ROYAL NATIONAL COLLEGE FOR THE BLIND EXPORTS REVOLUTIONARY PRODUCT – WITH HELP FROM UK TRADE & INVESTMENT

The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) is entering overseas markets for the first time in its 130-year history, with help from UK Trade & Investment.

RNC, of College Road, Hereford, is a specialist residential provider of teaching, training and supported employment for learners with visual impairment. It was established in 1872, and has just over 200 employees.

It is the only college in the UK specialising in teaching and training visually impaired people to be awarded the prestigious Beacon status by the Department for Education and Skills.

RNC has worked with a US software engineer to produce the T3, a revolutionary touch sensitive, multi-sensory device that provides instant audio feedback from tactile images for a standard PC or laptop computer.

The device delivers a huge range of educational material, which enhances access to learning from early years to adult training. At present it is installed through a CD, and RNC is now working to deliver it globally through websites.

About 18 months ago, RNC joined UK Trade & Investment’s Passport initiative - a flagship scheme that gives new exporters the training, planning and ongoing support they need to succeed overseas – to market the T3 and related products and services, and has recently completed the scheme.

Through Passport, the company has benefited from a package of support, inclusive of: a free export health check, attending an export workshop, assistance in formulating an international trade strategy and matched funding to help implement this strategy, quality training and mentoring advice, access to the full range of UK Trade & Investment services and membership of the Midlands World Trade Forum, the regional export club.

Business development manager Chris Stevenson said: “We have succeeded in reaching export markets for the first time, marketing revolutionary technology to educational establishments and information providers such as libraries.

“UK Trade & Investment’s commercial teams at the British Embassies in France, Germany, Denmark and Holland provided us with initial market intelligence on these countries. This was vital for us because we needed to know how the T3 would be perceived in new markets.

“We have since made sales in all these markets, and in Germany, we have formed a partnership with a distributor, who is working on German versions of the software. We are also exporting the T3 to Austria, Poland, Romania, Singapore and Switzerland.

“UK Trade & Investment has also supported us in market visits to France, Germany, Malaysia and China. We have found the market visits excellent for global networking - as a result of contacts we made in Malaysia, we secured sales in Poland. We have also delivered specialist training in Libya and Qatar.

“The support from our international trade adviser, Faye Purser, has been superb. She has provided us with excellent advice and guidance, and has assisted us in accessing the support available to us, both in the UK and through links with the commercial teams in Embassies.”

International trade adviser Faye Purser, based at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s a pleasure to work with Chris and the rest of the team at RNC.

“I’m delighted with the results they’ve achieved in overseas markets, and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.”

For more information about how UK Trade & Investment can help your business expand into new markets abroad, contact the international trade team at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce on Tel: 0845 641 1613.

For more details about Royal National College for the Blind’s overseas business, contact Chris Stevenson on 01432 265725. Further information about the college is available via its website www.rncb.ac.uk