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28th Nov 2013

Grant Associates joins UKTI Creative Taskforce

Grant Associates has joined a drive to help the UK’s creative companies win high value contracts overseas to be launched by the government today.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) will support a taskforce of the UK’s top 100 creative sector small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to win £500 million worth of high value overseas contracts in the next three years. The initiative is part of a government plan to get 100,000 more UK businesses exporting.

Companies on the taskforce include Grant Associates, the only landscape architecture firm represented, Zaha Hadid Architects, The British Museum, Heatherwick Studio, priestmangoode, AKQA, FutureBrand, Mother, ES Global, factorydesign, Populous and the V&A. They span the transport, healthcare, retail, cultural developments and global sports sectors.

Andrew Grant, director, Grant Associates, said:

“It is an honour to be included and participate in the creative sector taskforce. We look forward with great anticipation to working with the UK Trade and Investment and the other creative companies in promoting and creating an imaginative and ecologically enlightened future with British creative companies at the forefront."

Business Secretary, Vince Cable said:

“The growing appetite for British design offers many opportunities for innovative firms of all sizes to boost their overseas trade and attract new investment. Collectively the creative industries already generate more than £36 billion a year for the UK economy - £70,000 every minute - and employ 1.5 million people.

“From airport interiors to ground-breaking medical devices and design exhibitions, the creative industries account for around £1 in every £10 of the UK’s exports and are crucial to building a stronger economy. With new support from UK Trade & Investment, we want to help creative SMEs access more high value supply chain opportunities across the globe."

Each company in the taskforce will have its own international expansion plan and participate in a minimum of two overseas visits each year to target high value projects.

They will also receive training, support and networking opportunities directly related to these high value opportunities from UKTI and work with International Trade Advisers to identify the projects they are most qualified to bid for.

Until recently the market for UK creativity was limited largely to Western Europe but as new markets mature and global trading channels widen, the demand for British creative expertise is escalating.

The interest, particularly from emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East and countries like Russia and Brazil, is based on Britain’s reputation as a leader in creative industries.