Brexit Latest: EU Exit Business Readiness (16th September 2019)

Welcome to the latest in a series of business readiness bulletins, aimed at keeping trade associations, business representative bodies and business intermediaries up to date on the latest information and guidance for business on the UK exiting the EU.

This Bulletin aims to provide you with the latest information and guidance from Government, designed to rally businesses to get ready for Brexit.

Brexit Business Readiness Events

As part of the Government’s new ‘Get ready for Brexit’ campaign, starting from Monday 16 September 2019, the Government is running a series of free ‘Get ready for Brexit’ business readiness events across the UK during September and October, offering businesses help and advice on how to prepare for Brexit. These free events will enable businesses to meet government advisers to discuss what they need to do to prepare for Brexit, understand what’s changing in their industry, and information on specific rules and regulations. These events will provide interactive support and advice stands, and in-depth sessions led by subject matter experts and will encourage businesses to visit the new checker tool which will help businesses to identify quickly what they need to do to ‘Get ready for Brexit’.

BRO Grant

On 29 August, Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom announced a £10m Business Readiness Fund for business organisations and trade associations to bid for support to help businesses in preparing for a ‘No Deal’ Brexit ahead of 31 October. For further information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/business-secretary-launches-10-million-brexit-readiness-fund-for-business-organisations

The Business Readiness Fund is still open to business organisations and trade associations throughout the UK to support activity to fully prepare businesses for Brexit.

Activities funded by the grants must be open to both members and non-members, and to businesses large and small preparing for Brexit on 31 October. This will ensure all businesses will benefit, and that there are no barriers, such as affordability of membership.

Applications for grants will be accepted up to Monday 30 September and further information and application details can be found at https://businessreadinessfund.beis.gov.uk. Funding will have to be used on activities to be completed ahead of 31 October in order to ensure they are focused on Brexit preparations.

For any queries please contact us at businessreadinessfundenquiries@beis.gov.uk

Brexit Business Readiness Forum

The next forum will be on Thursday 19 September.

We would really like to hear from you if there is anything in particular that you would find the upcoming forum, please share your thoughts with us via sed@beis.gov.uk.

Recent Announcements

HMRC webinar

This webinar provides an overview for UK businesses involved in the movement of goods between the EU and the UK. Please share with you members so they can find out what they need to know to keep importing and exporting.  

Date: Tuesday 17 September
Time: 10am-11am

Please join via the link below:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/6556129852233668609?source=Sep-HMRC-Comms-BEIS

Importing and Exporting

HM Revenue & Customs have provided guidance with videos about trading with the EU in a no-deal Brexit. Update – the getting ready for Brexit webinar has been added: Help and support for traders in a no-deal Brexit.

Department for International Trade have shared which new trade agreements will be in place if there’s a no-deal Brexit. Update – updated to show that the UK has agreed in principle a trade agreement with the Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique trade bloc: UK trade agreements with non-EU countries in a no-deal Brexit.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs have provided details for finding an approved UK border inspection post (BIP) to check the animals or animal products in a consignment. Update – change of address for product border inspection posts: London Gateway, Thamesport and Tilbury: UK border inspection posts: contact details.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs have provided the changes businesses need to make to prepare their farming business for a no-deal Brexit. Update – added information about water regulation and link to further guidance on importing and exporting wine: Prepare your farming business for a no-deal Brexit.

Home Office have provided details on how trading in drug precursor chemicals would be affected if the UK leaves the EU with no deal. Update – updated to add Welsh language translation: Trading in drug precursors if there’s no Brexit deal.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs have provided information on what businesses need to do to import animals, animal products, high-risk food and feed into the UK after a no-deal Brexit. Update – no actions have changed, but the page has been reworded to focus on the actions you must take to prepare for importing after Brexit: Prepare to import animals, animal products, high-risk food and feed not of animal origin after Brexit.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs have provided guidance in a no-deal Brexit, you’ll need to give prior notification before you land fish directly from your UK flagged vessel in an EU designated port. Update – updated PDFs added: Give prior notification to land fish in the EU.

Animal and Plant Health Agency have provided rules for exporting horses and other equines, including ponies and donkeys, and what you need to do in a no-deal Brexit. Update – added in extra information about streamlined re-entry processes to the EU: Export horses and ponies: special rules.

EU & UK Funding

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have provided details on how current and future European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) programmes would be affected if the UK leaves the EU with no deal. Update – updated to add information on the EU contingency proposals: European Territorial Cooperation funding if there’s no Brexit deal.

Workforce and People

Ministries of Housing, Communities & Local Government have provided information for local housing authorities on the rights of EU citizens in the UK to access social housing, including supported housing, and homelessness assistance if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Update – change to reflect the no deal immigration arrangements for EU citizens arriving after Brexit: EU citizens in the UK: access to social housing and homelessness assistance in a no deal scenario.

Department of Health and Social Care have provided guidance on how healthcare access might change for UK residents after the UK leaves the EU. Update – added link to Foreign Office travel insurance guidance in the travel insurance section: Healthcare after Brexit: visiting the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Other

Home Office have provided details for UK residents informing they will no longer be able to use a European Firearms Pass. Update – updated to add Welsh language translation: European firearms requirements if there’s no Brexit deal.

Business Support

Triage Tool

GOV.UK has an online tool to help businesses prepare for the UK leaving the EU. Businesses can use the Triage Tool to find out:

What their business may need to do to prepare for the UK leaving the EU
What’s changing in their sector
Information on specific rules and regulations

Businesses will need to answer 7 simple questions to get guidance relevant to their business.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Sector Primers

These sector primers aim to bring together on one webpage the top 3 – 5 issues for each sector and provide guidance. The primers link through to more detailed material elsewhere on GOV.UK. Please could you pass on to your members and networks. The sectors covered are:

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Sector Primers

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

DCMS have issued new guidance on what to expect on day one of a ‘no deal’ scenario if you’re a creative business, small arts organisation or sports organisation that currently travels only to the EU, such as:

touring professional choir
touring chamber orchestra
touring string quartet
small touring ballet company
small touring theatre company
school football team
amateur sports team
pop or rock band

Check what you need to do.

Ministry of Defence (MOD)

The defence sector and preparing for Brexit

There may be changes that affect businesses, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Please see details from the defence sector and preparing for Brexit here.

EU EXIT: Business Intelligence and Engagement Team

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Email: sed@beis.gov.uk

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