How to Attract International Customers Through Your Website: A Practical Guide for SMEs

barcelonaexportadmin on October 27, 2026

Many SMEs have a good product, the capacity to increase production, and a strong desire to export. However, they are still looking for customers abroad as they did twenty years ago: trade fairs, cold calls, and purchased databases. Meanwhile, their potential buyers in France, Germany, or Spain are searching on Google for exactly what these companies manufacture… and finding their competitors instead.

To attract international customers through your website, you need a well-optimised online presence that can generate more business opportunities than months of cold prospecting. In this article, we’ll guide you through four practical steps to turn your website into an effective international sales tool, highlight common mistakes to avoid, and explore public funding programmes that may help cover part of the investment.

Why your website is your first international sales representative

Before asking you for a meeting, a foreign buyer visits your website. Within seconds, they decide whether they understand what you offer, whether they trust your company, and whether it is easy to contact you. If the answer is no, you may never even know they were there.

That is why your website is not simply a digital brochure: it is the first filter in your export strategy. You need to understand how to attract international customers through your website. It works 24 hours a day, across all time zones, without the need for a plane ticket.

To genuinely attract customers, your website must fulfil four functions: be tailored to foreign customers, be visible, turn visits into enquiries, and generate business opportunities consistently.

Step 1: How to attract international customers through your website: optimise it for foreign markets

Create a genuinely multilingual website. Your website needs to speak your customers’ language. Offering at least one foreign-language version immediately builds trust and is also a requirement for accessing several internationalisation grants. But translation alone is not enough: adapt your messaging to the culture of your target market, using examples, units of measurement, regulations, and references that local buyers understand.
Focus on responsive design and loading speed. A website that works well on mobile phones, tablets, and computers improves the buyer experience and increases conversion rates. Many B2B buyers carry out their initial research on their phones between meetings.
Build trust. Trust seals, an SSL certificate, and internationally recognised payment methods reduce friction, especially if you sell online.
Show international testimonials. Featuring customers from other countries, with their logos or short success stories, strengthens your credibility with new international prospects. A German buyer will feel more confident seeing that another German company already works with you.

Step 2: How to attract international customers through your website: increase your visibility in foreign markets

Having a website in Spanish or French is pointless if nobody can find it. This is where international SEO comes in.

Conduct keyword research in your target market’s language. Your customers do not search using literal translations of your keywords. Understanding how people search in their own language and country can make the difference between being found and remaining invisible. Analyse your competitors in that market, too: which keywords they rank for and what content they publish.

Choose the right URL structure. This is one of the most important technical decisions for a multilingual website.

Structure	Example	When to use it
Subdirectories	yourdomain.com/en/	The recommended option for SMEs: easy to maintain, consolidates domain authority, and simplifies analytics.
Subdomains	en.yourdomain.com	Only if your technical infrastructure requires it. They can split authority and require more maintenance.
Country-specific domains (ccTLDs)	yourdomain.fr	Only if you operate as a local brand in each country, with your own team and billing arrangements. This is the most expensive option to scale.

Implement hreflang tags. These signals tell Google which version of your website to show to each user. If you target different languages, use codes such as es, en, or fr. If you target specific countries, use es-ES, es-MX, en-GB, or en-US.

Do not overlook the details that make a difference:

Translate your URL slugs so that each URL is understandable in the relevant language.
Adapt page titles and meta descriptions to the way each audience searches.
Submit a sitemap for each language through Google Search Console.
Link each page to other pages in the same language and avoid mixing languages in your navigation.
Add a clearly visible language selector in the website header, using language names or codes (“ES”, “EN”) rather than flags.
Maintain the same page structure across all languages, while localising examples, requirements, and frequently asked questions for each market.

Expand your reach beyond Google. Listing your company on international marketplaces and industry directories can significantly increase your visibility. Meanwhile, country-targeted Google Ads campaigns allow you to reach buyers who are already searching for your products.

International SEO to Attract International Customers Through Your Website

Step 3: How to Attract International Customers Through Your Website: Turn Visits into Enquiries

Attracting international traffic is only half the job. The other half is getting those visitors to contact you.

Short forms in the visitor’s language. Ask only for essential information. A lengthy form can discourage visitors from submitting their details.
Clear calls to action. Buttons such as “Request a quote” or “Get in touch today” encourage international visitors to take the first step. They should be clearly visible, not hidden in the website footer.
Market-specific landing pages. Pages tailored to each country, with the appropriate language, currency, and messaging, can significantly improve conversion rates.
Valuable content before the sale. A downloadable catalogue, a technical data sheet, or an industry report helps build trust and provides an initial point of contact with prospects who have already shown interest.

Step 4: How to Attract International Customers Through Your Website: Generate Leads Consistently

A website that attracts customers is not a project you simply complete: it is a system that needs to be continuously developed and measured.

