Winners of Orange Trade Mission Fund 2014 announced

The package will enable ten entrepreneurs to realise their international plans. Ralph Hamers, CEO of ING: “Not only is it our task to help customers with their international aspirations, but it is also a very enjoyable challenge.”

The Orange Trade Mission Fund is an initiative of ING, KLM and the Dutch SME Association and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Besides Ralph Hamers, the event was also attended by Harm Kreulen (KLM), Michaël van Straalen (Dutch SME Association) and Minister Ploumen (Foreign Trade and Development).

Expertise and experience

This is the second year that ten medium-sized enterprises have received an Orange Trade Mission Package. The Orange Trade Mission Fund aims with the package to help businesses increase their chance of international success. This includes support before and during official trade missions, sharing expertise and helping entrepreneurs to build up an international network. The Orange Trade Mission Fund also hopes that the winners' success stories will inspire entrepreneurs to think internationally above all.

And the winners are….

Reason enough for the entrepreneurs at the event – nearly 150 in total – to be poised on the edge of their seats when the gold envelopes were opened. The ten winners of the highly coveted Orange Trade Mission Package were G3, Tropenzorg, Havatec, ReadSpeaker Holding, Admesy, Beeztees, Tramper Technology, Micanti, L.B.P. Rotterdam and Milestone Cards.

Ralph Hamers also had good news for the businesses that went home empty-handed: “Foreign markets hold great growth prospects, absolutely. We are more than glad to discuss with our customers where those opportunities lie. And we regularly publish research reports on markets where Dutch businesses can grow.”

Success stories

The event at Schiphol also gave the entrepreneurs a prime opportunity to network. And that fits in perfectly with the intentions of the Orange Trade Mission Fund. After all, it is by pooling their strengths and sharing expertise that businesses can improve their chances internationally. So it was only logical for two of the winners from 2013, Maurits Theunissen (StyleShoots) – just back from the trade mission to China – and Paul van der Hulst (Peeze), to get up and tell their story.

“If you have international aspirations, it is important to sit down with the right people and to know the culture. ING, via the Orange Trade Mission Fund, really helped us out there”, said Paul van der Hulst.

It is our task to help customers with their international aspirations

Ralph Hamers, CEO ING Group

Further information

Read the press release (PDF, 43 KB))

For further information about the Orange Trade Mission Fund – English text available

For more information: www.ing.nl