UK government event to boost small and medium businesses in Northern Ireland

Belfast will welcome over 100 British and American business representatives, according to the UK Department for Business and Trade. It is the eighth annual UK-US SME dialogue event, coming just months after the Northern Ireland Investment Summit.

The government says the event will bring together over 100 businesses, stakeholders and government officials from both sides of the Atlantic to help boost trade.

It is part of UK Government effort to ramp up support for small businesses, reaffirming their role as the engines of our economy.

The event is led by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the United States Trade Representative, and will bring together over 100 businesses, stakeholders and government officials from both sides of the Atlantic on Tuesday to help boost trade and strengthen cooperation in areas important to SMEs.

Northern Ireland businesses such as tech company ubloquity, animation creators Dog Ears and creative industries giant The Deluxe Group will participate in business panels covering barriers to trade, creative industries, digital trade and IP.

Another business event in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses will also take place in Belfast this week.

Minister for Trade Policy, Greg Hands said: “I’ve just returned from the US and it was more apparent than ever that the UK-US special relationship is built on business.

“Following the success of the Northern Ireland Investment Summit, events like this are so important in continuing to demonstrate our commitment to Northern Ireland and the strength of businesses here.

“I’m delighted to see the many ways we’re highlighting Northern Ireland’s bright future and the potential of our fantastic SMEs.”

The government says these events “demonstrate the UK Government’s continued commitment to Northern Ireland businesses following the success of the Northern Ireland Investment Summit (NIIS) last year”.

As seen at NIIS, Northern Ireland has a unique trading position and is a story of energy, creativity and innovation. It leads the way in industries of the future such as technology and creative industries, making it one of the most exciting areas to do trade in the UK.

Northern Ireland also plays a huge part in the special relationship with the US - the US is the largest source of foreign direct investment in Northern Ireland according to a report by the ONS and in 2023, there were over 30,000 people employed by US-owned businesses in Northern Ireland.

The UK is taking a twin-track approach to trade with the US – strengthening ties on a federal level while also signing trade pacts with individual US states.

The UK has signed eight state-level memoranda of understanding (MOUs), with Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, Oklahoma, Florida, Washington and Texas, worth a quarter of the US economy.