For the third year running, Heathrow and the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Exporting is GREAT campaign is inviting SMEs across the country to apply for 20 ‘World of Opportunity’ grants worth £2,000 each. The grants will support small businesses that are just beginning to export or help those companies that can export but don’t.

Applications for this year’s ‘World of Opportunity’ Programme are open until Friday 18th October 2019 and interested parties can apply here.

Last year’s winners were made up of specialist tourism operators, software developers and retailers from many of the UK’s regions and nations.

Representatives from DIT will support each winner by helping them access the right information, advice and assistance while connecting businesses to overseas buyers, markets and each other. Plaza Premium will also be providing complimentary lounge passes for the winners as they leave Heathrow on their journeys.

A panel of exporting experts including Lord Deighton, Heathrow’s Chairman and Parveen Thornhill, Head of London & Devolved Administrations from DIT will select this year’s winners.

Last year’s ‘World of Opportunity’ Programme received nearly 150 entries from SMEs from Cornwall to Glasgow and the programme is expected to become even more competitive this year. To win one of the prized 20 grants, applicants will need to show why they’re primed to expand their businesses abroad, demonstrate their export capability and give their rationale for the markets they’re targeting.

The grants help to ensure British businesses benefit from the economic opportunities that Heathrow provides as the UK’s only hub airport and most valuable port, with more long-haul routes than any other UK airport and connections to 200 destinations in over 80 countries.

In addition to this programme, for the past 22 years, Heathrow has run a successful series of Business Summits around the country. The summits give SMEs the opportunity to engage directly with top tier companies in the airport’s supply chain and discover opportunities to become one of the many businesses that keep Heathrow running. There are 5 Summits this Autumn – Belfast, Edinburgh, York, Stoke-on-Trent and Heathrow – and you can find out more information here.

Finally, once more Heathrow Airport Ltd will be at all party conferences this Autumn and running an exclusive, airport-style lounge at Labour, Conservatives and SNP. You can register for Lounge access and request to book meeting space for your own meetings at the conference here.

Key contact:

Lisa Childs
Senior External Affairs Manager
Heathrow Airport Ltd
The Compass Centre, Nelson Road
Hounslow, Middlesex, TW6 2GW
Mobile: +44 (0)7740 500 450
Website: heathrow.com
Twitter: twitter.com/heathrowairport
Mobile Applications: heathrow.com/apps