Dear Members and Friends,
This is our final newsletter before the summer break, though I will be writing again before the August Bank Holiday with more on our autumn events, by when we will have of course moved to our new temporary premises at One Birdcage Walk. I look forward to seeing you there: please do look out for our autumn agenda.
So much has happened in the first half of this year, though depressingly so much remains familiar, with conflicts still in (to name but the seemingly most newsworthy) Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan. The international development sector – in the UK, but also well beyond – has faced upheaval on an unpredicted scale, with a major impact not only on the quantum of donor funding but also on the way development is seen from both the donor and the developing country perspective. There are opportunities as well as the obvious threats. It is striking to see the sector reorient itself at an impressive pace and we are committed to continuing to work with the UK Government, while helping our members identify new opportunities and broaden engagement with UK and international partners.
Meanwhile, our discussions with governments across the fast-growing emerging economies as well as the Regional Development Banks, not to mention the UK ecosystem (our recent meetings with UKEF are one obvious example), confirm the belief that there many unexploited opportunities out there for UK companies to take their expertise to new markets. With the publication of the new UK Industrial and Trade Strategies, there is no better time for BEI, drawing on our own networks as well our collaboration with HMG, to help our members do even better around the world. Do get in touch with your ideas as to how we can be of most help.
I mentioned last week that one way in which we aim to add value for our members is through our the very senior and diverse experience of the Strategy International Advisory Board. From the BEI perspective, I am therefore delighted to report that Nick O’Donohoe CMG has now been appointed to join the Advisory Board. Many of you will know Nick in his most recent role as CEO of British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor. He brings to Strategy International a plethora of highly relevant insight and expertise. His earlier roles include CEO of Big Society Capital and senior adviser to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He also held senior positions in global finance, including Global Head of Equity Research at JP Morgan and Executive Director at Goldman Sachs. Nick is currently a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Centre for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. The Advisory Board aims to combine exceptional experience from across business, government and academia with deep sector expertise relevant to BEI members and those of our sister organisation D Group. We look forward to drawing on Nick’s experience as we seek to keep our offer to BEI members relevant in rapidly changing times.
On Tuesday we held our last in person event at Grafton Street (for now), as we prepare to move to our new temporary premises at One Birdcage Walk, where we’ll be up and running in September. We were delighted to host UK Trade Envoy to Morocco, Ben Coleman MP, for an excellent and comprehensive discussion focused on supporting UK companies with an interest in Morocco. The event provided a valuable platform for an exchange, encompassing transport, water, aviation, energy, sports infrastructure, education, skills development and more, on challenges to market entry and how the Government is working to address them. With Morocco set to co-host the FIFA World Cup in 2030, this is a timely opportunity for UK companies to take first-mover advantage and forge partnerships to support Morocco as it accelerates infrastructure development. Our session emphasised the value of strong local partnerships and local content, alongside the importance of cultural understanding, patience, and frequent in-country engagement. We look forward to hosting Ben again in a few months as we help UK companies to feed into HMG for the bilateral G2G discussions.
Another “last (for now)”, as I had the pleasure of hosting our final “Meet the Ambassador” of the summer series, this one a virtual event HE Marianne Young, British High Commissioner to Tanzania and HE Lisa Chesney MBE, British High Commissioner to Uganda. The two High Commissioners gave us their take on the political, business and cultural environment in “their” countries and explored how UK organisations can work across a range of relevant sectors from infrastructure to international development and climate to healthcare and pharma. In addition to the invaluable insights of the High Commissioners themselves, it was great to see members using the opportunity to network with each other and also to have members of the High Commission FCDO and DBT teams introducing themselves for follow up. My thanks to the two High Commissioners for their time and also, at the end of this series, to all the Heads of Mission who joined us in person or virtually over the past few weeks. We will be looking for opportunities to invite more Ambassadors and High Commissioners throughout the year: do let me know if there’s anyone you’d particularly like to meet.
Now for a first look two events coming up soon after the summer break. On 9 September we look forward to welcoming members of both BEI and D Group to One Birdcage Walk for a joint event on “Turning Water Risk into Resilience.” The event, delivered in partnership with the Global Summit series, will include UK and international case studies to provide participants with strategies and insights to safeguard their operations and adapt to future water-related challenges. You can register here.
On 16 September, we will be continuing our deep dives with UKEF, with a focus on Asia and the Middle East. This virtual event will offer a valuable opportunity to explore UKEF's increasingly diverse portfolio of products, diverse offerings, engage directly with UKEF stakeholders and gain key insights on export markets in Asia and the Middle East.
