SMALL and medium-sized businesses in the West Midlands are being invited to take advantage of an exciting opportunity to reach the rapidly expanding market of Romania as it prepares to join the EU in January 2007.

The International Trade Team at Business Link West Mercia, on behalf of UK Trade & Investment, is organising a market visit to Romania from April 3 to April 6, specifically for West Midlands companies. The closing date for applications is February 28, 2006.

Small and medium-sized firms from any sector are eligible to join, provided that the visit is part of an agreed export strategy, they have not previously exported to Romania, and they do not have a distributor or agent in the market.

UK Trade & Investment's support will include the opportunity to visit the country's leading medical exhibition, RomMedica. As EU accession draws nearer, Romanian hospitals are adopting Western practices, such as outsourcing some non-core services to the private sector, while private healthcare services are developing rapidly. In October 2004, the World Bank agreed to provide £168m for the Romanian healthcare sector reform and upgrading.

Ambassador to Romania, Quinton Quayle, who is originally from the West Midlands, said: "Romania is one of the fastest-growing economies in Europe. It grew by eight per cent last year aloneand is expected to grow by five per cent this year.

"There is increasing foreign investment over there, with businesses from the West Midlands, such as JCB, already exporting."

"There are many good opportunities here for companies of all sizes and in many sectors, with EU funding worth 11 billion euros coming into the country between 2007 and 2009.

"More and more West Midlands firms are rightly taking a closer look at the Romanian market in the run-up to EU accession. I look forward to meeting a delegation from the region in April."

Companies joining the market visit will also benefit from:

* Excellent advice and networking opportunities through the support of UK Trade & Investment's commercial team in the British Embassy;

* New contacts and shared intelligence within the market visit group;

* Financial support for eligible companies of up to 50 per cent of their costs from UK Trade & Investment;

* The support of an international trade adviser from their local Chamber before and after the visit; and

* The services of a market visit manager during the visit.

Senior international trade adviser Linda Smith, based at Business Link West Mercia in Worcester, is leading the visit.

She said: "Romania is an exciting market which will receive significant EU funding after its accession. To take advantage of the opportunities that this will bring, West Midlands firms should be developing business there now.

"They must be prepared to work hard to convince potential clients to do business with them, but this is well worth the effort in the long term.

"The market visit will enable them to come and find out how they can reach customers in these countries - and we will be on hand throughout to help and advise them."

For further information about the market visit, please contact Linda Smith at Business Link West Mercia tel: 0845 641 1508 or email: l.smith@blwm.com