Dear Members and Friends,
Seeing so many members and friends at our Christmas Party on Wednesday night was a very enjoyable reminder of how much we have done together over the last year. It’s impossible to single out one or two activities from such a wide choice, when you can find everything in our Yearbook – please do take a look. A very big thank you from me to our members who have continued to support us and to give so much valuable time to speak at and join in events as well as to participate in working groups to produce some outstanding reports. We will continue to work to ensure that BEI membership is a “must have” for all our members and a real generator of opportunities. I’m equally grateful to all our partners from across the UK Government to London-based Embassies, Governments around the world, bilateral donors, development banks and specialists in the business, academic, and not-for-profit worlds. We and our members benefit greatly from your engagement with us; I’m glad that you find it worthwhile to spend time with us.
Before the party, our International Development Heads of Business group once again had the opportunity to exchange views with Beverley Jandziol, Commercial Director at FCDO. As always, we’re very grateful to Beverley for sharing her insights on the changes afoot in FCDO procurement as a result of the impending entry into force of the new Procurement Act in February. The postponement was of course the result of the new Government’s wish to publish its own National Procurement Policy statement which, while it doesn’t alter the terms of the Act, will be an important signal of the direction the Government wants to take in the coming years. While we will have to await the details, one of the points we will be watching closely is the commitment to facilitate greater involvement of SMEs.
From our discussion with Beverley, it was also clear that great deal of practical work is going on in FCDO to prepare for deploying the new rules for procurements from 24 February and there are likely to be further moves to improve capability as a result of the Shafik Review which is due to be published early next year. We will be keeping a close eye on all this in 2025. To start with, we will engage actively with members early in the New Year on how best to keep front of mind with Government the commercial dynamics which make for effective procurement to achieve our shared objectives.
This Tuesday, we had a deep dive into education in India with key members of the DBT India team: K.T. Rajan, Cluster Head for Technology, Innovation, Education and Skills at DBT South Asia; Habib Raihan, Senior Trade Adviser for Education Services, Skills and Technology; and Piyush Awasthi, Senior Trade Advisor and Education Sector Lead, India. The DBT experts gave our members an overview of the key education sector developments for UK providers. India is very much an opportunity market which we will continue to follow next year.
Yesterday, we looked back on COP29, in which of course many BEI members participated and added value to a number of important cross-sector discussions. Our speakers, including the UK Government and members, shared their thoughts on both the progress and the challenges at this COP and explored where the global climate agenda goes next. We were grateful to: Nick Baker, currently Head of the COP29 Team at the British Embassy in Baku; Francis Heil, Associate Director – Climate Change and Resilience at AtkinsRéalis; Debbie Hillier, Head of Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance Programme at Mercy Corps; and Volodymyr Yakubov, Business Development Director, International Projects at BSI.
Earlier this week, Sasha spoke alongside Dr Stuart Brocklehurst, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Business Engagement and Innovation at the University of Exeter and John Carstensen, Fellow and Climate Resilience Lead at Mott MacDonald on the implications of COP29 for the Caspian region at the Caspian Energy Security and Post-COP29 Conference. Sasha highlighted some of the opportunities for Azerbaijan and the wider region as a result of increased climate awareness after COP, as well as some of the regional agreements on water security signed in the margins of COP29. These agreements included the Declaration of Ministers and High-Level Officials of the Caspian States on Enhancing Cooperation in Response to the Declining Caspian Sea Level, which will provide a framework for enhanced regional cooperation on climate adaptation and sustainable management. These initiatives and the collaborative approach behind them create opportunities for private sector investment and consultancy.
Next Wednesday morning, we have a virtual event with the support of DBT Africa on Opportunities to Partner with Leading EPC Contractors Working in Africa. In the run up to the February 2025 Africa EPC Contractors Roadshow, UK suppliers manufacturers and service providers can learn about DBT’s plans for the Roadshow and explore how British organisations can work with EPC contractors delivering transformative projects across the continent. The speakers will be: Radwa Sultan, Infrastructure Sector Director and Stephane Ahonzo, Deputy Sector Director Infrastructure, both from the DBT Africa; and Stephen Wilson, Export Finance Manager at UKEF, Wales and Herefordshire.
On Wednesday afternoon we are hosting an important virtual event on the EBRD Ukraine Project Preparation Facility. The session will outline the structure of this new facility, explain how EBRD oversees project preparation and set out their strategy for engaging with the public sector. We will also hear how EBRD works with private sector consultants in project preparation. Our speakers, some of whom joined us recently, include: Matthew Jordan-Tank Director of Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Project Preparation; David Tyler, Head of Project Preparation and Implementation Unit; and Johan Fredholm, Principal Fund Manager.
Finally, we are pleased to be supporting the World Water-Tech Innovation summit in London on 25-26 February 25-26. From waste valorisation and decarbonisation to AI-driven solutions and collective efforts against pollutants, the event will highlight the crucial role of accelerating technology adoption to mitigate the effects of climate change on the water sector. See the agenda and speakers here. BEI members can save an additional 10% on the Super Early Bird ticket (ending on 12 December) with our special discount code BEI10. You can register here.
