• International Trade Secretary welcomes US counterpart Ambassador Tai to Aberdeen to discuss how transatlantic trade is delivering for the people of Scotland and the rest of the UK.
• Talks focus on key sectors for Scottish economy and bring together iconic Scottish businesses including Walker’s Shortbread and innovative energy SME, Enpro-Subsea.
• Figures show US investment is supporting over 100,000 jobs and generating nearly £50 billion for the Scottish economy.

The UK will on Monday (25 April) host the second transatlantic trade dialogue in Aberdeen aimed at boosting our £200 billion trade partnership with the US.

Against a backdrop of Aberdeen’s flourishing tech scene and world-leading energy sector, the dialogue will focus on agreed priority areas including digital and innovation, green trade, supporting SMEs and supply chain resilience.

Latest figures show the importance of transatlantic trade to Scottish workers, businesses and industry:

• Nearly a quarter of the nation’s services exports are to the US
• Scotch whisky exports continues to play a vital role in wider UK-US trade, with almost two thirds of beverages exported to the US coming from Scotland
• The US is Scotland’s number one foreign investor, according to EY
• US-owned businesses support over 100,000 jobs, generating nearly £50 billion for the economy

The Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan will discuss the importance of trade for creating jobs and spreading economic opportunities throughout the UK – a key part of our levelling up agenda.

The dialogue will convene leaders from across Scottish, central and local government, a wide range of businesses as well as trade unions and civil society groups such as Trades Union Congress.

International Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: 

This dialogue gives us a platform to explore more modern, digital ways of trading. It will identify and resolve barriers to trade to make it cheaper and easier for businesses in Scotland and throughout the UK to do business with our US friends.

As two leaders in green innovation, it also gives us the opportunity to harness trade to tackle shared challenges such as climate change.

The Trade Secretary met with leaders on Sunday evening (24 April) from Scotland’s food and drink industry including Walker’s shortbread and Clootie McToot.

Attendees also included US spirits company Brown-Forman which owns three of Scotland’s top distilleries GlenDronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh and employs hundreds of people in the UK. The firm hailed the lifting of tariffs on US whiskey thanks to the recent resolution of the S232 steel and aluminium tariffs dispute, and revealed it is now planning a multi-million pound investment in its Scottish facilities .

Ahead of the dialogue, Trevelyan and Tai will visit offshore energy SME, Enpro-Subsea in Aberdeen where Trevelyan will highlight the UK’s energy strategy aimed at securing energy security and independence, while we support the transition from fossil fuels to new technologies. The company demonstrates that achieving our environmental goals must go hand-in-hand with an evolving North Sea industry.

Discussions at the dialogue will provide a solid foundation for further engagement with the US. This includes ongoing work at a state-level such as mutual recognition of qualifications as well as continuing to remove barriers to trade.

The Government has already helped lift the ban on UK exports of lamb and beef and resolved the Large Civil Aircraft dispute, which removed 25 percent tariffs on Scotch whisky, resulting in huge wins for Scottish producers and exporters.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:

We’re delighted to host today’s talks in Aberdeen, marking a positive development in our already strong trade relationship with the US. Improving our partnership will create new high-quality opportunities for businesses in Scotland, including from our thriving food and drink, tech and energy sectors.

At a time when we face immense global challenges, joining with our friends in the US to lift barriers, improve communication and encourage new and innovative ways of working together will support jobs across Scotland and beyond, benefiting businesses of all sizes.

Shevaun Haviland, Director-General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

The UK and US are natural trading partners. These dialogues are an opportunity to build on that relationship and set new ambitious standards on sustainable trade. In a shifting and uncertain world, we must also take this opportunity to reinforce the resilience of our supply chains and stabilise prices.

Smaller businesses make up the majority of our membership, and the UK economy, so it’s vital they are given a voice in these talks and that they get to reap the benefits on both sides of the Atlantic. Supply chain disruption and soaring inflation have reduced the operating margins of many small firms to almost nothing, so reducing the costs of trade with the US would be a huge boost for them. This would then help communities right across the UK to see the benefits that improved trade with the US could bring.

Allan Hogarth, Executive Director of the Scottish North American Business Council (SNABC) said:

The SNABC is very much looking forward to participating in the Aberdeen session of the Transatlantic Dialogue, building on the success of the Baltimore session last month. These discussions will cover vital areas to the Scottish, UK and US economies – it is a great opportunity to make sure Scottish voices are heard on this, our single biggest export market, and to try and make it simpler for us all to continue to prosper and strengthen the transatlantic relationship for our mutual benefit.

Background:

• According to EY, the US was the largest contributor of Scottish FDI projects in 2020. The 38 investment projects originating from the US accounted for 35.5 percent of all projects recorded in Scotland in 2020. EY’s Attractiveness Survey Scotland, June 2021

We invite interested organisations to send in their project proposals to become implementers for our 2022-2023 Bilateral Programme, as per our expected areas of work.

Deadline: Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:59 PM.

What is the Bilateral Programme?

The Bilateral Programme is the main channel through which the British Embassy finances projects in Venezuela. These should contribute towards achieving results within strategic objectives and expected outcomes identified by the Embassy, which benefit Venezuela.

Through this programme, the Embassy has supported various projects on areas such as human rights and democracy, economic reform, sustainable development and energy.

What are the Embassy´s expected areas of work for FY 2022-2023?

This year, we are looking for projects that focus on the various themes listed below. Some indicative outcomes that projects could look to achieve within each theme are also listed below. These are not exhaustive and are meant to serve as a guide. You may still bid for funding for a project as long as it falls under the broad theme, even if the expected outcomes are different. The themes listed below are in no particular order.

Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders

• improved capacity of civil society organisations to carry out independent and impartial evidence collection on human rights violations, in line with international standards

Promoting Democracy

• stronger capacity to support the medium-long term strengthening of Venezuela’s democratic institutions
• improved local level municipality/council cross-party collaboration and effectiveness
• increased civil society capacity to champion constitutional elections, good governance, transparency and/or rule of law

Climate and Biodiversity

• increased capacity for climate mitigation or adaptation, including through but not limited to clean energy and nature-based solutions
• improved management of ecosystems, with a focus on actions to tackle deforestation and support sustainable land use
• enhanced monitoring of environmental pressures and threats, as well as climate risks

Promoting Economic Stability

• improved data collection capacity and access to key macro-economic and socio-economic information
• strengthened independent efforts to support improvements in the business environment, including through policy proposals

Promoting Gender Equality and Female Empowerment

• enhanced awareness of sexual health, reproductive rights and gender-based violence, especially for teenagers
• increased access to education and improved prospects for women in the labour market

LGBT+ rights

• formation of a broad, politically diverse LGBT+ rights coalition to advocate non-discriminatory measures at local/national levels and reach progressive milestones

Key points to consider before submitting your bids

1. Activities should be carried out before 31 March 2022. Please plan to start activities by August 2022.

2. Payments are made in arrears (reimbursements). This means that the Embassy is not allowed to pay up-front for project activities which have not taken place.

3. Overhead/administration costs should not exceed 10% of the overall project budget.

4. At least 85% of the funds must be implemented by December 2022.

5. Make sure the proposed project purpose (in the format) is well defined and specific, and fits within at least one of the listed cooperation themes

6. Co-financing from other institutions is welcomed. Please include this as part of your bid if appropriate.

7. Each organisation may only present one (1) proposal per area of work.

8. Purchase of capital goods, including infrastructure, properties, furniture and/or IT equipment, is not authorised.

9. All projects must align with the Paris Agreement and consider climate and environmental risks, as well as their impact on gender equality.

These points are subject to change at the discretion of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Gender equality

The British Government is committed to achieving gender equality at home and worldwide, which is why we pushed for a standalone Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on gender.

As such, we expect that all projects funded by the Embassy are gender mainstreamed by:

• paying careful consideration to the level of female participation in the delivery of project activities, which applies both for implementers and beneficiaries;

• understanding and responding to the different needs of women and girls taking part/benefitted by the project, which should be considered at the project design stage, during its implementation, and as part of the evaluation of the project impact;

• and considering and preparing for the differentiated impact the activities may have on women and girls taking part in the project.

Who may send in their project proposal?

• state institutions – at all levels

• non-governmental organisations (NGOs), legally registered

• universities

• think tanks

• private sector and commerce and industry chambers

Before applying, please be sure you are able to submit the following legal documentation, when required by the Embassy (do not forward these documents when applying):

• digital copy of the Trade Register/Articles of Incorporation (Registro Mercantil o Acta Constitutiva)

• copy of the Fiscal Registration identification number (Registro de Identificación Fiscal -RIF)

• letter-headed document specifying bank account details

• a copy of the Identity Card (Cédula) of the legal representative of the organisation

What is the indicative process timeline?

• 18 May 2022 – Deadline for potential project implementers to send in their project proposal.

• 6 June 2022 – Embassy notifies shortlisted potential project implementers of their semi-finalist status, and asks them to develop a revised project proposal, accompanied by it activity based budget (ABB), aimed at contributing to one of the specified areas of work.

• 19 June 2022 – Deadline for implementers to submit full project proposal and ABB.

• 8 July 2022 – Embassy project board meets to agree and approve successful projects. Successful and unsuccessful bidders notified the following working day.

• 1 August – Grant agreements/contracts/MOUs signed with approved project implementers and project implementations starts

These dates are subject to change.

How does the selection process work?

If you think your organisation can support the Embassy in the delivery of our cooperation objectives, please complete the format attached in English and forward it to projects.caracas@fcdo.gov.uk by the indicated deadline, including the name of your organisation in the subject line (e.g. Asociación Venezolana de Investigaciones Sociales).

The form is designed to determine why your organisation is best suited to deliver a project aimed at achieving one of our cooperation outcomes, what type of activities you envisage as part of a project funded by the Embassy, how much it would cost and with whom you would partner up to deliver project activities. Please note we will not considered proposals presented in a different format.

After receiving your project proposal, the Embassy will produce a shortlist according to agreed criteria such as whether the project is sustainable in the long-term, has a multiplying effect, represents value-for-money and is gender mainstreamed.

These criteria are reflected in an appraisal matrix the Embassy uses to mark potential project implementers. Those with higher marks will be shortlisted and required to develop a full project bid. Please note the Embassy may consider asking organisations to join up as partners and work on a full project bid together.

The Embassy project board will then meet to assess project bids.

What comprises the monitoring process for projects?

Once approved, and in accordance with the grant agreement/contract/MoU, the implementing organisation must submit quarterly reports, and a final evaluation report.

Please note that Embassy staff will keep in touch with your organisation throughout the project implementation and may call for monitoring meetings or participate in project activities.

A few examples of projects financed by the Embassy:

• creation of a network of organisations aimed at tackling violence against women and girls in Venezuela

• diploma course on a culture of peace and human rights for civil servants in Merida municipalities

• raising awareness on LGBTI rights with police officers

• training on PRECIS Climate Modelling System for government officials

• enabling reduction of subsidies of Liquefied Petroleum Gas

• supporting participatory biodiversity assessment in a local natural area

• implementation of an on-line participatory budget and procurement system in eight Venezuelan mayoralties.