BEI Weekly Update - 20th March 2026

Dear Members and Friends,

I am writing this week’s newsletter from Bangalore, where the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East are being felt directly. On the one hand, many parts of the country are seeing the return of those who live and work in the Gulf while international visitors are finding it harder to find flights to India; and at the same time interruption of supplies of LPG, the main cooking fuel, is causing economic disruption as households are prioritised over business for limited available stocks.    

However, beyond the immediate crisis, the immense opportunity from India’s impressive growth is unmistakable in its improving infrastructure, so it’s timely that UK companies will soon be able to take full advantage of the recently-signed FTA which we will be covering soon. There are of course (as everywhere) many challenges. I have seen some interesting examples this week while looking at the potential for property rights transformation. For a dynamic emerging economy - India is perhaps the preeminent example - solutions must surely be found by going with the grain of economic development and infrastructure modernisation where India can be rightly proud of its achievements. With India, it definitely makes sense to focus on the opportunities, which is precisely what we will be doing working with our partners in DBT, the two High Commissions and beyond.

International development members will be well aware of this week’s FCDO announcement on budget allocations. The overall envelope was already known, though the detail highlights the difficult decisions to meet the reduced budget.  As expected, the UK’s multilateral contributions have been prioritised at the expense of bilateral programmes. We will continue to work with FCDO, both in London and at Post, to understand the detailed impact and to develop the new opportunities which should emerge from the “four shifts” outlined by Development Minister Baroness Chapman. We have a number of events already in preparation to this end, but please do get in touch with your thoughts on the next steps.

I am proud (or perhaps a little embarrassed) to report that BEI has had an exceptionally busy week while I have been over 5000 miles away. On Tuesday morning we held a webinar on the upcoming UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia. We heard from H.E. Battumur Enkhsukh, Mongolian Ambassador to the UK, who discussed the actions the Government of Mongolia is taking to enhance water resilience and tackle desertification. We also heard from Chinzorigt Chuluunzorigt, London Representative of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, Programme Specialist at UNESCO; Dr Maki Tsujimura professor of Hydrology and Water Resources at the University of Tsukuba; Dr Dorjsuren Dechinlkhundev, Advisor at MCA-Mongolia; and Jamie Hannaford, Principal Hydrologist at UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Many thanks to all our speakers. Do keep a look out for our programme of activities as we will continue to explore all three COPs in 2026.  

On Tuesday afternoon, we sat down with our International Development Heads of Business group and Tim Hemmings, FCDO Special Envoy for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Head of Caribbean and SIDS Department. We heard valuable insights on the forthcoming UK SIDS Strategy which to be published in May and explored how the Government is planning to collaborate with UK expertise to support SIDS economic and climate resilience, aid effectiveness, governance and human rights objectives through modern partnerships. Many thanks to Tim for joining.

Also this week we welcomed a delegation from Ghana’s Ministry of Roads and Highways, led by Deputy Minister, Hon. Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini. The session explored projects promoted under the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIFF) and The Green Cities Infrastructure and Energy Programme (GCIEP), with a particular focus on road construction, transport systems, tolling systems, and road safety and operations. We also heard from colleagues at FCDO, DBT, and UKEF.  To read more, please see a short summary.

Finally, on Thursday we were joined by Greg Watkins, Executive Director at the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand for a Market Opportunity Update. The session explored the political and economic context on the ground, alongside sectoral focuses on infrastructure, education and skills, and climate initiatives. Many thanks to Greg for sharing his experience with us.  

This was also the week in which the Future Leaders Group said goodbye to their 2025-2026 cohort at Sandhurst with two final modules on strengths-based leadership and crisis management. The highlight was a formal dinner for the cohort with their sponsors. Participants shared what they’d learnt and sponsors offered their personal reflections on leadership. As this year’s participants join the active FLG alumni community, the Group looks forward to welcoming the next cohort. For information about how the programme could support your talent development, please get in touch with me or with Elizabeth Beroud at elizabeth@futureleadersgroup.uk.

