Shipping Concierge Service Launched to Guide Maritime Businesses to UK

The UK Government has today launched the UK Shipping Concierge service, a professional and tailored service that will provide support and guidance for maritime businesses looking to access the UK market.

The new 24/7 worldwide service has been launched at the start of London International Shipping Week (13 September), one of the most respected and valued maritime events in the world.

The new team will be responsible for boosting the nation’s maritime sector, by offering a proactive service to any maritime business that needs assistance with navigating government departments. The UK is a traditionally strong maritime nation, and the UK Shipping Concierge has been designed to ensure the nation is always able to deliver on this reputation by making it easier to set up a business, new or established, in the UK.

The service will connect owners and operators with the relevant government departments, UK trade associations and related maritime specialists, to ensure that they have access to the right expertise in an efficient and timely manner.

Benefits include:

• Single point of contact for UK Government departments and services.
• Providing strategic account management for relationships with Government department experts, ship owners, operators, managers and maritime sub-sector leaders.
• Facilitating an accessible link between maritime industry and Government.
• Identifying and removing barriers to entry to UK for the maritime sector and advising Government on how to advance policy informed by commercial, social and environmental needs.
• Helping drive UK maritime prosperity to create jobs and grow the maritime economy.
• Providing the UK maritime sector with a government centre of expertise, continuously monitoring international propositions and recommending adjustments to the UK’s offer.

It is one of the first on the market, designed to create a streamlined and personalised experience for international maritime businesses, and the new service will transform a once complex endeavour that involved multiple areas into a simple process dealing with one team.

Maritime Minister Robert Courts said: "The UK is the world’s best place to do maritime business. We’re investing in new technologies, committed to decarbonisation, and home to the world centre of ship management and maritime financial and legal services.

“Our new UK Shipping Concierge service will help the maritime sector unlock more opportunities here in the UK by providing a one-stop-shop of advice, support, and guidance.”

Strategic Lead for the UK Shipping Concierge Mark Seastron said: "It really is an exciting service to be launching in LISW, one we are proud to be shouting about.

“The aim is to make it easier for shipping companies to gain access to the UK, and it’s something those shipping operators have been asking about for a long time. It’s going to revolutionise what we offer as a maritime nation.”

While delivering excellent customer service and a personalised experience are at the heart of the service’s aims, the UK Shipping Concierge will go a step further by providing corporate account management to ensure the UK is a place where maritime businesses can thrive.

It aligns with the UK Government's initiative to Build Back Better and will enable maritime businesses to benefit from this investment. The recommendation for the concierge service came from a report delivered by Maritime London at the last LISW.