South’s firms thrive at Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards

Businesses across the South have been recognised in this year’s Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards, organised by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

Now in their second year, the awards celebrate the international sales success of SMEs throughout the country and aim to provide a stepping stone for further growth and opportunities.

Winning businesses were drawn across 10 categories, including agriculture, financial services and low carbon energy.

Picking up the award for consultancy and professional services firms was Intralink, an international business development consultancy based in Abingdon.

Intralink helps companies to expand in Asia, Europe and North America; corporates to innovate through global collaboration; and governments to grow their exports and attract foreign investment.

With 120 employees across 15 offices and a 34-year history, it’s worked with more than 1,500 companies to secure deals worth around £600 million.

The other award winner from the South this year was Autoflame Engineering, a family-run manufacturer of commercial and industrial combustion management and monitoring solutions.

Based in Bromley, the firm enables customers to reduce their fuel and maintenance costs and substantially lower their emissions, distributing through a network of 110-plus technology centres around the world.

All 10 of this year’s winners have received an invitation to an evening parliamentary reception and a year’s free membership with the Institute of Export and International Trade (IOE&IT).

They also win a digital badge, physical certificate and trophy, and will enjoy promotional activity across DBT channels.

Lord Offord, minister for exports, said: “We’re proud of our British exporters and these awards highlight some fantastic businesses punching above their weight and selling UK-made products around the world.

“I hope the winners serve as inspiration to others looking to get onto the exporting ladder and encourage more businesses to showcase the incredible talent and innovation of UK businesses selling abroad.”

A number of companies based in the South East were also highly commended by the judges in this year’s awards.

They include Oxford online learning platform Learning with Experts, Reading fintech Konsentus, Bournemouth breast balancer retailers Evenly, Hove mobility emissions platform Together Global (trading as Clearly), and Vikoma, an Isle of Wight provider of oil spill and chemical pollution control systems.

In the South West, Bristol workforce development business People 1st International and Warwickshire ultra-thin film manufacturer Silson were highly commended.

Marco Forgione, director general of the IOE&IT and judge for the 2024 awards, said: “The calibre of businesses that entered across all categories has been incredibly high, and selecting a winner has been a tough job.

“These awards provide an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the global trade success stories of small businesses from all nations and regions – and we hope these winners will inspire even more budding business owners.

“The evidence continues to tell us that businesses that trade internationally are more sustainable, more resilient, more innovative, employ more people and, ultimately, are more profitable.

“So it’s vital that these businesses are supported in their exporting journeys and that their success stories are celebrated.”