funding and the potential consequences for British exporting overall.
Lobbying
Robert Anslow, managing director of the Baby Products Association, stated in this correspondence: “TAP grants have provided numerous companies in the baby products industry (particularly the smaller businesses which have only been trading for a few years) the vital pathway to exporting. Important international trade shows which introduce British businesses to customers from around the world are generally hugely expensive to attend and the government’s decision to withdraw this support will prohibit some SMEs from attending in the future.
The ROI for every TAP supported event attended has been immense for our members. For example, 40 companies attended Kind + Jugend in Germany in 2018 (one of the biggest baby trade shows in the world) receiving combined TAP grants of £60,000. The total orders taken at the show by those participants were valued at almost £3 million. The loss of TAP grants will have a major impact on our members’ ability to attend such events in the future – and consequently a huge loss of export revenue opportunities for our industry.” Prior to Covid restrictions the Government announced a DIT scheme available from November 2020 to early 2023 called the Internationalisation Fund to assist SMEs ready to start exporting goods or services or expand into new overseas markets (please see separate article below for more information).
Future plans
In a recent press release, DIT has promised a new approach to its support for British businesses when it revamps its export strategy in the near future. This follows calls from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) for the UK to match the support of other countries such as that offered to exporters by Canada and Australia. In response to the criticism from the Sponsor’s Alliance and UK trade associations over the scrapping of TAP, a DIT spokesperson said: “We want trade shows that work better for businesses in every part of the country and support our vision for an export-led recovery from the pandemic. We look forward to setting out this new approach ahead of our revamped export strategy later this year.” The Baby Products Association will keep its members and the wider industry informed on updates regarding future funding for international trade events.
Internationalisation Fund – what you need to know
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has launched its new Internationalisation Fund supported by
the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Match-funded grants of between £1,000 and £9,000 will be available for future activity, subject to eligibility and availability). To secure a grant, companies need to fund a proportion of the costs themselves and this varies according to where the business is based – but will be either 40 or 50% of the total cost. The fund is currently available throughout England, except Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which have similar schemes. Visit www.great.gov.uk/campaigns/ internationalisation-fund-for-englishbusinesses for more information.
Gain recognition for your products! Companies exhibiting at Harrogate International Nursery Fair in October this year could gain additional recognition of excellence for their products by entering the Baby Products Association’s Baby and Nursery Trade Awards (BANTAs). Julie Milne of the Association explains: “The BANTAs are highly respected by retailers and buyers attending the show as the awards are judged by industry experts taking into consideration aspects such as safety, practicality, value for money, desirability and market need. This gives them a heads up at the show about which products are considered to be great retail choices. For more information and to download an entry form, visit the website at www.b-p-a.org For more information about joining the Baby Products Association and receiving information and support for your business, visit www.b-p-a.org – or contact Julie Milne at julie@b-p-a.org
