Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Neil signed up to the Passport to Export programme in May 2006 and attended the two day ‘Ensuring Your Export Capability Workshop.’

He said: “The workshop gave me time to understand the export potential of our products, and get my questions answered, on how to set about venturing into the world markets.

“This shared experience proved invaluable and gave me the confidence to take the plunge into the highly competitive European market.”

Funding from the Passport programme also enabled him to attend the trade show Eurosatory 2006 in Paris in June.

As a result, Blue i received orders from more than 12 countries and enquiries from another 14.

“By attending the show we were able to further promote our products into the specialist defence sector.

“We are now in the process of setting up and appointing resellers in many of the countries that approached us at the show” says Neil.

”We are working seven days a week just to keep up with the demand!”

Neil is now expecting more than 40 per cent of the business turnover to come from exports in 2006/7 and has already revised Blue i’s sales predictions by more than 250 per cent.

Mike Tingay, international trade adviser for East of England International which delivers UK Trade & Investment services in Cambridgeshire says: “It has been a delight working with Blue i. Its success in overseas markets demonstrates how even the smallest

companies can use the Passport to Export programme to achieve their exporting ambitions.”