Dear Members and Friends,
It really has felt like the first week back, and I have been delighted to see that we have made a very strong start with some very impressive and insightful events through the week.
On 7th September we covered Business Opportunities with the Caribbean Development Bank, focusing on infrastructure and renewables. We were interested to learn that due to the funding by non-borrowing members like the UK, UK businesses have preferred access to opportunities with the Caribbean Development Bank, and look forward to continuing the conversation with the CDB in a few weeks for a webinar on opportunities in education and the social sector.
On 8th September we focused on – Business Opportunities in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) – Education & Healthcare - These have become annual events hosted in collaboration with UK-ASEAN and DIT focusing on business opportunities and how to do business with the ADB. This was the first of two events, which focused on education and healthcare opportunities and provided a forward look on their project pipelines, as well as invaluable information about how to access and qualify for ADB-financed projects.
On 8th September we also held a private Roundtable Discussion with Trade Envoy Heather Wheeler MP , who covers Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In all three countries there are opportunities for UK companies, especially across fintech, wind power, hydrogen power, and bridges. Despite the pandemic, Vietnam has seen economic growth figures of 4.8% and with a new free trade agreement and associated reductions in tariffs, the market will provide opportunities for UK businesses in the coming years.
Looking forward to the next few weeks, I wanted to draw your attention to the following:
On 15th September - Business Opportunities in the Asian Development Bank – Transport and Energy - This second event in the series on doing business with the ABD will focus on transport and energy.
On 15th September we will be hosting a private Roundtable Discussion with Baroness Hooper - Trade Envoy to Panama, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Latin America is a region that offers plenty of opportunities for UK businesses, and this event will be of interest to companies already operating in the region and those looking to expand alike.
On 22nd September we look forward to a session with FCDO Chief Scientist, Charlotte Watts for a discussion on The FCDO & Evidence-Based Decisions. She will share her perspective on the effective use of robust research and data for evidence-based decision making in development programmes and how this aligns to FCDO priorities.
On 29th September we will host the second event with on Doing Business with the Caribbean Development Bank, which will provide insights on their current pipeline of opportunities in the education and social sector. We look forward to hearing from sector experts from DIT, FCDO, CDB, and the Caribbean Council.
Earlier in the week I attended an event at the Houses of Parliament on the future of aid. It was organised by the Coalition For Global Prosperity to launch their essay series on ‘The Future of Aid Development in the 2020’s. Apart from the excellent content, it also illustrated to me that there is clearly an appetite for in person events; this is something we will reflect in our schedule in the coming weeks. We are already planning a face- to- face session for our Climate Change Working Groups before the end of September, and will keep you posted on further developments as the autumn season progresses
With Best Wishes
Derrick
Derrick Sanyahumbi
Chief Executive Officer
British Expertise International
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Upcoming Events
Currently all our events are hosted virtually and look forward to exploring hybrid event options as the government eases socialising restrictions. For any event registration support please contact the events team. Click on titles to access full event details. The full calendar of events can be viewed here and recently added event dates are highlighted with an asterisk*.
15th September — Roundtable with Trade Envoy Baroness Hooper CMG
15th September* — Business Opportunities with the ADB — Transport and Energy
22nd September — Climate Change Working Group and In-Person Meeting
22nd September — The FCDO & Evidence Based Decisions
28th September* — Roundtable with HMTC Emma Wade-Smith
28th September — Diversity and Inclusion Working Group
29th September — Doing Business with the CDB — Education and Social Sector
30th September — Lunch with Lord Mayor of London
5th October* — Roundtable with HMTC Simon Penney
7th October — Opportunities and Funding for Education-based Projects in Africa: a CDC Group view
12th October* — Roundtable with Trade Envoy Mark Garnier MP
28th October — Roundtable with Trade Envoy Darren Henry MP
25th November — Doing Business with USAID
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External News & Events
15th September — The Northern Ireland Office, DIT, and Invest NI is hosting a Northern Ireland Business and Innovation Showcase in London. The Northern Ireland Office, in partnership with the DIT and Invest NI, will showcase Northern Ireland’s business, research and innovation demonstrating their expertise, products and services in research, cyber security, fintech, life and health sciences, advanced manufacturing, and tourism. This will feature the best of Northern Ireland’s innovative businesses, start-ups and universities.
28th — 30th September — The African Development Bank (AfDB) is hosting the fourth annual ‘Africa Resilience Forum’, this year on the topic ‘Covid-19 and Beyond: Working Together for a Resilient Recovery’.
Wilton Park — Tom Cargill, CEO of Wilton Park is offering BEI members special hire rates for Wilton’s beautiful Sussex home (confusingly called Wiston Park). Interested events teams can contact them directly. More information is HERE.
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