Exporting for Food & Drink Businesses with Amazon and DIT

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Amazon have announced the first two exporting events in a series with the Department for International Trade providing startups, and small and medium-sized businesses with free advice to help them sell their products globally on Amazon’s stores and beyond. The series starts with a free two-day event on exporting for food & drinks businesses, followed by a bootcamp focused on selling into the US, Australia, and the Middle East & North Africa

The events are part of Amazon Small Business Accelerator, a major support package for UK small businesses and startups founded by Amazon and Enterprise Nation.

The first two-day bootcamp, Exporting for Food & Drink Businesses, will take place on Tuesday the 15th to Wednesday the 16th of June 2021. The two-day course provides entrepreneurs in the food and drinks sector with specific guidance on selling on Amazon, together with sessions on compliance, exporting, health and safety and using social media to grow your business.

In July, Amazon and the DIT will host the second bootcamp event focused on selling to the US, Australia, and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, with presentations from Department for International Trade experts on how to navigate the current exporting challenges for small businesses, details of how to use marketing and brand tools on Amazon, and an opportunity to hear first-hand from successful Amazon small businesses selling partner reaching customers around the world online.

At each event attendees will be offered up to six hours of free training and support on how to sell successfully from a range of specialists. They will also be connected to a group of like-minded entrepreneurs and receive ongoing access to a network of trainers and advisers from Enterprise Nation to assist them throughout their business journey. The remaining exporting bootcamps with the Department for International Trade will take place across the rest of 2021, with specific events for businesses based in Scotland and London.

The education you will receive in the bootcamp is completely free. If you wish to follow the recommendation of setting up an Amazon Account to grow your online presence, there is a £25 + VAT monthly fee for being on the professional selling plan.

“Amazon is proud to be working with the Department for International Trade and Enterprise Nation to deliver free education to business owners and entrepreneurs in helping them to go global online. Through these events small businesses will be equipped with the tools, knowledge and support they need to establish a successful online operation and reach customers around the world.”
– Simon Donegan, Head of Seller Services, Amazon

“Exporting and going global is clearly a huge topic for small businesses and as they tackle new transition-related responsibilities for the first time, free bootcamps like these are vital to ensure we can help guide firms through these challenges. The UK’s startup appetite has not been dimmed and remains as strong, if not stronger, than ever. What is clear however, is that the demand for early-stage support and guidance on everything from what to include in a business plan, to how to export to the US and new markets has exploded. These targeted bootcamps will help to support the UK’s enterprise community through this period and beyond.”
– Emma Jones CBE, Head of Enterprise Nation

“It is vital that UK small businesses are supported so we can build back better and deliver an export-led recovery from the pandemic. I therefore really welcome the launch of the Amazon Small Business Accelerator exports campaign. Working in partnership with the Department for International Trade, the initiative has been designed to help businesses from individual sectors, as well as providing them with the expertise they need to sell into some of the largest markets in the world.”
– Jamila Saidi, Head of Digital Commerce, Retail & Luxury, Department for International Trade