The starting point for the 2ST project was that exporting can help SMEs to grow and therefore create more favourable economic conditions and employment. SMEs themselves benefit from international trade in a number of ways but the issue faced by the 2ST partner regions was that there were relatively low export levels among the business communities.

Many SMEs were unsure about how to go about preparing for international markets and didn't know about the support available to them covering all aspects of international trade. Many companies simply did not know where to start with international markets and certainly didn't know how to go about identifying contacts in other countries.

The main aim of the 2ST project was, therefore, to develop and deliver a range of support activities aimed at helping companies to develop their cross-border trade activities in neighbouring European markets. and to make progress towards becoming a fully-internationalised business.

The partner regions offer real opportunities to small companies due to their proximity & excellent connectivity, relatively similar economies and business cultures. For first time or relatively new exporters, the 2ST partner regions are a great place to start to do international business. The project aimed to take the fear-factor out of exporting and facilitate a range of real business contacts for SMEs across the partner areas.

The project objectives were as follows:

- To establish a cross-border trade business-support framework via the project partners in the 2 Seas regions
- To raise awareness among SMEs of the opportunities provided by business internationalisation and cross-border trade
- To help SMEs in the partner area to consider exporting as a way to grow their business
- To provide a range of support services to companies to help them do business in a partner region

The 2ST partners delivered a range of actions aimed at supporting SMEs in the different partner areas to improve their ability to trade internationally and to facilitate real business contacts across the Channel / N Sea.

The activities we implemented were as follows:

Activity 1: A cross-border trade support network:
- 3 Familiarisation visits took place to help the partners understand the economies of the partner regions
- The partners developed a joint engagement strategy to involve companies from their regions in the project
- The project website (www.2seastrade.eu) was designed and regularly updated
- 4 'Doing Business' guides in various languages were produced to provide SMEs with a good introduction to the partner regions from a trading point of view

Activity 2: Supporting cross-border trade
- The project partners delivered a range of actions to engage with SMEs in the 2ST area and to encourage them to seek support from and participate in the project. Actions included taking exhibition space at business events, presentations at external events, regular e-bulletins, flyers and social media activity, several radio and TV features and information provision to intermediary bodies to disseminate information about the project.
- 38 workshops and seminars were delivered on a variety of international trade-related topics such as international marketing, 'doing business in...', international trade finance and routes to market. Over 600 SMEs participated.
- Nearly 200 trade audit visits took place where an expert visited an SME to provide 1-2-1 advice on its international business strategy
- The partners designed a trade assessment tool to help SMEs understand the first steps to international trade
- 15 sector-focused trade missions or market visits were organised to bring SMEs from different countries together and to enable them to find out more about business opportunities in the partner regions. An additional 2 B2B networking events were organised as well as a joint conference on the health & social care sector with the Interreg IVA Cura-B project. More than 300 SMEs participated
- A number of SME case studies were produced to highlight trade successes including some video case studies. All of these are available on the project website.

Activity3: A joint approach to inbound trade
- A joint marketing pack highlighting the benefits of doing business in the 2 Seas Trade area was produced as a marketing tool for the 2ST partner regions
- The partners organised joint stands at 5 international trade fairs to enable SMEs to showcase their products and services to relevant, international audiences. 44 companies were allocated space on the 2ST stands

The main result of the project was that over 1000 SMEs from the 2ST partner regions were supported by the project through the following activities:



• 38 business workshops - over 600 businesses participated

• Joint stand space for SMEs at 5 international trade fairs: 44 companies exhibited

• 15 sector-focused market visits - more than 300 companies participated

• 199 one-to-one support and advice meetings with SMEs

• 4 “Doing Business” Guides produced in 3 languages (11 versions in total)

• 1 online guide to getting started in international trade (www.2seastrade.eu/trade-tool/about)

• 3 B2B Networking Events

• 1 joint conference with the Interreg 4A 2 Seas Cura-B project on business opportunities in the health & social care sector

• 2 Launch events and 1 final conference delivered

All partner regions benefited from the project:
- Kent: 494 companies supported - the most useful outcomes for SMEs came from participating in the joint trade fair stands and sector focused market visits as these helped them make real 'in-market' business contacts.
- East & West Flanders: 404 companies supported. The most beneficial actions for the Flemish SMEs were the cross-border market visits where they were able to travel to the UK to meet real business contacts. They also benefited from participating in the joint trade fair stands.
- The SW of the Netherlands: 174 companies supported. Dutch companies benefited from the cross-border trade missions & joint trade fairs in a similar way to the Flemish SMEs.
- (Nord-Pas de Calais: 78 companies supported - through contacts in France, the partners organised several B2B networking events and a trade mission to Northern France in which companies from the NPDC region were able to participate, thus benefiting from support from 2ST)

Involvement in the project meant entrepreneurs could share information, knowlege & experience with SMEs from other regions which would not have been possible without 2ST. Working in partnership increased the support package that could be offered to businesses. Due to the close proximity of the Flemish and Dutch regions, the partners were able to pool/share resources e.g. joint coach transport for trade missions to the UK which also led to opportunities for additional cross border networking between Flemish & Dutch SMEs. Companies particularly benefited from taking part in specific B2B meetings during trade fairs and sector trade missions. Many sourced new business partners, received orders for their products, secured distributors or new suppliers which would impact on the regions' overall export success rates. 2ST meant that the project partners were also able to tailor workshop topics & the content of the 1-2-1 trade audits in their regions to meet the needs of their SMEs.

