SODERCAN, Sociedad para el Desarrollo de Cantabria, part of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Innovation, Transport and Commerce, provides companies and entrepreneurs of Cantabria two new tools to search for potential international clients, focussing on identifying importers and analysing international competitors.

SODERCAN will present both services, completely free of charge, next Tuesday, June 4, in a workshop designed to help Cantabrian companies promote their products and services abroad, expand their client base, diversify their markets and so dynamise business activity in Cantabria.

The workshop will be held in the PCTCAN auditorium from 9:30 to 13:00 and will provide participating companies with information search tools and strategies for identifying and validating potential international clients. To attend, simply make a reservation by completing the registration form.

Information is the key to successful internationalisation plans, and these tools will provide companies with detailed reports to help with analysis and decision-making, in order to boost competitiveness and develop more effective international expansion plans.

Reports can be requested simply by completing the corresponding registration form on the SODERCAN website: https://www.sodercan.es/busqueda-de-clientes-internacionales/

The event is part of a series of actions undertaken by SODERCAN as an active partner in the Enterprise Europe Network. Attendees will learn how to collect and analyse the information for effective reporting; the scope of the service (geographical coverage and markets); types and formats of reports available, etc.

The workshop will include practical case studies for the identification of importers and national and international competitors, as well as examples of available data filters and the data provided in the reports. Participants will also learn procedures for the identification and validation of contact details for international importers and the process for requesting and receiving reports.

COMPETITION ANALYSIS SERVICE

SODERCAN’s Competition Analysis Service is aimed at Cantabria exporters seeking to expand into new markets and analyse the activities of competitors. This service offers companies the ability to analyse the operations of national and international competitors (except Cantabrian competitors), identifying the markets where they operate and the products they export to these countries.

The service can be accessed by completing the application form. Each application can include a maximum of five competitors (by company name rather than brand name). Reports include all countries were data is reported and all tariff codes with data from the last three years. The level of information available may vary depending on the specific market.

In turn, the Importer Locator Service is designed for Cantabrian exporters seeking to identify potential importers operating in external markets. This service offers worldwide coverage.

This tool permits companies to identify leading international importers of their product worldwide by value or annual volumes, name and country of suppliers, with data from the last three years Each application form can include a maximum of one 6-digit tariff code (TARIC) and three countries.

The location service, in addition to providing data about importers, also offers detailed reporting by country on volumes and value of operations, destinations of goods, customs access and tariffs, payment methods, data on exporting companies, etc.

ASSISTANCE FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PLANS

The public company, part of the Ministry of Industry, offers various lines of assistance to support SMEs of Cantabria in opening new markets and expanding internationally. These include a call for business development plans provided with 900,000€ of funding.

SODERCAN has also launched calls to support the organisation of trade fairs and congresses in Cantabria (100,000 euros); help Cantabrian companies obtain certifications to improve their competitiveness and access new markets (150,000€); providing fixed contracts to qualified technical personnel to develop business opportunities (400,000€).