SEED Sectors & Membership

The SEED project supported businesses from the following industry sectors.

1) Food & Drink: This industry sector included food and drink production, manufacturing, and processing. The types of target companies were:

• Food & drink production/manufacturing
• Food processing
• Companies in the food & drink manufacturing supply chain
• Agricultural companies (becoming developers and producers)
• Biobased companies

2) Health & Life Sciences: This industry sector referred to the application of biology and technology to health improvement, including biopharmaceuticals, medical technology, genomics, diagnostics, and digital health. Types of target companies in these sub-sectors:

• Biotechnology
• Medical technology
• Pharmaceuticals
• E-health
• Nutrition for human & animal health

3) Digital & Creative: This sector included digital technology (telecommunications) and creative activities (media, digital content & publishing). Types of target companies:

• Manufacturers of communication and digital technologies
• Designers and creators of digital or online products and services
• Media production
• High tech systems
• Software solutions
• Apps
• Web Services

Membership

The South East Export Development (SEED) project offered businesses within the SELEP region in Essex, South Essex, Medway, Kent and East Sussex a range of free support services to help them access contacts and opportunities in new international markets in order to further develop as a business. The support to companies through SEED was available between April 2021 and October 2022.

Participating companies ideally had to have an annual turnover of at least £100K, a minimum of at least 5 members of staff and would be seeking to grow their business overseas. Additionally, companies must not have received Subsidy Control above the “Minimal financial assistance” ceiling and must not have been in receivership or under liquidation at the time of taking part in SEED activities. Under the Minimal financial assistance exemption, the total amount of assistance given to the enterprise within the applicable period of three fiscal years must not have exceeded £315,000.