Tag: Department for Business & Trade

UK Government roadshow showcases Scottish talent and boosts SME exports

Government roadshow showcases Scottish talent and boosts SME exports   

  • Roadshow brings together exporters in the financial, professional, and business sector to buyers and trade experts from right across the world.
  • Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation, Blair McDougall will celebrate the success of our service industries and urge more small firms to take advantage of Government export support.
  • Exports are key for the UK Government’s growth mission, supporting a fifth of UK employment, paying 7% higher wages, and delivering 28.5% higher productivity.

Small business exporters and ambitious SMEs across Scotland will be front and centre of a new roadshow in Edinburgh today, offering tailored support from the UK Government to get more SMEs exporting across the financial, professional, and business services sectors.  

The Made in the UK, Sold to the World roadshow events offer SMEs the opportunity to directly connect with commercial officers, international buyers, and Export Champions to get advice, support, and discuss real export opportunities.

Boosting exports is a key part of the government’s Plan for Change to drive growth, create well-paid jobs and put more money in people’s pockets, with stats showing businesses that export are over a quarter more productive than businesses that don’t, and pay 7% higher wages.

The roadshow will demonstrate the incredible support being made available to SMEs through the Small Business Plan, from the expansion of UK Export Finance’s capacity to the Business Growth Service.

In 2024, the US was the largest market for Scottish services after the Netherlands, which is why the roadshow will provide a workshop for businesses on exporting services to the US.

As part of the Plan for Change, each roadshow is focused on one of the eight key growth driving sectors identified in the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy to channel support to sectors with the highest potential to create jobs, boost productivity and grow the economy.

DBT Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation, Blair McDougall said: ““Scottish businesses are known for providing world-class Financial and Professional services, and this roadshow will be an excellent opportunity to showcase that talent and connect businesses with new international partners, opening the door to new markets.

“Export success and the professional and business services sector are key to the government’s Industrial Strategy and Plan for Change, which will drive growth and create well-paid jobs. That is why we are doing everything we can to support our small and medium sized businesses to grow and succeed.”

Minister McDougall will be giving the keynote address before touring the roadshow, seeing the many workshops and exhibition on offer. The Minister will meet with several businesses spanning law, insurance, and financial technology sectors.

Professional and business services are worth £300 billion a year and support one in every seven jobs. Strengthening the sector is central to the Modern Industrial Strategy, which aims to maintain the UK’s position as the second largest services exporter in the world while creating the most dynamic professional and business services ecosystem by 2035.

Plans include five new centres of excellence across country to help services firms grow and adopt new technology, and additional backing through UK Export Finance to secure overseas contracts.

Scotland is home to a dynamic financial, professional and business services industry ranging from law and accountancy, to consulting and engineering. Making Edinburgh a hub for both large corporations like the Royal Bank of Scotland and for smaller firms like Predictiva.

The commercial officers and international buyers present at the event span markets and regions from around the world, from the US and Europe to Africa, the Asia Pacific, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

On hand and ready to offer his advice, will be Export Champion and Founder & CEO at Modulr, Myles Stephenson.

Modulr, based in Edinburgh, has had global success having created an industry-leading payments platform. The company has seen tremendous growth in the last 9-years being one of the UK’s fastest growing tech companies. Our Plan for Change will give SME a clear path to growth, making success stories like Modulr a reality for more UK Businesses.

Myles Stephenson, Export Champion and Founder & CEO at Modulr, said: “International expansion is a fantastic opportunity for Scottish firms to scale and achieve significant growth.

“At Modulr we’ve worked hard and invested to navigate the challenges of expanding into new markets but know it’s not easy and would like more firms to start or increase their exporting activity.

“By sharing our experience we’d like to encourage more firms to start or increase their export activity. Accessing the support is a key enabler and critical item to consider when entering overseas markets – the Department for Business Trade can help navigate this.”

Future of the Post Office to be shaped by postmasters and customers

UK Government launches the Post Office Green Paper, the first comprehensive review of the Post Office in 15 years

  • First comprehensive review of the Post Office in 15 years, with customers and postmasters shaping its future.
  • Post Office Green Paper will seek to transform the organisation’s culture in the wake of the Horizon scandal and changing customer demands.
  • Better services at the heart of new £118 million subsidy to fund the Post Office’s Transformation Plan and further network investment, moving the organisation closer to delivering growth in line with the Plan for Change.

Postmasters and the public will have the opportunity to shape the future of the Post Office for the first time in 15 years, as the Government sets out its vision for the next decade for the organisation.

The Post Office Green Paper, published today, will move further and faster to deliver a decade of renewal for customers and postmasters, building on the cultural reset being led by Post Office Chair Nigel Railton that will be so crucial to its success.

Working hand in hand with postmasters and the public the Government will ensure the network is put on a path to a strong and sustainable future with Post Office branches remaining at the heart of communities across the UK.

This includes on the Post Office’s ownership model, with concepts including mutualisation on the table for consideration following the publication of the final Horizon Inquiry report later this year.

The report is expected to provide recommendations on improving the structure of the Post Office so that this miscarriage of justice is never allowed to occur again, protecting postmasters whilst also providing reassurance for customers.

This follows an unprecedented period in which the Post Office has faced a series of major challenges, from the Horizon IT scandal to significant changes in consumer behaviour, such as a rise in online shopping and falling demand for traditional post.

Post Office Minister Gareth Thomas said: “Post Offices continue to be a central part of our high streets and communities across the country. However, after fifteen years without a proper review, and in the aftermath of the Horizon scandal, it’s clear we need a fresh vision for its future.

“This Green Paper marks the start of an honest conversation about what people want and need from their Post Office in the years ahead.

“I look forward to hearing the views of customers, business owners and postmasters so we can build a Post Office capable of serving the public for generations to come.”

The consultation will run for 12 weeks, closing on 6th October 2025. It will examine key areas including:

  • How Post Office services should evolve to meet changing consumer needs
  • Ways to strengthen the relationship between the Post Office and its postmasters
  • Options for modernising the network while ensuring services remain within local reach
  • Ensure the Post Office is well-equipped to adapt to consumer trends
  • How the Post Office can improve and develop the banking services it provides

Research published alongside the Green Paper today also highlights the important role the Post Office still plays in the daily lives of people and businesses, adding social value of around £5.2 billion per year to households and £1.3 billion annually to small and medium sized businesses.

As part of the Government’s commitment to securing the future of this vital national institution, Ministers have also announced plans to award a new subsidy package of up to £118 million to fund the Post Office’s Transformation Plan and further investment to improve the network.

This funding will protect key services, including access to cash deposits and withdrawals as well as key government services, such as passport applications and the DVLA, alongside helping the Post Office deliver cost-saving measures in its Transformation Plan, part of the New Deal for Postmasters.

  • The Green Paper and details on how to respond to the consultation can be found here.