Come to the UK to do better business

Over $100k in prizes is up for grabs for Australian and New Zealand companies looking to expand into Europe.

The UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has opened the field for businesses on either side of the Tasman wishing to establish a foothold overseas. Just by entering, companies of the creative and technical persuasion go into the running for a $25,000 prize package.

Three winning companies from Australia and one from New Zealand will each win British Airways return airfares to London, meetings with potential business partners, client contacts, and a free limited company.

According to Richard Morris, director general of UKTI in Australia and New Zealand, the UK is the easiest place in Europe to do business and has the least barriers to entrepreneurship in the world.

“Just as Australia can be a gateway to Asia, the UK is the gateway to Europe and a combined population of around 500 million people.

"It doesn’t matter what your line of business, any Australian company thinking of establishing themselves in the UK should enter Go UK,” he says.

Entries for the Go UK business plan competition close 3 February 2012. Finalists for each region and category will be announced shortly after, with a cocktail reception held in March to award the Australian winners their prizes:

• Sydney (covering all NSW, ACT and WA entrants)
• Melbourne (covering all VIC, SA and TAS entrants
• Brisbane (covering all QLD and NT entrants)

UKTI says in the past year it helped over 40 Australian companies establish themselves in the UK, and around 1,000 are already set up and doing business in the region.