Open to Export last week ran its 8^th Export Action Plan competition final at the GTR UK Trade and Export Finance Conference, sponsored by NatWest.

Following the format of previous competitions, 10 SMEs pithed to a panel of expert judges – including our chairman Terry Scuoler – for the chance to win £3000 and further prizes including business membership with the Institute and 2 free training courses.

All ten companies had been invited to the final having submitted their completed Export Action Plans using Open to Export’s online business planning tool.

BubbleBum named as winners

BubbleBum (UK) Limited were named as the winners following a long deliberation by the judges. BubbleBum create a range of award winning travel car booster seats, designed for children aged 4-12 years. Sue Burns – their representative at the final – impressed the judges with the company’s plans to launch in the German market.

Following the win she said:

It was a brilliant day and of course we are delighted that Bubblebum was selected as winner. The Open to Export plan is incredibly helpful for a growing business like Bubblebum when targeting export markets. Winning the award will make a huge difference for us when applying our export action plan for Germany.

 The award is an endorsement of our team’s hard work, passion and focus on clear export goals.  We’re very grateful to the sponsors NatWest and the Institute of Export & International Trade, but also to our fellow competitors, for an enjoyable competition, and the opportunity to invest in our future export growth.

The best and brightest SMEs across the UK

Jim Bidwell, Head of Trade Services Product Management for competition sponsors NatWest, said:

“It was great to be involved once again in this competition, which showcases some of the best and brightest across the UK. Trade and export plays a huge role in the economic and political agenda, and a clear and defined export strategy is essential for businesses to succeed in meeting their international ambitions. Congratulations to the winners, Bubble Bum, and to all of the finalists – a great showing all around.”  

You can read more about the final here and find out more about the 10 finalists below.

Open to Export goes global!

The next Open to Export competition is already open for submissions. The Open to Export International Business Awards are open for SMEs from anywhere in the world to enter, with the final due to take place in Geneva at the start of October.

The competition is being run as part of the WTO-ICC Small Business Champions initiative. 

You can find out more information about how to enter the awards at:

https://opentoexport.com/international-business-awards/

The finalists