The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Trade and Investment is inviting businesses to contribute to their ‘Trade Triangle’ Inquiry.
This inquiry examines how the Government’s three flagship trade strategies released over the summer – the Modern Industrial Strategy, the Small Business Plan, and the Trade Strategy – will support SMEs, and where further challenges may remain.
Following the launch of the inquiry at Teesside Airport just over two months ago, which brought together more than 20 leading SME exporters from the region, this work is now being extended across the UK.
This will help ensure that the recommendations the APPG provides to the Department for Business and Trade genuinely reflect the priorities, needs and lived experiences of SMEs nationwide.
Written submissions from SMEs may be submitted by 13 February 2026. It’s unlikely that many SMEs will find all the questions below relevant, and some of the strategies and policies referred to are very new and may not yet have had much effect. However, this is an opportunity to directly influence government policy so please do respond if you would like to.
Please find the questions below:
- What do you think of the eight priority sectors outlined in the Industrial Strategy? Which other sectors, if any, should be included?
- Do you feel there is sufficient local access to Research and Development (R&D) funding, in your area to support your growth? What R&D funding have you made use of, to date, if any?
- Do you make use of any export advisors in regions – e.g. DBT’s International Trade Advisors or Chambers of Commerce, and is there any additional support you feel you need with regional export advice?
- What are the top skills shortages which affect your business and how can government better address skills shortages, either in your region or sector?
- What is your experience with utilising UK Export Finance’s offerings? What improvements would you suggest?
- Have you made use of Freeports in your region (if applicable) and what was your experience?
- Do you have ambitions to scale-up? What regional support would be most valuable to support these ambitions?
- What role can local government or local authorities play in supporting your trade ambitions?
- What is access to finance like locally? Are you making use of any regional grants?
- How have recently secured Free Trade Agreements benefited your business and/or your region? What specific agreements have you capitalised upon?
Submit your responses here.
Alternately, you can email your responses directly to: oliver.greensmith@export.org.uk.
If you prefer, you may submit your responses via Iain McNab, Head of Policy at Essex Chambers of Commerce, as it would be very helpful to know what our members are saying.
Thank you.
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16.01.2026
