At ALP Synergy Limited, we are passionate about helping Oxfordshire businesses grow and succeed, both at home and abroad. Between October 2023 and June 2024, we had the privilege of designing and delivering the Enterprise Oxfordshire Business Export Project in partnership with Norma Foster Limited, providing high-quality support to SMEs across the county on their export journeys.
The programme was created to complement national initiatives, such as the Department for Business and Trade’s UK Export Academy and 1:1 sector specialist support, by offering tailored, practical guidance to local businesses.
Our approach combined webinars, workshops, targeted 1:1 coaching, and extended mentoring, enabling businesses to evaluate their export potential, develop effective strategies, and connect with relevant national support services. Through this programme, we engaged with 19 businesses across multiple sectors, helping them improve their export readiness. Of these, 12 businesses were approved for extended mentoring, supporting the development and implementation of their export plans and resulting in measurable export growth.
The programme highlighted the importance of targeted marketing, stakeholder collaboration, and personalised support alongside wider educational resources. By structuring the support as a clear customer journey from initial webinars and workshops to 1:1 mentoring for businesses most likely to benefit we ensured that Oxfordshire SMEs were equipped with the guidance and tools needed to succeed in international markets.
Throughout the programme, we consistently highlighted relevant national support programmes, ensuring our support complemented existing resources and reinforced the broader ecosystem available to exporting businesses.
Coordinated by our team at ALP Synergy and delivered alongside Norma Foster, the project has been incredibly rewarding. Seeing Oxfordshire businesses take confident steps into exporting and achieve tangible growth reinforces our commitment to helping SMEs thrive internationally.