It’s been fun looking back with members over the past year. In our final newsletter of the year next Friday, we’ll take a look at 2025. In the meantime, my best wishes for the weekend, whether it’s full of Christmas preparations or just a rest…
David Landsman
Executive Chairman
British Expertise International
Recordings of recent past events:
- 6th November 2024: FCDO Development Director - Nigeria
- 12th November 2024: Tanzania – Market Opportunity Overview
- 14th November 2024: Morocco – Market Opportunity Overview
- 14th November 2024: COP16 Outcomes
- 26th November 2024: India – Opportunities in Disaster Risk Resilience
- 27th November 2024: Education Working Group | AI in Digital Assessment
- 28th November 2024: Working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia
- 3rd December 2024: India Education Deep Dive with the Department for Business and Trade
- 5th December 2024: COP29 Outcomes
Key events coming up include the following:
- 11th December 2024 10:00 – 11:15 GMT: Opportunities to Partner With Leading EPC Contractors Working in Africa - Ahead of the February 2025 Africa EPC Contractors Roadshow, UK suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers are invited to learn about DBT’s plans for the Roadshow and explore how UK organisations can work with EPC contractors delivering transformative projects across the continent.
- 11th December 2024 14:00 – 15:00 GMT: The EBRD Ukraine Project Preparation Facility - This session will outline the structure of EBRD’s new Ukraine Project Preparation Facility, explain how EBRD oversees project preparation, and detail their strategy for engaging with the public sector. In addition, EBRD will discuss how they collaborate with private sector consultants in project preparation.
- 16th January 2025 12:00 – 13:00 GMT: Water Resilience Working Group - The UK has a distinctive offer and world-leading expertise in sustainable and climate-resilient water services. This group, in partnership with UK government, IFIs and other key stakeholders, aims to define that offer and leverage it to increase exports.
- 28th January 2025 16:00 – 19:00 GMT: Climate Change Networking Evening - Join us for an evening of thought-provoking conversation, potential new partnerships and the chance to meet with members of our Climate Change Working Group. Our keynote speaker this time is Kate Hargreaves, DAI’s new Director for Climate and Environment. Kate’s work reflects a holistic approach to tackling the climate crisis, combining technological innovation, financial strategy, community involvement, and social equity.
- 27th February 2025 16:00 – 19:00 GMT: Climate Change Networking Evening - Join us for an evening of thought-provoking conversation, potential new partnerships and the chance to meet with members of our Climate Change Working Group. Our keynote speaker this time is Andy Blackhall, Managing Director of WRc. Andy will reflect on his career and his hopes for the future.
External Events:
- 11th December 2024: Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) Uganda - London Investment Mission. Investors, accelerators and ecosystem players are invited to attend a special event in London. This event is designed to bridge the gap between innovative climate mitigation and adaptation projects and the investment needed to bring them to life. In the morning, you will hear pitches from all projects and have the opportunity to talk to the project developers. The afternoon will allow you to listen to and join discussions around policy and enabling environment opportunities to scale climate finance in East Africa. You can register here.
- 11th December 2024 09:00 – 17:00 GMT: IFC-UKEF Investment Promotion Conference - Join IFC and UK Export Finance for a full-day in-person event aimed at fostering economic development and investment opportunities in the Western Balkans. To support UK businesses with ambitions to grow their footprint in the region, the event will feature expert presentations and a series of panel sessions to explore financing solutions across some of the major sectors in the region discussing relevant case studies of landmark transactions, including within renewable energy, private equity, and capital markets. There will also be opportunities for bilateral meetings and networking. For more information, please contact Johanna Hoegstedt at jhoegstedt@ifc.org
- 12th December 2024 10.00 – 11.00 GMT: Webinar - Introduction to the UN Global Market Place (the official procurement portal for the UN) and the UN International Procurement Seminar - In preparation for the UN International Procurement Seminar, the FCDO is hosting a Webinar for potential suppliers. The session will be hosted by a representative from the UNGM Team. If you would like to receive the meeting link, please contact amy.priestley@fcdo.gov.uk
- 25th & 26th February 2025:World Water Tech Innovation Summit - The World Water-Tech Innovation Summit is the premier networking event for water leaders, investors and innovators to share and showcase best practice in delivering climate-resilient, energy-efficient water systems. The summit returns to London on February 25-26, 2025, bringing together forward-thinking water utilities, regulators, engineering firms, investors and start-ups from around the world for two days of pivotal discussions, partnership building, and innovation discovery.
- 11th & 12th March 2025: 4th UN International Procurement Seminar with the United Nations at the UN City, Copenhagen. This two-day seminar will include panel discussions, presentations from the UN Agencies and inform suppliers about procurement needs, procedures and how to do business with the UN. There is also a unique opportunity to request 1-2-1 meetings with the 10 participating Agencies & 2 Development Banks.
- 7th & 8th May 2025: Global Leakage Summit - The premier event for the international leakage community to listen, learn, and build relationships, tackling the toughest challenges together. Join presenters and panelists from leading UK and international water companies, and explore the latest technologies, data innovations, and software solutions from our exhibitors. In the face of climate change and record-high global investment in leakage management, this two-day conference promises a world-class knowledge-sharing program and invaluable networking opportunities.
- 3rd - 5th September 2025, KazBuild 2025, Kazakhstan: Stand booking is now open for international exhibitors at KazBuild exhibition in Kazakhstan - the largest international building and interiors exhibition in Kazakhstan, annually welcoming over 7,000 specialist trade visitors to the show. KazBuild will be held 3-5 September 2025 in Almaty, the biggest city of Kazakhstan. Held since 1994, the exhibition showcases the latest products, services, technologies, and projects available on the market, and provides a key platform for governmental and building industry professionals to exchange experiences, establish cooperation and share the latest industry developments. Please contact Mrs. Tatyana Borodikhina by email: tatyana.borodikhina@exhibitions-conferences.com to learn more about how KazBuild can help to establish your business in Kazakhstan.
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