Phase 2 · Strategy & Planning · From Idea to Executable Plan

Trade Mission Preparation

A trade mission is a significant investment of time and money. The businesses that return with commercial outcomes are the ones that prepared before they went, not the ones that networked when they got there.

Trade mission preparation is the structured pre-mission process that maximises the commercial return from participation in government or industry trade missions — from the meeting schedule and the company pitch through the relationship-building strategy, the follow-up plan, and the commercial readiness to convert mission conversations into business relationships. We design the preparation that makes every trade mission conversation move toward an outcome.

The Pain We Solve

You may recognise yourself in one of these.

Three audience scenarios · because the same service produces a different transformation depending on where you are in the business journey.

Scenario 1

The business attending a trade mission without a clear commercial objective or meeting schedule

The trade mission has been confirmed. The flights and accommodation are booked. And the business has no clear view of who it wants to meet, what it wants to achieve, or how it will follow up on the conversations it has. The trip will be enjoyable, educational, and commercially unproductive.

Scenario 2

The company that has attended trade missions previously and returned with business cards but no commercial progress

The meetings were good. The relationships were promising. The follow-up emails were sent. And then nothing happened — because the follow-up was too slow, too generic, or not connected to a specific next step that advanced the relationship toward a commercial outcome.

Scenario 3

The business uncertain whether a particular trade mission represents a worthwhile investment for its specific commercial objectives

The trade mission is being promoted. The cost is significant. And the business does not have a framework for assessing whether this specific mission, in this specific market, at this specific time, represents a worthwhile investment of the limited international development budget.

The Impact It Creates

The Moment You Will Feel the Difference.

1

Trade mission commercial objectives clearly defined before departure

2

Meeting schedule pre-arranged with the right companies and contacts

3

Company pitch and materials localised for the target market

4

Follow-up system in place to convert mission conversations to commercial relationships

What You Receive

The Specific Deliverables.

Tangible outputs · documented, dated, and yours to keep.

  • Trade mission commercial objective setting
  • Target company and contact identification in mission market
  • Pre-mission meeting schedule design and facilitation
  • Company pitch and materials preparation for the target market
  • Mission logistics and cultural briefing
  • Post-mission follow-up plan and relationship management framework

The Outcome

Where You Will Be on the Other Side.

The business returns from the trade mission with a pipeline of qualified commercial relationships that have been systematically followed up — converting the investment in the mission into the commercial outcomes that justified it.

Primary Focus

Preparing businesses for trade missions with the commercial objectives, meeting schedules, and follow-up systems that convert mission conversations into commercial outcomes.

KPI Measurement

  • Pre-arranged meetings per mission
  • Follow-up response rate post-mission
  • Commercial pipeline generated per mission
  • Mission ROI — revenue vs investment
  • Relationship conversion rate from mission contact to commercial partner

Investment & ROI

Pricing Engineered Around the Value You Create.

Every engagement is sized against the value we believe we can create with you · the fee is always a fraction of the outcome. Four tiers · so the investment matches your stage of business.

Tier 1

Foundations

£5,000 – £15,000

Right for

Pre-startup, startup, and micro-business founders ready to build on evidence rather than instinct.

Typical Value Created

£100K+ in sharper resource allocation and avoided strategic missteps

Engagement

4 – 8 weeks

Target Return

5 – 10× ROI

within 12 – 18 months

Tier 2

Acceleration

£15,000 – £50,000

Right for

Growing SMEs and established small businesses ready to scale a working model into the next revenue band.

Typical Value Created

£500K – £3M in faster execution and pipeline acceleration

Engagement

8 – 16 weeks

Target Return

5 – 10× ROI

within 12 – 18 months

Tier 3

Transformation

£50,000 – £250,000

Right for

Medium enterprises and scale-stage businesses ready to commit to a multi-quarter, organisation-wide shift.

Typical Value Created

£2M – £20M in strategic value through repositioning, model redesign, and growth-system installation

Engagement

3 – 9 months

Target Return

5 – 10× ROI

within 12 – 18 months

Tier 4

Enterprise

£250,000 – £2M+

Right for

Large enterprises, global operators, and complex organisations ready for a multi-year strategic partnership.

Typical Value Created

£10M+ in major strategic initiatives, capital deployment efficiency, and competitive repositioning

Engagement

12 months and onward

Target Return

5 – 10× ROI

within 12 – 18 months

Why We Price This Way

Every engagement is sized around the value we believe we can create with you. The fee is always a fraction of the outcome · typically 10 – 20% of the expected first-year return.

This is how we make sure pricing aligns with results. The conversation is never “what does this cost?” · it is always “what is this worth to your business?” We answer that together in the first call, transparently, and decide the right tier from there.

If we cannot articulate a credible 5–10× return for your specific situation, we will tell you in the first call. That honesty is part of why our clients trust us with the work that matters most.

