Small business owners offered chance to win £2,000 exporting grant

Heathrow has relaunched its scheme giving entrepreneurs the chance to win a £2,000 grant to help with exporting their products or services overseas.

The World of Opportunity competition will award the funding to one small business in each of the UK's 12 regions. Winners will also receive advice on their export strategy from the Department for Business and Trade's Export Support Service.

The competition is open until 23 December. Apply here.

Previous winners include Cardiff artist Julia Brooker, who now sells 80% of her work abroad after the grant funded a journey to meet potential clients in Japan. Those contacts have since been converted into customers. Julia said:

"Most small businesses are nervous about exporting, but they shouldn't be.

"Get help and take your product international. If a one-woman business in Cardiff can do it, anyone can."

Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye added:

"In every corner of the UK there are entrepreneurs who have the potential to be exporters.

"SMEs in this country make and do fantastic things, selling those products and services on international markets is key to economic growth and supporting jobs at home.

"There is a world of opportunity out there and we want to help even more people benefit."

Small business and exports minister Gareth Thomas commented:

"We are on a mission to get more small firms across the UK exporting right around the world, and Heathrow's World of Opportunity grant is another great tool to achieving that aim.

"By working together, we can support small firms to grow, boost exports, cut trade barriers and unlock new opportunities through our trade strategy. When our exporters thrive, Britain grows."

Related Enterprise Nation resources

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