Nov 7, 2025

BEI Weekly Update - 7th November 2025

by

David Landsman

by

Dear Members and Friends,

While we spend most of (though not quite all) our time on our focus sectors – infrastructure and climate/nature, education/skills and international development – our geographical coverage is increasingly diverse. This week alone our events have featured India, Angola and Ukraine – more details below. Next week we welcome a delegation from New Zealand. So, if you have an interest in a country or region you don’t see in the programme let us know and, if we can (within reason and the law…) we will happily discuss how we can help.

On Tuesday morning, our virtual “Water Resilience – India” session explored critical challenges and opportunities in strengthening India’s water security. From the Department of Business and Trade in India, Rohit Chandagiri and Sumita Arya outlined the scale and complexity of India’s water sector, with a focus on adaptation strategies and resilience planning. Avinash Yadhav Kumar from the engineering and planning advisory firm HashTag PerCapita discussed opportunities and case studies for unlocking private-sector engagement in water management and disaster risk response. We also heard from Shruti Kapil, who underscored the urgency of integrated solutions whilst presenting the International Centre for Sustainability’s findings on water scarcity.

On Thursday, I was delighted to host a delegation from the Angolan Ministry of Planning for a roundtable in partnership with DBT Angola. The session was part of a wider visit by the Ministry of Planning, led by Secretary of State for Public Investment Ivan Emmanuel Marques dos Santos, focusing on Angola’s new PPP programme Angola. In addition to hearing from the Secretary of State, there were presentations by Helder Sampaio, Country Director in Angola for DBT, George Kotsovos from Standard Bank, Sharon Fitzegrald and André Duarte Figueira from DLA Piper, who have all been closely involved in the development of the PPP programme. Members who are already working in Angola and others exploring opportunities were able to make connections with the delegation and to hear about the principles driving the programme.

As this newsletter goes to press, we are glad to be hosting a roundtable with Bob Saum, Country Director for Eastern Europe (Ukraine and Moldova) at the World Bank. The session is to explore the Bank’s programme in Ukraine and members’ perspectives on and experiences of working in the country. We’ll report more on the discussion in next week’s newsletter.

Next week, we look forward to a workshop on Wednesday 13 November, in partnership with The D Group on "Repositioning the UK's Skills Offering”. We will bring together BEI and D Group members with a range of experience and in depth understanding of the skills landscape, both in the UK and internationally. The workshop will identify practical steps and actions to improve workforce skills outcomes. We will explore how to engage effectively with government stakeholders and align with evolving policy, strengthen collaboration with industry, and attract investment into skills programming. BEI members can register through our events page, here, and D Group members can register on the D Group page, here. If you aren’t a member but are interested in joining, please email Amalie Coleman via ac@britishexpertise.org to enquire.

Also on Wednesday 13 November, we will be exploring Infrastructure and Water Sector Opportunities in New Zealand. This event is part of a visit which we have organised for a delegation from Infrastructure New Zealand and a range of service and utility providers. The event will explore opportunities for UK–New Zealand cooperation in infrastructure and water services. New Zealand and the UK face many of the same challenges: ageing assets, funding constraints, and the need to build climate resilience. The panel will delve into the policy shifts and investment priorities underpinning transformation as well as commercial opportunities for UK organisations in sustainable construction, digital solutions, asset management and more. For more information and to register, click this link.

Finally, continuing the theme of working with partner organisations with a geographical focus, our colleagues at the Libya British Business Council are inviting BEI members to the Libya Energy Transition Conference on 26th November 2025. This half-day conference provides the chance to explore investment opportunities in Libya’s renewable energy transition, covering the investment portfolio and projects from solar to wind to European-Libya energy interconnection. If you are interested in joining, please click this link.

I’m off this afternoon to the Western Balkans. I hope you have a good – and warmer – weekend.

David Landsman

Executive Chairman

British Expertise International

‍Key events coming up include the following:

13th November 2025 09:30 – 12:00 GMT: SIL Skills Workshop: Repositioning the UK's Skills Offering - Join us on 13th November 2025 from 09:30 – 12:30 for a joint BEI and D Group Skills Workshop to explore what individual providers can do to achieve significant change in their target markets, in the face of challenges common to all geographies. The session will focus on practical steps and actions which improve the skills outcomes for workforces nationally and internationally.
13th November 2025 10:30 – 13:00 GMT: Infrastructure and Water Opportunities in New Zealand - Join us for a session exploring New Zealand's infrastructure and water sector reform. Held in partnership with DBT and Infrastructure New Zealand, this event will delve into the policy shifts and investment priorities underpinning this transformation as well as the commercial opportunities it creates for UK organisations in sustainable construction, digital solutions, asset management and more.
19th November 2025 09:30 – 12:30 GMT: Intersections of International Development and National Security - Given the growing national security priorities of the UK Government and the recent cuts to the aid budget, this event will offer a timely and engaging platform to explore the intersection between international development and national security. It also presents a valuable opportunity to discuss how development actors can align their programmes more closely with the UK’s strategic interests.
20th November 2025 12:00 – 13:00 GMT: Water Resilience Working Group - The UK has a distinctive offer and world-leading expertise in sustainable and climate-resilient water services. This group, in partnership with UK government, IFIs and other key stakeholders, aims to define that offer and leverage it to increase exports.
27th November 2025 15:00 – 16:00 GMT: SME wider community engagement with the FCDO SME Advisory Forum - BEI is delighted to continue supporting the members of FCDO’s SME Advisory Forum to engage with the wider SME community. Our aim is both to ensure that members of the Advisory Forum are briefed on the full range of views of the SME supplier community and to enable them to provide feedback on the discussions after their meetings.
Date TBA: Education Deep Dive: Tajikistan - Join us for a webinar deep dive into education opportunities in Tajikistan led by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan. Colleagues will provide us with an overview and insights into the key education sector opportunities available for British businesses, advice on cultural understanding, and tips for navigating the Tajik market.
Date TBA: Infrastructure Opportunities in Nigeria - This webinar offers a focused deep dive into Nigeria’s infrastructure landscape with a focus on several specific projects well suited for the UK supply chain

External Events and Reports:

10th – 13th November 2025: UK Renewable Energy Outward Trade Mission to Indonesia - With Indonesia moving away from coal-fired power and investing in a diverse range of clean energy sources, this mission offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with key Indonesian stakeholders, including government ministries, PLN (the state electricity company), and leading energy firms. The programme includes high-level briefings, meetings with decision-makers, and networking events to explore partnership, technology transfer, and investment opportunities. For more details, please see details in this brochure and email Andria Yusuf Arifanto (Andria.Yusuf@fcdo.gov.uk), Senior Trade Advisor (Energy) and mission lead.
12th November 2025 14:00 GMT: Women Working in Development: Safeguarding in times of turbulence - BDO and The Safeguarding Alliance - This online event is aimed at those in the international development sector seeking to exchange ideas and experiences. The panel, composed of esteemed sector experts, will bring a range of perspectives on where the priorities lie and where we can have the most impact across the programme lifecycle and from prevention to response.‍
13th January 2026 - UK-Asian Development Bank Business Connect: Advancing Partnerships through Infrastructure and Innovation - SAVE THE DATE - This half-day event, taking place in Singapore (venue TBC) is hosted by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank’s Singapore Office, with the aim of deepening UK business engagement with ADB and showcase UK innovation, expertise and available financing solutions across ADB’s priority sectors.

Register for an upcoming event →