Finally, we have been pleased to support outreach by FCDO’s SME Advisory Forum to the wider SME community. FCDO is now inviting applications from eligible SMEs delivering Official Development Assistance (ODA) as a lead supplier or sub-contractor, for membership of the SME Advisory Forum for 2025/26. The forum is designed to strengthen engagement between FCDO and the SME community working in the ODA space. It provides a structured platform for SMEs to share insights and feedback on FCDO's procurement processes; help identify and reduce barriers to SME participation in FCDO programmes; contribute to the development and implementation of FCDO's SME Action Plan; engage directly with senior leaders in FCDO Commercial, building relationships and fostering collaboration; and support the delivery of sustainable, inclusive and competitive supply chains. To apply, eligible SMEs should complete the expression of interest form, here: FCDO SME Advisory Forum EOI 25/26.
There’ll be plenty more to come from BEI in the autumn, so do look out for our update before the end of August. In the meantime, do enjoy the break if you’re taking one – and do feel free to get in touch before then if we can help.
With best wishes
David Landsman
Executive Chairman
British Expertise International
Recordings of recent past events:
- 5th June 2025: Intersection of Climate Change and Social Security
- 10th June 2025: International Finance Corporation (IFC): Working Upstream
- 10th June 2025: Public-Private Partnerships in the Philippines
- 19th June 2025: Navigating Risks and Opportunities in Ukraine
- 26th June 2025: Blended Finance as a Catalyst for Systems Change
- 5th July 2025: Meet UKEF - Africa & LATAC
- 23rd July 2025: Meet the Ambassador - Tanzania and Uganda
Key events coming up include the following:
- 9th September 2025 14:30 – 16:00 BST: Turning Water Risk into Resilience - By bringing together key stakeholders who operate outside the regulated water sector yet face equally pressing water risks, this event, delivered in partnership with the Global Summit series, aims to provide UK organisations with the strategies and insights needed to safeguard their operations and adapt to future water-related challenges.
- 16th September 2025 11:00 – 12:30 BST: Meet UKEF – Africa & the Middle East - This virtual event will offer UK organisations a valuable opportunity to explore UKEF's diverse offerings, engage directly with UKEF stakeholders and gain key insights on export markets in Asia and the Middle East.
External Events and Reports:
- 25– 26th August 2025: World Women Entrepreneurs Forum (WWEF), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - The World Women Entrepreneurs Forum (WWEF) emerges in response to this urgent need—to not only celebrate the progress made, but to challenge the systems that limit it. Held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the theme Inspire, Impact, Invest, the Forum will serve as a global platform to uplift women entrepreneurs by fostering connection, capacity, and capital. It will bring together leaders, changemakers, investors, and advocates to co-create an ecosystem where womenled businesses thrive and transform economies.
- 3rd – 5th September 2025: KazBuild 2025, Kazakhstan: Stand booking is now open for international exhibitors at KazBuild exhibition in Kazakhstan - the largest international building and interiors exhibition in Kazakhstan, annually welcoming over 7,000 specialist trade visitors to the show. KazBuild will be held 3-5 September 2025 in Almaty, the biggest city of Kazakhstan. Held since 1994, the exhibition showcases the latest products, services, technologies, and projects available on the market, and provides a key platform for governmental and building industry professionals to exchange experiences, establish cooperation and share the latest industry developments. Please contact Mrs. Tatyana Borodikhina by email: tatyana.borodikhina@exhibitions-conferences.com to learn more about how KazBuild can help to establish your business in Kazakhstan.
- 27th September – 2nd October 2025 - Save the date for the Aramco STEM Racing World Finals 2025, set to take place in Singapore. This landmark event will be the 20th edition of the globally recognized science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programme’s World Finals and the first under its new branding, following the transition from its previous name, F1 in Schools. Developed to introduce students to STEM subjects through the creation of a miniature F1 car, STEM RACING (Formerly F1 in Schools) is an educational project designed for teachers, informed by engineers, and endorsed by F1.
- 28th – 31st October 2025: AME Trade - 15th edition of Africa PPP in Windhoek, Namibia - Africa PPP 2025 is the longest running infrastructure finance, investment, and partnership summit, focused on increasing private sector participation in infrastructure development through viable PPPs and innovative financing mechanisms, for a sustainable economic growth. The event is organized with the support of Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board and the Ministry of Works and Transport of Namibia at the prestigious Hilton Conference Centre in Windhoek, Namibia. Africa PPP includes two-days Conference, one day masterclass on Project Preparation and one day Touristic and/or Technical Tours.
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