Market entry and subsidiary set-up

Successful international expansion takes careful planning, benchmarking and market knowledge. Most companies have the ambition; fewer have the time to research a new market properly, work out the right route in, and handle the registrations, structures and compliance that make a business operational once it arrives.

We provide the guidance and hands-on support to navigate a new regulatory landscape and establish a foothold in a new territory, so that you can concentrate on running your business. Our support runs from the first question about which market to enter, through to the day your new operation is trading, and covers operational set-up, project management, market research, strategic introductions to business ecosystems, location benchmarking, bank account opening, site selection and search, and access to PR services.

Who do we help?

We work closely with scale-ups expanding internationally, either directly or through an investment promotion agency programme. We support companies that have developed a product or intellectual property and are looking to enter the UK market and beyond, and want an experienced partner who can advise across a broad range of legal and consulting areas and share what they have learned from other businesses in the same position.

How can we help?

1. Evaluating locations

We provide market insight and information tailored to your business and objectives, and help you evaluate the options so you can decide on the best route of expansion. Our research answers the questions you have about a market: your corporate duties and responsibilities, the business culture, the sector you are entering. That includes access to information that is not freely available in the public domain. The aim is to fill the gaps, give you a clearer picture and provide peace of mind.

Our location benchmarking compares multiple destinations against quantitative and qualitative factors, and we advise on the right country for your expansion, right down to the specific location within it. That research considers market demand, operational impact, regulatory processes, tax implications and salary costs, and we benchmark against competitors or peers that have made similar moves to see what can be learned.

2. Developing a market entry strategy

Once the key decisions are made, we craft the market entry strategy that suits your business, and guide you through the steps you need to take, and when, to become compliant and operational in a new market anywhere in the world. We work with you to determine the timeline, identify funding options, review how your business model and value proposition may need to adapt, decide on the appropriate legal entity, review partnership opportunities and commercial arrangements with local brands and suppliers, identify relevant tax incentive schemes, undertake trade mark searches, and plan an exit strategy in case things don’t go as planned.

3. Establishing your presence

Our in-market facilitation brings your management team up to speed on local market and business issues and expands your support network as fast as possible. We handle the registration and establishment of your business and its supporting systems so that your team can focus on business development. That support can include:

• company structuring and incorporation
• company secretarial function and registered office
• setting up an interim business account
• making the required IP registrations
• insurance requirements
• privacy compliance
• establishing marketing and PR strategy
• global mobility, visa application and immigration requirements (find out more about Gateley Legal’s business immigration services here)
• assessing candidates for senior management roles
• interim non-executive director support
• pension requirements
• strategic introductions to local advisers
• facilitating connections with Government trade and investment promotion agencies.

We make introductions to in-market Government representatives free of charge, to help you access all the support available. We never accept fees, and we never charge for Government introductions. We only work with legitimate and transparent Governments seeking legitimate business investment through due process.

Soft landing for international companies

Companies coming through our market entry accelerator programmes receive tailored soft landing support, including introductions to regional ecosystem partners for R&D collaboration, pilot opportunities and investment.

Recent delivery

• Australian veterinary technology business: a company with its own intellectual property, looking to sell across the UK, Australia and the US, came to us for advice on entering the UK market. We project managed the UK entry, arranged banking, handled HMRC registrations, pension enrolment and insurance, and coordinated further international market entry. As part of the wider group, we introduced the company to Gateley Legal, who advised on EIS eligibility, UK taxation, tax-efficient structuring, incorporation and go-to-market strategy in the UK and EEA. Working with one team made the legal and commercial challenges of the move easier to navigate.
• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Market Entry Accelerator Programmes: five programmes across life sciences and healthcare, deep tech and AI, advanced manufacturing and engineering, and agritech.