The Quangocracy: Giving with One Hand, Then Taking With the Other......

south west | corporations | news report Tuesday May 20, 2008 11:55 by SWDRAwatch

They offer local firms £600 - provided they pay £500 first

Here we go again, while not strictly a SWRDA story, they are linked via the local quangocracy of pouring tax payers money away. Read on about how there is an offer for £600 - provided you pay £500 first.

There is a department of UK business, UK Trade and Investment (UK TI). Their job is to help local firms find business opportunities in other countries. They recently hosted an event at the Watershed entitled 'Meet the Brazilians' where you could meet companies from Brazil and chat about possible opportunities. Fine.

Now building on this visit, UK TI, is arranging a trip abroad to Brazil so local firms from the South West can fly over and meet companies over there. And to help, they are offering local firms a £600 pound grant! Given the trip costs approximately £1,800, for smaller firms that is a bit of a help.

However the bad news is that to qualify for the trip you have to send AT LEAST £500 on a report compiled by UK TI called an Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS).

So lets review the offer - spend £1800 on the trip and get a £600 grant provided you spend at least £500 so minimum net total a local firm has to pay is £1700 for a trip to Brazil.

Why bother with a £600 grant if you have to pay £500 - why not just offer the tickets for £1700? It just seems odd.....

To quote;

"*Full travel package cost:* approximately £1,800 *** (travel flexibility is possible). The travel package includes direct and internal flights, taxes, hotel (bed and breakfast basis).

** **Subject to final confirmation and hotel selection*

*UKTI travel grant*: £600.00 (1 grant per company)

*OMIS*: All participating companies that have not already done so will be obliged to commission OMIS research work to the minimum value of £500 through UKTI. This will provide participants with vital market information and up to 6 verified and interested business contacts primed for 1-2-1 meetings during the visit. "

The local UK TI is run via SWRDA quango Business West. http://www.businesswest.co.uk

FYI: The 'visit leader' for this event is Peter Scott is Chief Executive of Dorset Business, a business media paper owned by US media giant Gannett.

http://www.businesswest.co.uk/pdf/Market%20Visit%20Flye...r.pdf