The South Yorkshire International Trade Centre (SYITC), the centrepoint of South Yorkshire’s biggest ever project to boost international trade to help the region’s businesses develop their overseas potential, is to lose its funding package.
Today efforts are underway to provide an alternative dedicated international trade support service for the region following withdrawal of funding for the centre, a joint initiative of the South Yorkshire chambers of commerce and part of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce. The funding blow comes even though other trade chambers in the UK are being retained.
Based at the Sheffield Chamber headquarters in Albion House, Savile Street, the SYITC is acknowledged as a centre of excellence and is the largest of its kind outside London. Since 2001, it has helped companies to a total in increased sales of nearly £100m. The centre has also assisted 1,178 businesses, safeguarded 4,240 jobs and created 912 new jobs.
It was supported by a three year, £7.41m funding package issued jointly by Yorkshire Forward, the European Regional Development Fund and UK Trade and Investment under contract with Business Link South Yorkshire, which followed initial funding from Objective 1. However, Yorkshire Forward wants to contract the service delivery to another organisation. Up to 23 posts will be affected, with many trade advisers having to seek new jobs.
Representatives of the Chambers have discussed the blow with local MPs, the city’s universities, Creative Sheffield and Sheffield City Council Chief executive Sir Bob Kerslake to consider opportunities to design a new international trade support service. Discussions and planning are continuing.
Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Nigel Tomlinson said: “This has come as a major surprise and disappointment. This funding blow is even harder to take as other Centres in the country are being retained.
“It is a tragedy to lose this funding for the SYITC at a time when so much has been achieved in moving what has been an under-performing export business community back into international competitiveness.
“The SYITC has been a true example of successful partnership working and as a result it has been replicated both in the UK and overseas.
“We want businesses in the region to know that we are looking at how we can keep the partnership together. We will retain the brand and seek to deliver services for businesses – something this Chamber has done successfully for 150 years.”
From April 1 the international trade services and funding will be channelled through the regional UK Trade and Investment office to the new regional Business Link operator, Y&H IDB Ltd.
“We have had to serve notice that jobs are now at risk. Yorkshire Forward have informed us that they expect the existing SYITC partnership to remain together and bid for sub-regional delivery contracts. However, this will prove difficult if we have already lost valuable experience and skills as a result of the end of our existing contract,” said Mr Tomlinson.
The first of its kind in the United Kingdom, the SYITC was launched in 2001 and quickly became a model for others before being listed as an exemplar by the European Union as it was replicated overseas as far as field as Brazil, Turkey and Laos.
The Sheffield Chamber, partly as a result of its partnership with SYITC was recognised for its excellence in International Trade Services in 2006 and was runner-up in the World Chamber Awards last year
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International Trade 
