UK Tradeshow Programme

Attending overseas trade shows can help you:

• gain essential market knowledge and make new contacts
• gain experience in attending and getting the most from overseas trade shows
• get advice and support from trade experts on how to maximise your presence

The UK Tradeshow Programme provides all successful applicants with training, both about tradeshows in general and also specifically about the event that they applied for. The highest ranked applicants may also receive financial support to help with exhibiting at the show, such as the costs of stand space.

Accessing support to exhibit at overseas trade shows

The support available through the programme varies.

All successful applicants will receive training on successfully exhibiting at:

• trade shows in general
• the specific approved event(s) that they have applied for

Some businesses may also receive a grant of either £2,000 or £4,000 as financial support to cover:

• exhibition space costs
• stand costs (including design, construction and stand dressing)
• conference fees, costs of preparing conference promotional material (where appropriate)

Programme eligibility criteria for exhibitors

You must not have previously received support to exhibit from the UK Tradeshow Programme.

You must:

• be exhibiting for the first time or wishing to venture into new markets
• be turning over annually between £250,000 to £5 million
• not have committed to attending the event before applying for support
• be actively investigating export opportunities for your own business:
  – having not previously exported, or
  – having previously exported and wishing to grow exports in new markets

Accessing support to attend overseas trade shows

The support available through the programme varies.

All eligible applicants will receive training on how to successfully exhibit at overseas trade shows.

Some businesses will also receive:

• a bespoke pre-event briefing
• a curated tour of an overseas trade show
• contributions towards costs of show entry, travel or accommodation of £200 for European shows, or £500 for shows outside Europe

Availability of these additional services is limited and will be allocated in order of successful applications received.

Programme eligibility criteria for attendees

You must not have previously received any support from the UK Tradeshow Programme.

You must:

• be attending a show for the first time or wishing to venture into new markets
• be turning over annually between £85,000 to £250,000
• not have committed to attending the event before applying for support
• be actively investigating export opportunities for your own business:
  – having not previously exported, or
  – having previously exported and wishing to grow exports in new markets

Common eligibility criteria

Access to support from the programme is limited.

Organisations can apply for support from each part of the programme once only, subject to programme eligibility criteria.

You must be UK VAT-registered to apply.

General eligibility criteria
Eligible businesses must be small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (fewer than 250 employees), based in the UK (excluding Isle of Man or the Channel Islands), and either:

• sell products or services which substantially originate from the UK, or
• add significant value to a product or service of non-UK origin

You may be required to evidence that you meet the criteria.

Financial support eligibility criteria

In addition to the above conditions, for financial support you must:

• not receive any contributions, from another programme or body, towards the eligible costs covered by the UK Tradeshow Programme
• not have received government aid in excess of the limits below:
  – if you are a business in Great Britain and state aid rules under the Northern Ireland Protocol do not apply: 325,000 SDR (approximately £332,000)
  – if you are a business within the scope of Northern Ireland Protocol State aid rules: €200,000, except for businesses in the sectors below

Some sectors have a lower limit for government aid. This is due to the Northern Ireland Protocol’s state aid rules.

These limits and sectors are:

• €20,000 if you are active in the fishery and aquaculture sector
• €30,000 if you are active in the primary production of agriculture products

UK Tradeshow Programme financial support is likely to constitute state aid or a subsidy to recipients.