International Growth & Market Entry Programme

A practical, fully funded programme helping Oxfordshire SMEs build export confidence, identify opportunities and grow internationally.

You must be based in Oxfordshire and have completed Enterprise Oxfordshire’s Business Support Tool since the 1st of November 2025 to attend this event. If you purchase a ticket without completing this, your ticket will be cancelled. Business Support Tool – Enterprise Oxfordshire Business

This International Growth & Market Entry Programme is a practical, fully funded programme for Oxfordshire SMEs ready to start exporting or grow their presence in international markets. Across four interactive online workshops, supported by 1:1 sessions and accountability calls, participants will develop a focused plan around a real export opportunity for their business. Whether you are identifying the right overseas market, considering routes to market, preparing for a trade show or developing international sales leads, the programme provides expert guidance, peer learning and practical tools to help you take confident next steps. Each workshop is designed to turn insight into action, leaving you with clear priorities to progress between sessions.

Who is it for?

This programme is aimed at Oxfordshire businesses that:

• Have been actively trading for at least 12 months.
• Have clear export ambition: either planning to start exporting in the next 6 to 12 months or already exporting and seeking to grow or enter new markets.
• Have ideas about pilot projects that could be worked on.
• Can commit to attend all sessions and complete actions between sessions.
• Will provide a single named lead from the business to engage.

There will be a short eligibility form to complete once you register for this event. If your business does not meet these eligibility criteria then support is available outside of this programme. Contact Liz.O’Hara@enterpriseoxfordshire.com to discuss.

Session dates:

10th November: Market Readiness and Opportunity – The opening group session sets the tone for the whole programme. It is practical, energising and focused on action. The cohort profile shared in advance means there is no need for lengthy introductions – the group gets straight into the work. The session combines a quick audit of how each business appears to international buyers right now with the foundations of export readiness and an immediate focus on quick wins.

2nd December: Where in the World? and Why? – Market selection is where many businesses either get stuck or make expensive mistakes – going where there is an easy opportunity rather than the best opportunity, or trying to pursue too many markets at once.

12th January: International Growth and Routes to Market – Once a business has done its research and selected its pilot market(s), the focus shifts to how to enter it. For SMEs, this decision is always shaped by the reality of limited time and budget – there is rarely a perfect option, only the most practical one given current resources.

2nd February: Export Sales and Lead Generation – By this point, businesses have done their research, chosen their market and are clear on how they are going to enter it. Session 4 is dedicated to the practicalities of generating export sales and marketing internationally – how to find and approach the right buyers, how to build relationships across cultures, how to develop and manage a pipeline, and what effective international marketing looks like for an SME. This is the session where theory meets action.

More details on each session will be provided after registration and eligibility checks have been completed.