Why This Conversation Matters

The best trade mission outcomes are not accidents. They are the result of the preparation that happened before the flight. We do the preparation that turns a trip into a pipeline — and a pipeline into international revenue.

A 90-minute structured strategy session · produces a usable roadmap whether you engage further or not.

More in Phase 2

Other services in Strategy & Planning

Back to Phase 2
Business ModelRevenue StrategyGo-to-Market StrategyBrand PositioningSales StrategyMarketing StrategyFinancial PlanningOperational PlanningCustomer Acquisition PlanRisk ManagementPartnership StrategyLaunch RoadmapBudget PlanningResource PlanningTimelineKPIs and Success MetricsMarket Entry StrategyOutsourced Strategy HubPitch Coaching & Investor PresentationTerm Sheet Negotiation SupportPost-Investment IntegrationVenture Capital Navigation ProgrammeInvestor Due Diligence PreparationESG Investment ReadinessBusiness Model DesignPricing StrategyBusiness Plan DevelopmentRisk Assessment & MitigationStrategic Advisory (Fractional)Pitch Deck DevelopmentKPI & Success Metrics DesignFounder Financial PlanningFounder Accountability & Coaching ProgrammeBoard Readiness for FoundersFounder Network & Community AccessFounder Peer Advisory GroupSolopreneur Scale-Up SupportFemale Founder Empowerment ProgrammeContract Readiness & Financial Due DiligenceSupplier Capability DevelopmentSupply Chain Positioning StrategyContract Award & Onboarding SupportSpend Analytics for BuyersPreferred Supplier List (PSL) DevelopmentFramework Agreement Access & ManagementSocial Value & Impact ProcurementBuyer Training & Commercial SkillsCategory ManagementProcurement Technology & eProcurementRisk & Compliance in ProcurementSustainable & Ethical ProcurementProcurement Process OptimisationPurchase-to-Pay (P2P) DesignDemand Management & ForecastingSupplier Diversity ProgrammeTail Spend ManagementMarket Intelligence & BenchmarkingProcurement Training & Capability BuildingTalent Acquisition StrategyEmployee Onboarding ProgrammePerformance Management FrameworkCulture & Engagement StrategyLeadership Development ProgrammeOrganisational Design & RestructuringHR Policy & Compliance FrameworkCompensation & Benefits DesignSuccession PlanningTeam Dynamics & Conflict ResolutionPartnership Strategy & Alliance ManagementJoint Venture AdvisoryBoard Advisory & NED PlacementDiversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) StrategySales Process DesignCRM Strategy & ImplementationSales Team Training & CoachingSales EnablementPipeline Management & ForecastingRevenue Operations (RevOps)Contract Negotiation SupportProposal & Pitch DesignP&L Management AdvisorySales Compensation DesignBusiness AccelerationDigital TransformationMarketing & PromotionBranding & Authority BuildingPR & Media VisibilityDigital Transformation RoadmapAI Tools Integration for BusinessBusiness Process AutomationTech Stack RationalisationData Strategy & Digital IntelligenceCybersecurity Foundations for SMEsE-Commerce EnablementLegacy System ModernisationCRM Implementation & OptimisationCloud Migration StrategyNo-Code & Low-Code Business ToolsDigital ROI MeasurementExport Readiness AssessmentInternational Market Entry StrategyCross-Border Partnership DevelopmentInternational Legal & ComplianceExport Finance & Currency RiskCultural Intelligence for Global BusinessInternational Distributor & Agent NetworkInternational Pricing StrategyOverseas Office & Entity SetupTurnaround Strategy DesignBusiness Model Pivot StrategyRecovery Financing StrategyCorporate Governance FrameworkBoard Structure & Effectiveness ReviewRisk Register Design & ManagementRegulatory Compliance AdvisoryData Protection & GDPR ProgrammeCompany Secretarial FunctionAnti-Bribery & Corruption PolicyWhistleblowing & Ethics FrameworkInsurance & Liability ReviewGovernance Health Check & AuditInternal Audit ProgrammeCompliance Training ProgrammePolicy & Procedure FrameworkConflict of Interest ManagementGovernance Reporting & TransparencyInnovation Strategy & Pipeline DesignR&D Programme Design & ManagementIP Audit & Protection StrategyPatent & Trademark AdvisoryInnovation Funding StrategyInnovation Portfolio ManagementAcquisition Strategy DesignDeal Structuring & NegotiationSell-Side Preparation & AdvisoryManagement Buyout AdvisoryJoint Venture Design & StructuringStrategic Partnership FrameworkBusiness Valuation AdvisoryDeal Finance AdvisoryCIC & Charity CommercialisationImpact Measurement FrameworkSocial Return on Investment (SROI)Grant Strategy for Social EnterprisesImpact Investment ReadinessCommunity Benefit Business Model DesignSocial Value Measurement & ReportingLicensing Strategy & Deal DesignTerritory Mapping & PlanningFranchise Legal Framework AdvisoryFranchise Financial ModellingNon-Profit Commercialisation Programme