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Monday, 5 January 2026
Business Academy, what's coming in 2026
Friday, 19 December 2025
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Monday, 1 December 2025
BMS Chistmas Party 15 December at the Oriental Club
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Dear Jean-Francois Dor,
You are invited to attend the 2025 BMS Christmas Party coming up very soon on 15 December 2025.
For more information, please see below.
Please note that the BMS Annual Dinner, originally scheduled for 21 November, is now scdheduled for January 2026 (date to be confirmed).
Invitation to the BMS Christmas Party 2025
Members and friends are invited to join us for drinks in the run up to Christmas.
Please join us for our 2025 Christmas Celebrations at the Oriental Club. Founded in 1824 by the 1st Duke of Wellington, the Club is home to those with an affinity and affection for the East . You are most welcome to attend with friends and guests, in particular those interested in joining BMS.
Date: Monday 15 December 2025
Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Venue: The Library, Oriental Club, 11 Stratford Place, London W1C 1ES
Nearest Tube Station: Bond Street
Dresscode: Business attire or cocktail. No jeans or trainers.
Cost
(covers drinks and canapes)
BMS members £48pp
Non members £58pp
Students £28pp
BOOKING AND PAYMENT
Please reserve your place(s) online as soon as possible using the online booking system. To book your place click on the "Book Now" button below.
Please note that, when booking at BMS Member's rates, it is necessary to be logged in to your User Account.
If you have not yet registered your User Account as a member, then you may do so here:
If you are not yet a member of BMS and wish to join, then it is very easy to do by clicking here:
Go to the Membership page
If you have any queries, please contact Mei Sim Lai OBE DL as soon as possible by email at:
Meisimlai@yahoo.co.uk or Mobile/WhatsApp 07903 153 793.
Thursday, 20 November 2025
From market stall to international brand: The Spice Kitchen journey 🌶️
How does a simple idea become a global success?
Joining me next on the 'In Conversation' hot seat is Sanjay Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of Spice Kitchen. We'll be discussing how a Christmas Day conversation sparked an international brand now stocked in over 600 UK retailers and exporting to the US.
What you’ll learn:
✅ Practical tips for entering new markets – trade shows, branding, digital platforms
✅ How Spice Kitchen leveraged DBT support to expand internationally
✅ Actionable insights to help UK businesses grow with confidence
📅 Date: Wednesday 3 December
🕒 Duration: 1 hour
📍 Online - Free to attend
Don’t miss this chance to hear Sanjay’s journey from local market stalls to global shelves, and learn how you could follow in his footsteps.
Raj Theper
UK Export Academy Adviser - Department for Business and Trade
Create content that converts overseas
Your UK content won't land the same way in Canada, Croatia & China, and that's the opportunity. The brands that scale fastest abroad don't shout louder; they sound local.
Join us on Wednesday 26 November, 10:00 - 11:00 for a free, live webinar: Top tips on content creation for an international audience.
What you'll learn:
- How to identify the preferences of different regional audiences to lift engagement and sales
- Techniques for creating tailored content that resonates across markets and builds brand loyalty
- The best tools and platforms to streamline personalised content creation and distribution across borders
👉 Ready to make your conten travel further? Book your place now, spaces are limited.
This webinar is part of: Strategic Horizons in Export: Running over the course of a year, SHE is a bespoke webinar series for women entrepreneurs and leaders of small businesses in the digital economy, where you'll learn how to scale your digital business globally from leading experts.
We hope to see you online on 26 November.
Department for Business and Trade
UK Export Academy Team
Wednesday, 29 October 2025
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Monday, 6 October 2025
The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS)
The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) is a UK government-backed initiative launched by the British Business Bank in July 2024 to provide smaller businesses with improved access to finance for investment and growth. It functions as the successor to the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) and allows businesses to apply for term loans, overdrafts, and other finance types through accredited lenders. A key feature is the 70% government-backed guarantee to the lender, encouraging them to offer better terms to borrowers by reducing their risk. Businesses can access funding through GGS-accredited lenders until March 31, 2026, with loan amounts typically up to £2 million, though the final decision rests with the lender after standard credit checks.
- Small businesses should approach a GGS-accredited lender, such as HSBC, Lloyds Bank, or Barclays.
- The lender assesses the business's application, conducting standard credit and fraud checks.
- If the lender can offer a commercial facility on better terms without the GGS guarantee, they will do so. If not, and the business is eligible, the lender may use the GGS to provide the finance.
- The GGS helps improve the terms of the loan, including potentially more favourable interest rates and repayment periods.
- The GGS replaces the Recovery Loan Scheme as the government's flagship support scheme for SMEs.
- The British Business Bank guarantees up to 70% of the loan value to the lender, which encourages them to take on more lending.
- The finance can be used for any legitimate business purpose, including managing cash flow, working capital, and other investments.
- Funding is available for facilities up to £2 million for most businesses in the UK.
- Applications for the scheme are open until March 31, 2026.
- Small businesses in the UK seeking finance to invest and grow.
- Businesses of various sizes may be eligible, with eligibility assessed on a case-by-case basis by the lender.