On a more sober note, I wanted to highlight a forthcoming webinar on managing the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East with a particular focus on the education sector. With the theme of  ‘sustaining education through crisis’ the session will take place on 29 April 29 at 10:00 GMT with the aim of convening as many members in the education sector as possible to facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing. Click this link for more information and to register.

In a similar vein, our members Bellwood Prestbury have put together a piece on navigating insurance risks for businesses in the region. For details, please look here to read more.

Next week, we will be hosting a series of important activities in conjunction with FCDO to follow up on our round table with leaders towards the end of last year.  We will share more details next week, so please do keep a look out for them on our social media and communication channels.

Finally, I wanted to mention a useful seminar from our partners at the World Bank Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank on energy procurement opportunities. This is the second in a series of sessions on MDB procurement opportunities; the next will focus on digital infrastructure.  If you are interested in the energy event, please do register here.

‍From a very warm Bangalore, I wish you a good weekend to prepare for the week ahead, whatever the weather,

David Landsman

Executive Chair  

British Expertise International

Event Recordings and Resources:

(Member access only)‍

• FCDO Development Director Series: Nigeria
• Transforming India's Water Sector Non-Revenue Water Trends & Growth Opportunities
• Towards COP17: Urban and Rural Synergies for Water Resilience in Mongolia

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 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.‍
• 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: 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.‍
• 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:

• 26th March 2026 12:00 – 13:30 GMT: Energy Procurement Webinar - This is a dedicated session to help industry suppliers tap into new Multilateral Development Bank (MDB)-financed opportunities in the energy sector. Hear from the World Bank Group (WBG), European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), about procurement opportunities available in select high impact energy projects. A future webinar will focus on digital infrastructure projects.
• 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".
• 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

News & Articles:

• Article: British Expertise International (BEI) hosts a ministerial delegation from the Ministry of Roads and Highways (MoRH), Ghana by British Expertise International
• Article: Middle East High-Risk Insurance by Bellwood Prestbury
• News: John Pelton MBE Joins British Expertise International (BEI) as Senior Adviser by British Expertise International
• News: Strategy International Group’s Advisory Board Member: The Lord Forbes of Newcastle CBE by British Expertise International
• Press Release: Minister Gabriel Oddone travels to the United Kingdom to strengthen economic and financial ties by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Uruguay
• Press Release: British Expertise International – Helping UK Education Service Providers to Forge Global Partnerships by British Expertise International
• Yearly review: Strategy International 2025 Yearbook by Strategy International
• Article: 2025 Christmas Message from British Expertise International
• Report: From Strategy to Delivery: What New Zealand Can Learn from the UK Infrastructure System from Infrastructure New Zealand
• Written evidence: Future of UK aid and development assistance from British Expertise International
• Communique: UK and Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council 2025: communiqué from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• Article: Infrastructure as Legacy: UK Perspectives on Strategic Delivery and Innovation by Sasha Barnes and Sofia Pennacchietti
• Press Release: Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council Business Engagement Session from British Expertise International
• Article: Why Water is Everyone’s Business: A UK Perspective on Global Water Challenges by Evie Ramsay
• Article: Ukraine’s Recovery – Mobilising Private Sector Engagement by Sasha Barnes
• Article: Global Energy Landscapes: Key Takeaways and Insights by Sofia Pennacchietti
• Press Release: Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, South Africa, Mr Dean Macpherson at British Expertise International (BEI) from British Expertise International
• Article: Shaping the Future of the Higher Education Sector by Evie Ramsay
• Article: With FCDO slashing budgets, where will UK NGOs turn for funding? from DevEx
• Report: Water Resilience - Unlocking local and global benefits through collaboration (Second Edition) by British Expertise International & Water Resilience Working Group
• Report: Systems Strengthening: The UK Education providers’ contribution to the global education systems by British Expertise International & Education Working Group
• Report: Beyond Boundaries: The Role of UK-Based Organisations in Advancing Global Gender Equality and Social Inclusion by British Expertise International and its members delivering GES

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