Publication - Research and analysis
Team Scotland's Export Promotion Support: evaluation
Summary findings of an evaluation of delivery partner support and services offered to businesses with export sales projects in Scotland between April 2018 and April 2021.
8. What works
8.1 While overall impact is important, it is also important to understand what types of support and other factors have had a bigger impact. From the analysis of management information, the following relationships were found:
- An impact on export sales was identified for business in receipt of "international support only" and for business in receipt of "international and other wider business development". Moreover, anticipated export sales were higher for businesses that received a mix of "international and R&D / innovation support".
- Businesses receiving multiple ACE support types were more likely to achieves export sales, export new product categories and anticipate export sales in the future
- The higher the number of supports accessed by businesses, the higher the impacts
- A business in receipt of support from multiple business partners suggested higher impacts in terms of jobs created and/or safeguarded, and also process innovation
- In terms of timing, if support was received earlier in the evaluation period, the export sales impact was more likely to be realised (55% of firms in 2018/19 vs. 27% of firms in 2020/21).
8.2 Firms were also asked what support types they found most useful. A summary of these findings is shown below:
| Outcome | Support Type | Wider business development support | Most useful |
|---|---|---|---|
| Achieving export sales | All activities useful, especially 1. Travel / accommodation support to access international markets 2. Funding for international business development 3. IRP[6] grants. | Most activities useful, especially 1. R&D grants 2. Innovation grants 3. Capital grants | 1. Travel / accommodation support (…) 2. Funding for international business development 3. 1-to-1 exporting advice |
| Product development | Most activities useful, esp. 1. IRP grants 2. Funding for international business development 3. Travel / accommodation support (…) | Most activities useful, especially 1. R&D grants 2. Innovation grants 3. Capital grants | R&D grants |
| Process development | Most activities useful, especially 1. IRP grants 2. 1-to-1 exporting advice 3. Other advisory support. | Half of the activities useful, especially 1. Capital grants 2. Innovation grants 3. R&D grants | Unclear |
| Exporting to new countries | Most activities useful, especially: 1. Travel / accommodation support (…) 2. Funding for international business development 3. GlobalScot. | None of the activities useful, but <10 responses. | |
| Exporting new categories of products | Most activities useful (most < 10 responses), especially: 1. Other advisory support 2. Funding for international business development. | Some activities useful (most <10 responses), esp. 1. Innovation grants 2. R&D grants | |
| Exporting on a permanent basis | Most activities useful, especially 1. Travel / accommodation support (…) 2. Funding for international business development. | Some activities useful, especially 1. Leadership development 2. Innovation grants |
Contact
Email: jonathan.edosomwan@gov.scot
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