Boosting small biz export growth at the ‘Great British Pitch’
Hundreds of UK entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to over 70 global buyers at the Great British Pitch, a flagship event held during International Trade Week to boost small business exports and showcase British innovation on the world stage.
Hosted at BT’s London headquarters and live streamed globally, the campaign was delivered by Small Business Britain in partnership with BT, and supported by the Department for Business and Trade, to support the UK’s 5.6m small businesses to drive growth through exporting.
Participating businesses received tailored coaching ahead of their pitches to a range of international buyers – including major names like Amazon, Nordic Point and JD.com’s new online retail platform in Europe, Joybuy.
Small businesses up and down the country are also now set to benefit from new export pitching training that is being launched by the UK government’s Export Academy following the event.
Parliamentary under-secretary of state Blair McDougall, minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation and Sir Chris Bryant, minister for Trade addressed attendees at the Great British Pitch, reinforcing the government’s commitment to helping small businesses expand internationally.
Chris Bryant said: “Businesses that export are more productive, resilient, create more jobs, and boost growth which is why International Trade Week is so important in raising awareness of the fantastic opportunities UK businesses have to go global.
“It was great to witness so many dynamic businesses at the Great British Pitch looking to take full advantage of tools at their disposal – including our three landmark trade deals with the EU, US, and India.”
A host of advisers to the UK’s Board of Trade – including Allison Kirkby, chief executive of BT Group, Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO and founder of Small Business Britain, and Mike Soutar, entrepreneur and Apprentice Star judge —also took part in the event, highlighting the vast opportunity for UK entrepreneurs to export and drive economic growth.
Although the UK’s 5.6m small businesses make up 99% of British businesses and half of private sector turnover, the latest government data showed that just 22% currently export their goods or services.
Michelle Ovens said: “The success of the Great British Pitch is a powerful demonstration of the ambition and talent within the UK’s small business community. We’ve seen real connections made and global interest sparked. There is a huge opportunity for UK entrepreneurs to accelerate their growth through export. We need to support them as much as possible to take their rightful, starring place on the world stage.”
Allison Kirkby said: “We were delighted to host the Great British Pitch at BT’s head office, welcoming some of the UK’s brightest and most ambitious small businesses, and opening doors to new buyers, new markets, and new skills. Small businesses are essential to the UK’s economy and its growth, and we know they can’t thrive without secure, reliable connectivity – and the confidence to make the most of it. As well as the pitch sessions, BT’s cyber security and digital skills experts were on hand to provide tailored support. By investing in their resilience and digital confidence, we’re helping unlock the growth potential of thousands of entrepreneurs and building a stronger, safer, and more connected future.”
Deals and Outcomes
A number of small businesses reported immediate interest and follow-up conversations with buyers, with early-stage export deals already in motion. Businesses in sectors including technology, food & drink, and creative industries saw strong engagement, particularly from buyers in India, the US, and Europe. The event is expected to lead to dozens of promising new international partnerships in the coming months.
Julianne Ponan, founder and CEO of Creative Nature, an allergen-free snack food company exporting internationally, was one of a number of businesses securing deal interest. She said: “It has been incredible to be part of the Great British Pitch and have the opportunity to speak to buyers that we would have found difficult to get meetings with. The event has been amazing, as a founder to be in a room of incredible knowledge, as well as have pitches with buyers genuinely interested in our top fourteen allergen free products. A great value of time for small businesses like mine who want to export.”
Ralph Broadbent, co-founder of London-based innovative craft-beer machine Pinter is an example of a business that has successfully scaled through international trade. He said: “Export, particularly to the US market, has been transformative for the growth of Pinter. We’re a platform for lots of great beer brands and being able to offer those brands access to customers in the US – a market around ten times bigger than the UK – but also let customers access those brands, is game-changing. The platform works best at scale and so export has been the critical piece of the puzzle for us, fuelling our growth engine. International export can really raise the horizons of Britain’s businesses and we need to encourage more to do it.”
Government Backing
The Great British Pitch was launched last month – with backing from the prime minister – during his historic international trade delegation to Mumbai, which aimed to boost trading opportunities on the back of the recent landmark UK-India trade deal.
Commenting earlier in October prime minister Keir Starmer said: “Small businesses are the engine of our economy, and this government is committed to unlocking their full potential to drive growth as part of our Plan for Change.
Through initiatives like the Great British Pitch, we’re working together with fantastic organisations like Small Business Britain and BT to help small firms take their ideas global, drive exports, and power the growth our country needs.”
The Great British Pitch is supported by the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade, aligning with the government’s growth agenda and its Industrial and Trade Strategies, which aim to put UK entrepreneurs on the international stage and open the door to global growth.
Off the back of the Great British Pitch, the government’s UK Export Academy has launched the Pitch Perfect webinar series – a five-part programme designed to help small businesses all over the country to navigate the full export journey, from initial pitch to securing payment.
Covering topics such as building international buyer relationships, managing risk, pricing across borders, and delivering on global contracts, the series offers expert-led guidance to empower UK entrepreneurs to scale confidently and sustainably in overseas markets.
https://smallbusinessbritain.uk/the-great-british-pitch and https://www.business.gov.uk/export-academy/pitch-perfect/