General Business Support
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Business Link
For free expert help and advice on all aspects of setting up and running your own business please register with Business Link Yorkshire.
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Trade and Investment
TradeYorkshire is operated by UK Trade & Investment, in partnership with Yorkshire Forward, and should be your first port of call for all things related to overseas trade. Trade Yorkshire can provide information and opportunities as well as support and advice to both new and experienced exports. For more information and to contact a local advisor please visit http://www.tradeyorkshire.com
As well as providing assistance to businesses through this website, UK Trade & Investment also runs the TradeYorkshire Business Database. This contains details of approximately 18,000 businesses in the region that are either already trading, or have the potential to trade internationally. The database is used to provide targeted export support to businesses.
Some of the support available from trade Yorkshire includes:
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Targeted Export Support Scheme
The Targeted Export Support Scheme (TESS) is designed to help some companies in Yorkshire and Humber access funding to support the development of their export strategy, usually over a 6-12 month period. Companies using the scheme must work with a UK Trade & Investment International Trade Adviser, who will help them to create or review their export strategy.
For more information please visit http://www.tradeyorkshire.com/tess.htm
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Passport to Export
Passport to Export is an assessment and skills based programme that provides new and inexperienced exporters with the training and ongoing support they need to succeed overseas. It is a structured yet flexible programme which most companies complete within 12 months. It is aimed at small and medium sized enterprises who are new to exporting and who seek to develop their strategy for competing in overseas markets.
The programme provides a variety of services, including:
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Free export health check – an objective assessment of a company’s capability to export.
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Free export advice – from local International Trade Teams to help develop and deliver an action plan
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Quality training – customised to meet the needs identified in your action plan.
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UK Trade & Investment export services – including market research and foreign language trade literature.
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Market visit support – to help you visit your potential markets.
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Ongoing support – helping you continue to develop in international trade.
For more information visit http://www.tradeyorkshire.com/passport.aspx
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Innovation
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Technology Strategy Board (TSB)
The Technology Strategy Board promotes innovation in many ways. As well as investing in programmes and projects, much of their work is in spreading knowledge, understanding policy, spotting opportunities and bringing people together to solve problems or make new advances.
One of their key application areas is environmental sustainability which includes Water supply, sanitation and use.
The Technology Strategy Board currently manages a range of programmes and delivery mechanisms to drive innovation.
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Collaborative research and development
We invest in projects involving business and researchers working together to deliver successful new technology-based products and services. Over 700 CR&D projects have received investment since 2004, amounting to over £1 billion (about half from ourselves and half from the businesses involved). Go to the TSB homepage for news of recent funding calls http://www.innovateuk.org/home.ashx
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Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs)
A KTN is a national network in a specific field of technology or business application, which brings together people from businesses, universities, and research, finance and technology organisations in order to stimulate innovation through knowledge transfer and sharing of ideas.
The Environmental KTN has five priority technology areas relevant to WIF members:
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Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
A KTP is the placement of a high calibre, recently-qualified individual into a business to work on innovation projects. Increasing business interaction with the university ‘knowledge base,' it provides company-based training for graduates at the same time as delivering real benefits for the business.
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