Apr 10, 2026

BEI Weekly Update - 10th April 2026

by

David Landsman

by

Dear Members and Friends,

I hope that you managed a good break over Easter, wherever you spent it and whatever your preoccupations.

Before the holidays, we continued our deepening engagement with the Overseas Territories. The trade and investment study mission which BEI co-convened with the FCDO Overseas Territories and Polar Directorate, enabled representatives of several territories to visit some of the UK’s most exciting recent infrastructure projects. This was followed by a round table with Robbie Bulloch, FCDO Director for Overseas Territories and Polar, who set out UK priorities and the broader context. There is a welcome appetite in the territories to draw on UK expertise, and we are exploring ways of ensuring that the opportunities reach those best able to support the territories’ agenda. If you would like to read more about the trade mission and our regional work focusing on the OTs, you can do so here. We will also be sharing a number of more detailed takeaways from the mission in the coming weeks: this week we have Integrated Masterplanning: Arup’s Contributions to the Overseas Territories Trade and Investment Dialogue, drawing on a successful visit for the delegation hosted by Arup.

To start the “new term”, news on two initiatives which will further extend BEI’s reach and engagement. First, some members may recall BEI’s traditional engagement with IEUK (Infrastructure Exports UK), a partnership between the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the UK’s leading infrastructure firms, many of which are part of BEI's membership and partnership base), to help UK companies successfully compete for major international projects. I am delighted to report that we are reinvigorating the relationship and aim to play an active role with IEUK to help generate valuable opportunities for the sector. I’ll share the formal announcement with details once it is published shortly.

At the same time, as part of our efforts to enhance our engagement with the Multilateral Development Banks, we have recently established a relationship with the Beijing-based AIIB, of which the UK is of course a founding member. AIIB has a strong emphasis on private finance as well as encompassing innovative areas from green infrastructure to digital-enabled projects. We are now working with them on a series of events to explain their strategy and priority areas and explore specific areas in which BEI members can become more involved with the Bank and its clients. I hope that we will be able to hold the first of these before the summer break; we’ll also look for opportunities to introduce members to the Bank in person when senior executives visit London.

Our programme of events resumes in earnest next week. On Thursday 16 April 10:00-11:30 BST we look forward to a virtual session on “Skills for the Future” primarily for members offering skills and accreditation programmes. Decisions made today about education, workforce readiness and social development will determine the level of resilience to future challenges, including on climate and the digital divide. This session will focus on solutions to narrowing skills gaps to ensure that skills programmes are employer-led and accessible to all. For more information about the event and to register, click here.

On Tuesday 21 April 10:00-11:00 BST, we will welcome Alice Motion, Development Director in Sudan at FCDO, who will offer us updates on the current situation on the ground, and the FCDO country programme. For more information and to register, click here.

Later in the same week we turn our attention to Partnership and Innovation in Africa Tech Sectors, with a session on Thursday 23 April 10:00-11:00 BST. Our speakers from the African EdTech Exchange and the Department for Business and Trade will provide companies with practical insight into the rapidly evolving African technology landscape and the growing opportunities for Africa-UK collaboration. Click here to register.

Finally, today we published Gender Equity in Action – Building a Fairer Future, a compilation of case studies originally published in sectoral reports covering Education (Systems Strengthening, 2025), Water Resilience (Unlocking Local and Global Benefit, 2025) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (Beyond Boundaries, 2024). We often find that there are valuable benefits in looking for best practice across sectors, so I hope that this collection will be useful for public- and private-sector practitioners across our network. Please take a look here.

For any of our members and friends who are celebrating this weekend, Happy Easter! And for everyone, warm wishes for a restful weekend.

David Landsman

Executive Chair

British Expertise International

Event Recordings and Resources:

(Member access only)‍

Upcoming BEI Events:

Tuesday 21st April 10:00 – 11:00 BST: FCDO Development Director: Sudan - Join us as Alice Motion, the Development Director in Sudan for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), will offer us updates on the current context on the ground as well as insights into FCDO’s development strategy in the country.‍
Thursday 16th April 10:00 – 11:30 BST: Skills for the Future - This session will provide a platform for learning and collaboration between partners and organisations providing skills programmes. Decisions made today about education, workforce readiness, and social development will determine the level of resilience to future challenges, especially related to increasingly harsh climate conditions. As such, this session will focus on digital skills, green skills, and the inclusion of marginalised groups.
Thursday 23rd April 10:00 – 11:00 BST: Opportunities for Partnership and Innovation in African Tech Sectors - Join us for a webinar exploring Opportunities for Partnership and Innovation in African Tech Sectors, which will provide companies with practical insight into the rapidly evolving African technology landscape and the growing opportunities for Africa-UK collaboration.‍
Wednesday 29th April 2026 10:00 – 11:30 BST: Sustaining Education through Crisis - Join us for a session convening our education members at a critical moment in supporting learners and educators across the Middle East, who are now facing widespread disruption as a result of conflict in the region.
Tuesday 12th May 2026 10:00 – 11:30 BST: Preventing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) - Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) is a growing problem around the world. During this session, our panel of speakers from Social Development Direct and BBC Media Action will explore what effective prevention looks like in practice and will discuss how the media can help change behaviours to challenge harmful social norms.
Date and Time TBC: Infrastructure Deep Dive - Republic of Korea - Join us for a virtual Market Opportunity Overview on the Republic of Korea to explore opportunities for UK organisations looking to work in the region. This session will highlight available support for UK private sector delivery partners and offer a platform for discussions of success, challenges and market access barriers.‍
Date and Time TBC: Strengthening Equitable and Inclusive Health - This in-person panel event will explore best practice for strengthening global health systems. With a focus on equitable and inclusive health, the session will highlight gender and disability inclusion, with a deep dive on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SHRH) programming within international development programming.‍
Date and Time TBC: Working with the Inter-American Development Bank - Preceding the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) visit to the UK in early June, join us for this virtual session exploring the IDB's work as a principle source of financing, technical expertise and knowledge for sustainable and inclusive development. Our panel of speakers from the IDB will share an update on its strategy, alongside information about how it works with suppliers and guidance on navigating its procurement process.

Register for an upcoming event →

External Events and Resources:

14th-25th April 2026: International Forum “Partnership for Sustainable Development: Green. Digital. Smart” in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan - The International University of Tourism and Entrepreneurship of Tajikistan (IUTET), in coordination with the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, is organizing the International Forum "Partnership for Sustainable Development: GREEN. DIGITAL. SMART".
13th May 2026 09:00 – 17:30 BST: R ealising Libya's Energy Ambitions - Convened by the Libyan British Business Council (LBBC), this event will take place as a featured country focus within the Africa Energies Summit 2026 - Africa's premier global upstream gathering.
Cambridge Education Legacy Webinar Series - A special legacy webinar series sharing key lessons from 45 years of supporting education systems worldwide, with a look ahead to the future of the global education sector.
AI for Social Impact Webcast Series from Accenture - A series of one-hour sessions, open to all organizations in the social impact sector including non-profits and social enterprises. Each webcast will focus on a key theme within AI, designed to be relevant and applicable to social impact organizations of a variety of sizes, geographies, and current levels of AI proficiency.
City & Guilds: Essential Digital Skills: Employer Perceptions Survey