The Omsk Region Export Support Center has increased the volume of supported exports to 1 billion rubles.

In 2018, with the assistance of the regional Export Support Center, enterprises in the region signed export contracts worth about 1 billion rubles, which is twice as much as last year's results.

The Export Support Center, which operates on the basis of the Omsk Region Development and Investment Agency, provides assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises in the region in the comprehensive promotion of their goods and services in foreign markets.

"The Center provides free assistance in finding sales markets by conducting marketing research, business missions, organizing the participation of Omsk companies in foreign exhibitions, as well as legal assistance in the examination of foreign economic contracts. In 2018, the Center's specialists provided about 1,000 services to export-oriented small and medium-sized businesses," said Evgeny Kovtun, General Director of the Omsk Region Development and Investment Agency.

The Omsk Region Export Support Center offers current and novice exporters marketing research on preferential terms. This service shows how much the product or service is in demand in the country chosen for export. As a result of the research, Omsk entrepreneurs receive an assessment of market capacity, pricing analysis, dossiers on potential customers and competitive analysis.

"This year, the Center's specialists conducted a marketing study of the German, Uzbek and Kazakh markets. The businessmen were interested in supplying LED lights, water and gas meters, as well as flexible packaging for food products to these countries. The data obtained will allow companies to start business development in the target market under study without unnecessary risks," the Omsk Region Export Support Center noted.

We should add that in 2018, the Center for the promotion of Omsk company's export offers to foreign markets created an English-Russian website.

In addition to marketing research of foreign markets, the Center provides services for pre-export preparation of goods: international intellectual property protection and certification.

Thus, with the support of the Center, an international trademark registration was carried out for the Omsk manufacturer of effective dietary supplements in Serbia, Montenegro and the Czech Republic. The support provided helped the company to conclude its first export contract with a customer from Serbia.

Thanks to the Export Center of the Omsk company, which manufactures knitwear, it was possible to conclude 2 export contracts with retail stores at once at the international Fashion Expo Astana 2018. It should be noted that this is the first successful export experience of entrepreneurs.

The Center's field events, such as business missions to foreign countries and participation in international exhibitions, are an extremely effective tool for the development of export activities. The Center also provides these services free of charge.

A striking example is the international food and specialized equipment exhibition SIAL China 2018, which took place in Shanghai (China) in May this year. The Omsk region was represented at the exhibition by a delegation of leading food manufacturers. In order to demonstrate Omsk goods to potential Chinese partners, the Center rented a collective exhibition stand. The Omsk Region's participation in the event resulted in the signing of 5 export contracts totaling 267 million rubles.

"During 2018, Omsk entrepreneurs, with our assistance, exported musical and electrical equipment, building materials, food products, industrial oils and lubricants, and products from the woodworking industry to China and the CIS countries," Evgeny Kovtun.

This year, the Export Support Center implemented a series of free seminars as part of the educational project of the Russian Export Center "Export School REC". About 100 Omsk companies became its participants.

Recall that the Omsk Region Export Support Center is an access point for the services of the Russian Export Center. An entrepreneur who applies to a regional center can receive a variety of financial and non-financial export support measures, including a service such as finding partners.

"The Center has already prepared a preliminary plan of business missions and exhibition events for 2019. Exporters are invited to business missions and to participate in international exhibitions in Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and European countries. For the first time, Omsk entrepreneurs, with the support of the Center, will be able to explore new countries for exporting their products and services – Greece, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates. We invite small and medium–sized businesses to cooperate," concluded Evgeny Kovtun.