About BGI ACS

Business Gateway International Aberdeen City and Shire (BGI ACS) provides a convenient single entry point to an extensive network of international support services.

Our services are available to any Aberdeen City and Shire business, and will help you to:

research the market
adjust the marketing mix to suit your target market
visit the market
develop the market

In a bid to keep up-to-date with priority markets and issues affecting international trade, BGI ACS conducts a biennial Export Survey. This is Scotland’s most comprehensive survey of its kind, receiving feedback from 650 companies in Aberdeen City and Shire.

As a result, the services offered by BGI ACS are customer driven, and include:

	International Advice and Assistance
	Preparing to Export
	International Preparedness Programme
	Export Training
	International Strategy
	International Strategy Workshop
	Global Companies Programme
	International Mentoring
	International Business Manager for Hire
	Scottish Networks International
	Overseas Market Support
	Market Research
	Market Entry
	Globalscot
	International Missions, Exhibitions and Learning Journeys
	Upcoming Events
	Overseas Market Presence

BGI ACS comprises four local members:

Scottish Enterprise

and two associate national members:

Scottish Development International

Scottish Enterprise Energy Team

The partners in Business Gateway International are:

Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC)

Accredited by UK Trade and Investment, AGCC leads regular trade missions to markets in the Caspian region, West Africa and South East Asia, as well as organising seminars, clinics and meetings with British Embassy Commercial Officers. AGCC also produces a Caspian economic and oil and gas newsletter.

The UK West Africa Action Group (UK WAAG), run under the auspices of AGCC, is an industry-led organisation, supported by the UK government, BP, Scottish Development International and SubseaUK, which was set up in 1997 to promote UK capabilities and to increase UK market share in the oil and gas sector in West Africa. As well as providing regional market data and guidance, UK WAAG also offers its members packages of business support services in both Angola and Nigeria to facilitate in-market visits.

AGCC is an issuing authority for officially prescribed certificates of origin and can assist with queries on international trade documents, including European and Arab-British certificates of origin, letters of credit, incoterms and certification and legalisation of documents.

The Chamber’s library holds information on markets, regulations, industry sectors, useful contacts and basic exporting information. “Export Controller”, an innovative and user-friendly Windows-based export strategy program is also available.

AGCC also offers practical short training courses on a number of export topics including Customs and Excise, transportation, export documentation, and letters of credit.

For more information on how Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce supports North East exporters, click here or contact 01224 343900.

Aberdeen City Council

Aberdeen City Council’s International Business Development team works at a number of different levels to help businesses to identify, target, and break into or expand into new overseas markets. This work ranges from the development of strategic alliances with overseas government bodies to providing individual company assistance.

Every two years, key current and emerging markets for North East businesses are identified through the Export Survey which the Council conducts on behalf of BGI.

Working closely with other BGI partners and UK Trade and Investment, the Council develops trade and economic development links in a number of these priority markets.

This process involves developing close relationships with the Council’s strategic partners in overseas governments, tapping into the local market knowledge of consulate officials and brokering face-to-face meetings at home and abroad with key purchasing decision-makers.

The Council’s civic links can prove invaluable in helping to open doors overseas for Aberdeen-based companies, particularly in the case of state-owned enterprises.

In the action phase, the Council organises:
• inward and outward trade missions
• hosts market seminars and trade clinics
• coordinates group stands at major exhibitions, and
• raises the profile of the City’s skills, trade and expertise in overseas markets.

Markets in North and South America, the Caspian region and Northern Europe have all been developed in this way in recent years. Particularly successful markets that have been developed out of the signing of Memoranda of Understanding include Brazil (ranked only the 36th market in the 1996 survey, but now 19th with exports from over 90 North East companies) and the Faroe Islands (a virgin market until recently, but now with over 28 North East companies present).

For more information on how Aberdeen City Council supports North East exporters, click here or you can contact Lynn Davie, or telephone: 01224 814605.

Aberdeenshire Council

Businesses within Aberdeenshire can benefit from the support services and initiatives provided by Aberdeenshire Council’s Economic Development Service. The Council has a proactive team of officers located throughout the region promoting business development and diversification using it’s Support for Aberdeenshire Business Scheme. The scheme provides access to general advice & discretionary financial assistance by way of grants or loans. Details of the scheme and the eligibility criteria can be found on the Aberdeenshire council website.

The council also participates in stands at major international exhibitions. For more information on how Aberdeeshire Council supports North East exporters click here or contact contact Louise Mackie or telephone: 01224 664574.

Scottish Enterprise Grampian

Scottish Enterprise Grampian works directly with individual businesses to offer a bespoke solution to internationalisation issues. Through creating innovative methods of assisting exporters in new ventures overseas SE Grampian formed the Learning Journey concept, a service now championed nationally, they have led highly popular learning journeys into targeted high-technology markets in the US including; Houston, San Jose and Florida. The format allows participants an insight into the market through presentations by local business advisers, venture capitalists and in-market advisers, and participants are invited to make sales pitches to pre-invited potential buyers.

Scottish Enterprise Grampian aims to introduce opportunities to internationalise to north east businesses through focused and targeted international activities.

Scottish Development International (SDI)

Scottish Development International is the international economic development arm of the government in Scotland and provides a broad range of support to companies and institutions to help them develop their overseas business.

Assistance varies from providing basic market information to detailed matching of business partners, as well as the organisation of inward and outward missions and Scottish stands at key international exhibitions. In providing these services SDI works closely with the network of British Embassies and Consulates throughout the world.