GS1 UK made strategic partner by the Department for International Trade’s Exporting is GREAT campaign

The Department for International Trade (DIT) today announced that global supply chain standards body GS1 UK has been made a strategic partner for the Exporting is GREAT campaign.

The aim of the partnership is to accelerate growth among British businesses and will include:

• Joint research and insight sharing to identify UK businesses who are considering exporting or are ready to export to international markets
• Joint digital initiatives to drive traffic to the government’s hub for international trade advice great.gov.uk
• Joint export events across the UK to promote international trade
• Collaborating to develop potential products and services to support UK businesses to prosper internationally

GS1 UK helps businesses grow through standardising their supply chain processes, allowing them to export internationally. Ranging from product barcodes to patient wristbands, GS1 UK helps companies increase their visibility, grow their networks by guiding them towards the right barcode identifiers and product information and connect them with multinationals and market opportunities.

Gary Lynch, chief executive officer of GS1 UK, said: “We share DIT’s desire to support and showcase innovative British businesses and there is a natural synergy in what we both do. Demand for British products remains high around the world and we want to help give companies the leg-up they need to take advantage of the wealth of opportunities internationally.

“We are proud to be part of DIT’s Exporting is GREAT campaign and that they recognise us a key conduit to international trade. We look forward to continuing to bang the drum at home and abroad that Britain is very much open for business.”

The supply chain standards organisation has long supported the UK government department’s work, following signing an official memorandum of understanding (MOU) in December 2017 to formalise the collaboration. The partnership comes as the campaign steps up its ambition to create an exporting movement that encourages and informs UK businesses to take advantage of international export opportunities in order to accelerate scale-up growth.

Conrad Bird, Director of Campaigns and Marketing at DIT, said: “We are proud and delighted to be working with GS1 as a strategic partner for our exporting campaign. It, like the Department for International Trade, is fully committed to supporting UK exporters and we look forward to seeing this partnership grow over the coming months.”