Barclays and Department for International Trade (DIT) announce industry-leading partnership agreement
Barclays has joined forces with the Department for International Trade (DIT) to sign an industry-leading 5-year partnership agreement to broaden, deepen and sharpen efforts to drive increased exports and trade and investment opportunities for UK businesses of all sizes.
This five-year partnership agreement highlights four key priorities and areas of joint working between DIT and Barclays:
1. Markets: Facilitating trade, export and inward investment opportunities for UK businesses globally, through shared networks and dedicated trade specialists. This includes delivering a bespoke Small Business High Value Exporters Pilot programme focussing on key international markets.
2. Sectors: Identifying trade and export opportunities for key business sectors through events, webinars, thought leadership and information sharing. Barclays and DIT will bring all elements of the trade supply chain together regularly in ‘Meet the Experts’ sector focused roundtables across the bank.
3. UK Export Finance (UKEF): Increasing awareness, understanding and take-up of UK Export Finance (UKEF) to ensure no viable UK export fails for lack of finance. This includes shaping future UKEF products, to allow more clients to access services, in particular reviewing the possibility of the development of a specific UKEF Guarantee product aimed at smaller transactions to encourage small business exports.
4. Digitisation of Trade: Promoting the UK as a leader in the digitisation of trade to reduce costs and promote greater economic inclusion in global finance. Barclays will work with DIT and the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) in the UK to progress this agenda through the launch of a Trade Digitisation Taskforce. This taskforce will be co-chaired by Barclays Global Head of Trade & Working Capital, James Binns and Chris Southworth, Secretary General, ICC United Kingdom. This taskforce will build on the work of the new Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation.
Barclays partnership agreement with DIT underlines the importance of building strong private and public sector relationships to unlock increased trade, export and investment opportunities post-COVID. From start-ups looking to step on to the exporting ladder, or established corporates looking to expand their global offering, clients from across the bank will be able to capitalise on the benefits of closer working between Barclays and DIT.
James Binns, Global Head of Trade & Working Capital at Barclays, said:
“Helping businesses of all sizes to expand internationally is vital. Fewer than 10% of British companies export overseas but our economic modelling has revealed that global preference for goods ‘Made in Britain’ could be worth an additional £3.5bn per annum to British firms1.
“Harnessing this untapped exporting potential is even more important when set against the aftermath of COVID and rising inflationary and cost pressures facing businesses. Policy makers, finance providers and export credit agencies all have a vital role to play in helping to stimulate a thriving, export-led economy, which is why we are pleased to launch this partnership with the Department for International Trade.”
Mike Freer, MP, Minister for Exports said:
“If more businesses export, then the whole economy benefits, which is why this partnership with Barclays is another tool in our arsenal to boost the aspirations and possibilities for small business exporters right across the UK. With market-based solutions that help generate greener trade and get more small firms trading internationally, the potential for businesses to increase their exports is huge.
“As Exports Minister I want to ensure small firms have the support they need to get onto that trading ladder, especially as we race towards our £1 trillion exports target.”
[1] Barclays Made in Britain report 2021
Credit Agricole Assurances and Europ Assistance sign a strategic partnership agreement for Assistance in the french market
Crédit Agricole Assurances and Europ Assistance have signed a partnership that will result, in January 2021, in Crédit Agricole Assurances’ non-life subsidiary, Pacifica, taking a 50% stake in the capital of Europ Assistance France, the main services company that groups Europ Assistance’s expertise and resources in the French market.
As from January 2022, Crédit Agricole Assurances and its subsidiaries will entrust all their assistance activities in France to Europ Assistance, which will become the assistance partner of all Crédit Agricole’s insurance companies (Predica, Pacifica, CAMCA, La Médicale).
Through this partnership between France’s top bankinsurer and one of the world leaders in assistance, Europ Assistance France aims to strengthen its position as the benchmark assistance services company in France in terms of customer experience, service quality and innovation at the service of all its partner customers and individuals. For Crédit Agricole Assurances the aim is to expand its services offer. Assistance services fit perfectly with the Crédit Agricole group’s goal of caring for its customers at each and every moment of their lives.
On the occasion of this partnership, Crédit Agricole Assurances and Europ Assistance confirm that Europ Assistance France’s priority strategy will be to serve existing and future external customers with the degree of excellence that has always been part of its DNA.
Completion of the operation, scheduled for early January 2021, is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities.
Antoine Parisi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Europ Assistance, says: “Crédit Agricole Assurances is widely known for the importance it gives on service quality. The fact that it has chosen Europ Assistance to serve its customers in their moments of distress is a major mark of confidence in the staff of Europ Assistance who have made the quality of service their priority. This partnership between our two groups also reflects our shared values, centred on caring for people.”
“We are confident that Europ Assistance France’s management can make this partnership a success and develop the activity in all segment of the market. Assistance services are evolving and adapting to higher customer expectations by developing new services, both for dealing with emergency situations and on demand. Europ Assistance France’s expertise and the quality of its services make it an ideal partner for achieving the Crédit Agricole group’s customer service and customer relationship goals. We will continue to place great importance on ensuring that this partnership continues, on a long-term basis, to serve customers from outside the Crédit Agricole group” said Thierry Langreney, Deputy CEO of Crédit Agricole Assurances and CEO of Pacifica.
Societe Generale and Amundi announce the signature of a new partnership agreement
Societe Generale and Amundi announce the signature of a new five-year partnership agreement under which they will continue to develop their relationship in the investment solution distribution and securities services activities. The agreement will take effect from November 2020.
Amundi, Europe’s leading asset manager, will continue to operate as Societe Generale group’s primary partner for the supply of savings and investment solutions for its retail banking and insurance networks, as part of an open architecture structure allowing access to other asset managers. Building on the relationship the two groups have developed over several years, Societe Generale will continue to be a leading supplier of securities services for Amundi.“Managing their savings is a key concern of our clients and vital for the sustainable development of our economies. This partnership heralds a new stage in our strategy around the supply of investment solutions as we work to create open architecture solutions that our retail networks can offer our clients, while also allowing them access to best-in-class management expertise in France and internationally, and meet their growing demand for socially responsible investment. The provision of responsible and innovative financial solutions is central to our corporate purpose. Amundi, the leading asset manager in Europe, which Societe Generale helped to create, will be an essential partner of the value proposal we aim to establish for our clients. Moreover, we will continue to support Amundi in their international development through our comprehensive and flexible range of Securities Services solutions,” says Frédéric Oudéa, Chief Executive Officer of Societe Generale.“We are delighted to renew our agreements with Societe Generale, which has been a partner of Amundi since its creation. Through this renewal of this partnership in its various components, we will be able to continue helping to develop Societe Generale’s offering and services for its retail banking network clients. This renewal confirms Amundi’s position as a reference partner of the retail banking networks in Europe,” says Yves Perrier, Chief Executive Officer of Amundi.Societe Generale and Amundi signed their first commercial distribution agreements in 2009. These were renewed in 2015 during the IPO of Amundi, when Societe Generale sold all its shares in the group.