Because the project was fundamentally cross-border in nature, the effects and outcomes were very similar for all partner regions involved:

- SMEs better equipped with information about export markets through having attended workshops on a range of relevant international trade topics as well as becoming aware of business opportunities in the partner regions
- SMEs had the opportunity to meet with real business contacts in the partner regions (through market visits / trade missions, trade fairs, B2B networking activities etc)
- SMEs have a range of information to access through the online trade assessment tool and 'doing business' guides
- SMEs from several sectors had the opportunity to take part in a tailored visit to a partner region meaning that they could access information and meet contacts which would not have been possible without the 2ST project

International trade was the main focus of 2ST - by nature it cannot be dealt with in isolation: international co-operation & contacts are essential. The whole project was developed by organisations which wanted to help SMEs to do business in nearby European markets. All of the 2ST project activities were only possible thanks to partner collaboration. It would not have been possible to deliver any of the project activities without the cross-border partnership e.g. we would not have been aware of the various opportunities or trade fairs available for companies to attend such as Tavola. Contacts with many of the venues used, events attended etc would not have been possible without the partnership. Many speakers secured for workshops would not have been available to speak to SMEs from partner regions without 2ST. The insight into other markets from partners proved useful for SMEs. Enquiries from SMEs were answered swiftly or by one of the 2ST partners with expert knowledge.

The project made links with:
- The Interreg IVA Channel project Chain 2 - we promoted each project's events to our respective databases.
- Through their connections with their local Enterprise Europe Network colleagues, the 2ST project linked in to a range of B2B matchmaking events to provide SMEs with access to market opportunities beyond the 2 Seas programme area. EEN matchmaking events were organised at events such as Ecobuild, Aquatech & Tavola where 2ST participated which added value to both programmes
- Following discussions with the JTS, the LPs for 2ST and Cura-B decided to run a joint event to benefit companies in the partner regions. Cura-B provided expertise on health tech & solutions for health and social care, and 2ST provided an international trade dimension at the joint conference which took place in 2013. Connections with this project have been maintained by certain partners and through the Biz4Age cluster
- Taste 2 Seas, Biz4Age, Digisol & Safe ICE Clusters

- There are good opportunities for businesses to trade in the partner regions but it can be difficult for them to find the right contacts
- Business support services around trade in a partner region are important for making the right connections
- Having the right 'in-market' contacts is very important and can make finding business opportunities easier
- Choosing the right programme of support activities to meet real business needs is vital
- A solid cross-border partnership is essential in delivering cross-border business support actions
- It is vital to translate key project objectives into a clear message for SMEs and focus on what can deliver the best return for all involved
- Keep events concise & tightly managed.
- Use direct marketing techniques & let the brand build itself.
- Choose good project partners & regions and the activities and sectors you want to focus on. Work carefully with the companies to ensure they are ready to trade

Due to a lack of financing, it will not be possible to continue with the momentum established during the 2ST project in providing a range of high quality support activities to SMEs in the partner regions. The lessons learned by partners, however, will be used in designing future actions (hopefully some of them will be joined up between different partner regions) to support cross-border trade in the 2 Seas region. We will work hard, however, to find ways of maintaining and facilitating links between SMEs on both sides of the Channel / N Sea as these remain key priorities for all partner organisations involved in 2ST.

The partners will be able to make recommendations to other support programmes and agencies about what are the most effective means of supporting companies into new international markets.

Project results and case studies will continue to be shared online and used to encourage other SMEs to consider entering international markets e.g. through the trade assessment tool.

The partners recognise that 2ST has been a very successful project and we have learned a lot along the way. The partnership has functioned very well and it would be a shame to lose the partnership dynamic. We also recognise that there is a need for ongoing cross-border trade support activities. As such the partners will continue discussions regarding potential future join initiatives.

The partners will ensure that they build upon the good working relationships made and will continue to refer businesses to partners for direct support beyond the life of the project. The relationships formed will continue to support the work for high growth companies look to find European trading partners. The partners will also look for future joint projects to be developed which are broader than just focusing on international trade.
The partners will work hard to maintain the excellent relationships built up during the project despite various key project staff members moving on to new roles or leaving the partner organisations. We will also encourage the SMEs to maintain the links they have made during the project and to pursue collborative activities in the future. The project itself has increased the knowledge of cultural and legislative differences aamong project partner staff - this knowledge and experience will be very valuable to the partners in the longer term.

On the UK side, the Lead Partner will look at how to implement some of the best practice learned developed during the 2ST project to feed into a trade development project under the national ERDF programme. PP9 is also looking at running future trade missions on a self-financing basis.



The effectiveness of joint stands at trade fairs and of bringing SMEs from different countries together were some of the most successful elements of the 2ST project so each partner will look at ways to develop this kind of activity successfully in the furture. The partners hope to continue working together in future cross-border or transnational projects.



The most important element of the co-operation for many partners has been the intensive work with ambitious companies, assiting them in developing their business strategy, trade plans and supporting them through their first international trade experience.The partners will therefore explore together how a new project could be developed involving participation at trade fairs, hosting trade missions and keeping contacts alive once 2ST has ended. We also hope to be able to continue to meet as partners to discuss joint initiatives.