UK Transition
How we can help
We have a team of Business Resilience experts supporting SMEs through the UK Transition. Contact us to see how you can benefit from our free support services.
A new website has been launched to provide impartial information to help businesses stay informed about the changes that affect them and take advantage of new opportunities arising from the new rules which came into force from January 1.
Visit https://www.wmgrowthhubs-eusupport.co.uk/
Growth Hubs in Coventry and Warwickshire, Greater Birmingham and Solihull, the Black Country, Worcestershire Business Central, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire and Marches have joined forces to help businesses throughout the region understand the key areas of change and the challenges arising from the UK’s new trading status.
Grant funding
Grants for businesses that complete customs declarations
Three grants are available under the government's Customs Grant Scheme. You can apply to get funding for:
- training that helps your business to complete customs declarations and processes
- hiring new staff to help your business complete customs declarations
- IT improvements to help your business complete customs declarations more efficiently
Click here to read about these grants, or contact us for advice on what you're eligible for.
Important UK Transition news
31 December: Action to take now that a deal has been reached
11 December: Action you must take now if you receive any personal data from the EU
24 November: Business Secretary writes to individual business sectors with industry-specific guidance (see the letters here)
13 November: Trademarking and intellectual property rules are changing
6 November: A message from the Business Secretary: Are you ready to trade in goods with the EU after 31 December 2020?
5 November: The UKNI marking is a new conformity marking for products placed on the market in Northern Ireland which have undergone mandatory third-party conformity assessment by a body based in the UK. Find out if you need to use it
30 October: Urgent message from the Business Secretary: The way you hire from the EU is changing
13 October: There are many actions you can take today to prepare. Find out what you need to do by using the government's checker tool
Sector-specific checklists
The government has produced a set of checklists by sector to help you understand how you need to prepare for the UK Transition. Click here to view them all.
Existing UK trade agreements with non-EU countries
Click here to find out about the trade agreements the UK has already signed and our discussions with countries the EU has a trade agreement with.
Useful webinars
There are a number of useful webinars and online events taking place in the region. Please contact our team to be directed to the most useful events for your particular business and circumstances. Read on for links to more general webinars that you may also find useful.
Business Travel and investing or establishing in the EU from January 2021 – on demand, click here. This webinar provides information on the actions you should take to prepare your business for new rules from January 2021 including:
- owning, managing or directing a business in the EU
- travelling for business
HMRC Transition webinars: HMRC have launched multiple editions of this live webinar covering how to complete customs import declarations and explaining how to make import declarations when importing goods between the EU and Great Britain. Find a date and to register, click here.
Department for International Trade webinars: DIT are hosting a series of webinars primarily aimed at businesses which are UK based who importing and exporting goods. To register click here.
Smart border webinar: The Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (French customs) are host a webinar in English on the smart border, the French Customs IT solution to keep trade flowing between the UK and France despite the establishment of customs clearance at the border. Click here.
Podcast: Business and the Future of Immigration in 2021
The Home Office has created a podcast episode in partnership with Intelligence Squared to help you prepare for the points-based immigration system.
Listen now to Business and the Future of Immigration in 2021. Also available on Spotify and Apple
Regulations on Manufactured Goods. This webinar will cover changes to the UK regime for goods that currently use the CE marking, the new UKCA marking and what you will need to do to place certain goods on the GB, NI and EU markets from 1 January 2021. View here
Providing services in the EU. Professional qualifications, audit and accounting, and legal services. View here
Chemical regulations – view here
Using personal data from 1 January 2021 – view here
IPO webinar. This webinar will covers changes to registration of EU Trade Marks and Designs, how parallel trade with the EU will change after 1 Jan 2021, changes to copyright licensing and operational changes to office processes for the registration of trade marks, designs and patents after the end of the transition period. View here
DIT webinar for exporters - Prepare your business for January 2021. Click here to view the October recording or to sign up for the next live session.
Ministry of Justice webinars for legal professionals. Find out more and register here.