Unlock EU potentiel with the UKBC Lille roadshows

If you’re aiming for EU growth this year, chances are your biggest obstacles aren’t commercial. You may already have demand, leads, or partners.

What tends to delay projects is operational reality: choosing the right EU setup, getting VAT and customs right, building a workable logistics flow, understanding what’s mandatory vs. optional, and aligning your expansion with the right legal and HR framework.

Roadshows exist for one purpose: to remove friction. To give you clarity quickly. And to help you turn an EU ambition into a structured, realistic plan and use France as your gateway to EU market.

British companies’ challenges to access the EU market

Your EU growth shouldn’t be held hostage.

The most common blockers we see aren’t “sales”. They’re the operational questions that come after you decide to expand:

What structure do we need to sell and operate in the EU efficiently?
How do we handle VAT registration / fiscal representation (when needed)?
What’s the right logistics model to keep delivery times and costs competitive?
What do we really need to comply with (and what is overkill)?
How do we de-risk the project without slowing it down for months?

When these questions stay unanswered, EU growth becomes stressful, delayed, or more expensive than it should be. And that’s exactly what UKBC Lille is built to solve.

The mission of the UK Business Centre Lille

The UK Business Centre Lille supports British companies in entering the EU market through France, using Hauts-de-France as the operational starting point.

Why this route works:

France is an EU gateway

Setting up your EU operations via France can simplify day-to-day execution: from regulatory clarity to building an EU-based operational model that helps you serve customers across member states.

Hauts-de-France is built for cross-Channel business

Hauts-de-France offers a uniquely practical advantage for UK companies: proximity to the UK, strong transport infrastructure, and fast access to large EU markets.

In short: UKBC Lille helps you turn “We want to grow in Europe” into “Here’s our EU route via France, here’s our setup, and here are our next steps.”

What are the UK Business Centre Lille roadshows?

UKBC Lille roadshows are on-the-ground events where we come to meet companies directly in the UK and Ireland with one objective: answer your expansion questions live and connect you with the right expertise.

During a roadshow, you can meet:

UKBC Lille experts (including the founding public partners behind the UKBC initiative)
Specialist service providers across key areas such as banking, logistics, VAT/tax, and operational setup

It’s a working session, not a vague conference. You bring your context and questions. We bring clarity, options, and concrete guidance.

Artus Galiay

Hauts-de-France Representative to the United Kingdom and Director UK/ Ireland at Nord France Invest which is the investment promotion agency for the Hauts-de-France Region

Thomas Hayam

Expansion project manager at the Attractiveness Agency Hello Lille which supports companies in setting up in the Lille Metropolis.

Nik Haidar

President of the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lille which helps facilitate business between France and the United Kingdom.

What you gain from attending the UKBC Lille roadshows

Here’s what you walk away with when you attend UKBC Lille roadshows:

1) Ask your questions live during the Q&A

No generic advice. No endless back-and-forth emails. You get to ask what matters to YOUR situation and receive answers immediately.

2) Guidance from cross-Channel EU market access experts

We help you understand your options for expanding into France and Europe: what’s realistic, what’s required, and which pathway fits your business model.

3) Insights from trusted service providers

Banking, logistics, VAT, compliance… you’ll hear directly from specialists who deal with these challenges every day and who know how to keep things practical.

4) Concrete next steps for your development project

The goal is for you tp leave with a clearer plan and a sharper view of what to do next (and what to avoid).

Mark your calendar: UKBC Lille roadshows in March in Scotland

In March, UKBC Lille is running a major roadshow series in Scotland in partnership with the Scotland Office and the UK Department for Business and Trade.

The format (same structure in each city)

Day 1 : UKBC Lille

EU market access via Hauts-de-France
UKBC Lille soft-landing solution
Expert insights on key themes (fiscal representation, labour law, expansion setup, logistics)
Live Q&A
Networking

Day 2 : UK Government

UK export-specific services and support

4 stops with a sector focus depending on the location:

#1 Glasgow (9-10 March) – sector: tech + life sciences
#2 Dundee (11-12 March) – sector: life sciences (incl. AgriTech & manufacturing)
#3 Edinburgh (16-17 March) – sector: services + food & drink
#4 Inverness (18-19 March) – sector: food & drink + energy

Want to attend? Down below, click on the city that is more convenient to you and register to the event on the landing page: