Government launches new digital service to help small businesses export

Described as a ‘digital trade hub’, the website GREAT.gov.uk provides a searchable export directory intended to match UK businesses with global demand for goods and services, and to help them secure better deals when exporting.

The site will offer practical advice, tools and support to help small businesses win contracts and save costs on fees or commissions. It will also make it easier for overseas businesses to identify potential suppliers in the UK, with multilingual pages and sections dedicated to the priority markets of India, China, Germany and the US.

The DIT stated: “The site will act as a single digital destination for trade and investment, bringing together and connecting UK businesses, international buyers and international investors.”

The hub is part of a wider Government plan to help a further 100,000 UK businesses to export by 2020. The DIT claims that its e-exporting programme has helped more than 3,000 companies to export since 2014, generating deals worth £388 million. It hopes that the GREAT.gov.uk hub will add a further 20,000 online exporters and £2 billion of value to the UK economy by 2020.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said: “Maximising the opportunities for international trade is not only in our best economic interests – it’s crucial to the UK’s future prosperity to ensure we’re building and maintaining an economy that works for everybody.

“GREAT.gov.uk will show an international audience that we’re home to the most dynamic and innovative companies in the world and that Britain is open for business as never before.”