DIPLOMATIC ADVISORY HUB
What is the hub?
The Diplomatic Advisory Hub is a joint initiative between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
Led by a former UK Ambassador, the Hub offers the latest insights from the UK’s international network of diplomats to help British businesses trade or explore new export opportunities. It’s completely free to use. The Hub is both a front door and a feedback loop. It’s a front door for businesses to tap into international expertise, and a feedback loop so that what businesses are seeing in supply chains and boardrooms flows back to diplomats and policy makers.
The Hub is one part of the UK Government and British Chambers of Commerce’s trade support for businesses. If you don’t know who to get in touch with, contact us and we’ll be able to help.
join our webinar
Trading with the EU: Opportunities, challenges and what’s next
Tuesday 15 September, 9:00AM
Whether you are already exporting or considering your first sale into the EU, understanding the UK-EU trading environment is essential.
Join experts from the UK Government based in the EU, the British Chambers of Commerce and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges as they discuss the latest developments affecting UK businesses and the future relationship with the EU.
What you’ll learn
- The current state of the UK/EU relationship.
- Future opportunities around trading with the EU.
- Practical tips about exporting to the EU.
DIPLOMATIC ADVISORY HUB
who is the hub for?
The Hub is open to all UK businesses, but we mainly target small and medium enterprises who export or who are looking to export. This is because smaller businesses are less likely to have in-house geopolitical expertise.
There’s untapped potential here: in 2023, there were over 2.7 million small and medium enterprises in the UK, of which only around 12% were exporters.
Number of business engagements
what are the hub's services?
We continuously refine our services based on your feedback, so please let us know what you think. Our key services are:
outreach
Face-to-face engagement with businesses across the UK, often facilitated by the UK’s impressive Chambers of Commerce network.
webinars
Online briefings on geopolitical developments and their impact on businesses.Â
1-2-1 support
Personalised guidance through our website. If you get in touch, you’ll be put in direct contact with one of the team.
referrals
Connecting businesses to the right support in and outside of government.
useful documents and links
Here you can find summaries of past Diplomatic Advisory Hub webinars, a comms toolkit for Chambers to promote the Hub, and links to wider UK government support that you might find useful.
past webinar summaries
14 July 2026: Exporting to the United States: One Market or Fifty?
12 June 2026: China and Hong Kong opportunities and challenges
20 April 2026: Middle East Conflict and UK Business Impact
17 March 2026: Middle East Conflict and UK Business Impact
4 March 2026: Middle East Conflict and UK Business Impact
latest News from the Diplomatic Advisory Hub
- Diplomatic Advisory Hub, Trade
- Richard Oppenheim
- May 12, 2026
our upcoming events
FTA Utilisation: CPTPP and Cumulation in Action
Customs Compliance: What Customs Audits Really Look Like
Understanding US Tariffs: Claffication and Origin
Saving Through Special Procedures: How to Reduce Duty Liability
CBAM Policy Update: What UK Exporter Need to Know
NEXT STEPS
Contact Us
To discuss your needs or explore how we can support your work, please complete our enquiry form.
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UK–India Roadshow 2026: 17-25 June 2026
View past webinar summaries
14 July 2026: Exporting to the US: One Market or Fifty? webinar
12 June 2026: China and Hong Kong opportunities and challenges
20 April 2026: Middle East Conflict and UK Business Impact webinar
17 March 2026: Middle East Conflict and UK Business Impact webinar
4 March 2026: Middle East Conflict and UK Business Impact webinar
DIPLOMATIC ADVISORY HUB
Giving BUSINESS a VOICE AT THE FCDO
The Diplomatic Advisory Hub provides the FCDO with a direct link to businesses, ensuring SME priorities and needs are better understood within the Department, while supporting the government’s growth objective to support UK export opportunities
We inform government policy by gathering real world insight from SMEs and feeding it directly into policy makers across the FCDO, DBT and wider government.  Â
In doing so the Hub turns SME experience into actionable insight, helping ensure UK policy is better aligned with the needs and realities of exporting businesses.Â
If you have ideas for how the Government could better support SMEs to export or feedback on the Hub, please get in touchÂ
DIPLOMATIC ADVISORY HUB
Your Gateway to Market Intelligence
information
We offer personalised information to help your business understand market conditions, manage geopolitical risks and identify the right government support to accelerate your export growth. This  is provided free of charge.Â
Events
Using the BCC’s Chamber Network, we run a regular programme of practical briefings and networking sessions that give your business direct access to diplomats and trade experts, helping you spot opportunities and build new connections.Â
Crisis Support
We can provide rapid guidance when global events disrupt your markets, providing your business with clear intelligence and support to stay resilient and make informed decisions quickly.Â