Global Gateway2Trade
| Dates run: | December 2003 - April 2006 |
| Boroughs occupied: | Objective 2 areas: London boroughs of Hackney, Haringey, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Enfield, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Waltham Forest and Greenwich |
| Statistics: | 300 SMEs benefited from the project |
| Funder: | GOL - ERDF |
| Delivery Partners: | Enfield Enterprise Agency HBV Enterprise |
| Subsidiary Partners: | Adornment, Tottenham Green Enterprise Centre, East London Small Business Centre, Southall Regeneration Partnership, Hammersmith & Fulham Business Enterprise Agency |
London’s black, Asian and minority ethnic businesses make a huge contribution to the capital’s economy. While many of these companies are already successfully exploiting global markets to grow their business and become more competitive, a significant number do not take advantage of these opportunities.
The Global Gateway2Trade (GG2T) run by GLE oneLondon was designed to enable more minority ethnic businesses across London to access the benefits of international trade. The project supported and encouraged these businesses to explore and develop their business potential in global markets, providing relevant information, advice and access to expert services for international trade.
The project's success was based on breaking down its services into easy-to-absorb modules and focusing help on the areas that were most needed.
Key highlights:
- extended visits to Paris, Prague and Barcelona.
Each firm attending these visits received over ten hours of intensive pre-visit training, received active support, and were able to meet potential business partners and experts.
"Our textile offer found ready interest amongst several Czech firms who appreciated both our designs and quality", Mega Enterprises
"The intensive advanced training we received helped me refocus my sales and branding; we reworked our website extensively and improved all our materials - something hard to do without the impetus of an extended business event like this", Coburg Coffee Company
- providing participating small businesses with the opportunity to exhibit at trade exhibitions PURE and IFE
"London-based events provide a low-risk, low-cost option for businesses new to international sales. They provide a forum for companies to learn about exhibiting, how to prepare for and follow up on the event. They also offer an excellent opportunity to conduct market research on your product as well as showcase at the competition."
- hosting the first ever International Business Day for individuals from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups.
This event enabled London's businesses to meet and network with international trade experts, support organisations and other like-minded companies experienced in international trade. The action-packed day included speed networking, expert consultations and workshops, as well as four inspirational business case studies. Twenty-two businesses showcased and sold their products and services including Francophony, a French language magazine and food manufacturer American Muffin.
The results:
Over the two-year intensive term of the project, 86 firms were provided with more than 25+ hours of assistance, training and overseas experience; and a further 132 were advised in taking their first steps towards international trade.
Case study:
The following company, is a case study of businesses supported through the GG2T project:
Our partners:
The project was delivered in partnership wtih Enfield Enterprise Agency and HBV Enterprise, and was funded by Government Office for London as part of the European Regional Development Fund programme, match funded by UK Trade and Investment.
Contact us:
For further information on this past project, please email Irene on irene.j@gle.co.uk