Publish SEO content in each language. A blog or resource section can consistently attract international organic traffic. Providing content in the user’s native language improves their experience, increases the time they spend on your website and, in many cases, boosts conversions.
Classify your leads (A, B, C). Not all contacts have the same commercial potential. Prioritise your time according to each prospect’s genuine interest and purchasing power.
Integrate your website with your CRM. Recording every contact generated through your website helps prevent missed opportunities and allows you to measure the actual performance of your online activities.
Measure results by market. Key performance indicators include international website visits, conversion rates, and meetings generated. Segment your data by language and country to identify which markets generate revenue and which offer investment opportunities.

The 4 Most Common Website Mistakes Made by Companies Looking to Export

Having a website only in English. Without a version in another language, most potential customers will not even understand your offer.
Having a slow website that is not mobile-friendly. Visitors leave before they even discover your product.
Not having a clear contact form. If potential customers cannot find how to contact you, the sale is lost before it even begins.
Failing to measure and analyse traffic. Without analytics, it is impossible to know where your customers come from or which activities are working.

Is It the Right Time to Internationalise Your Website?

Having a multilingual website is not simply about “translating pages”. It means adapting your website so that people in other countries can find you, understand your offer, and trust your company.

It may not be the right time yet if:

You do not have the resources to keep content up to date in several languages.
You have not defined a clear value proposition for your target country.
You will not be able to respond quickly to enquiries in the relevant language.

Grants to Help Finance Your International Website

If your company is based in UK, public funding programmes may cover part of this investment. Internationalising your website does more than help you attract customers: it can also open the door to public funding.

Where to Find the Latest Grants and Funding Opportunities:

Government Funding Resources: Explore the UK Government’s business finance and support portal to discover available funding programmes based on your location and industry.
Local Business Support Networks: Contact your nearest Growth Hub or Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to access personalised advice and information about funding opportunities.
Chambers of Commerce: Check your regional Chamber of Commerce for updates on grants, business support initiatives, and networking events.
Industry-Specific Organisations: Businesses in sectors such as tourism, hospitality, retail, and the charity sector can benefit from subscribing to industry newsletters to stay informed about relevant grants and financial support schemes.

Website Expenses: Which Costs May Be Eligible for Funding? Funding programmes vary, and not all website-related expenses qualify for financial support. Depending on the scheme, eligible costs may include:

Website design and development: Professional web design services and website development.
Domain registration: The cost of purchasing or renewing your domain name.
Website hosting: Hosting fees, particularly for the first year.
E-commerce features: Integrating online shops, payment gateways, and other e-commerce tools.
Business email setup: Creating professional email accounts linked to your domain.
Essential software and licences: Expenses such as SSL certificates and website-building platform subscriptions.
Initial digital marketing: Basic SEO services, pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, and content creation.
Staff training: Training employees to manage, maintain, and update the website independently.

Important: Eligible expenses depend on the specific grant or funding programme. Always check the official guidelines before committing to any costs.

Frequently Asked Questions: How to Attract International Customers Through Your Website

How many languages does my website need to support exporting?

Start with one: the language of your priority market, which is often English. A well-developed and regularly maintained website in one foreign language is better than five outdated, automatically translated versions.

What is hreflang, and why is it important?

Hreflang is an HTML attribute that tells Google which language and, where relevant, which country each version of your page targets. This helps users see the most appropriate version of your website and prevents your different language versions from competing unnecessarily in search results.

Should I use subdirectories or country-specific domains?

For most SMEs, subdirectories (such as /en/ or /fr/) are the best option. They are easier to maintain and help consolidate domain authority under a single domain.

Turn Your Website into Your Best International Sales Representative

Attracting international customers through your website is a process: preparing your website for foreign buyers, increasing its visibility, turning visits into enquiries, and measuring results. Companies that approach this systematically become less dependent on trade fairs and cold calling.

At Barcelona Export, we help SMEs take this step.

Would you like to assess how well your website is performing and identify where to start? Contact us and we will prepare a personalised assessment with an initial action plan tailored to your business.

Catalunya Exporta Roadmap: the free guide to getting started with exporting in a structured way

barcelonaexportadmin on October 23, 2026

Hoja de Ruta Catalunya Exporta desde un punto de origen hasta un globo terráqueo, con los logos de Catalunya Exporta, ACCIÓ y Foment del Treball

The Catalunya Exporta roadmap is a free diagnostic service funded by ACCIÓ that assesses a company’s starting point and defines the key elements of its export strategy. It is prepared by an accredited internationalisation support agent and is designed for companies that do not yet sell abroad or have only recently started exporting. Its objective is simple: to ensure that a company’s first step into international markets is guided by a plan rather than intuition.

In this article, we explain what the programme is, what the roadmap assesses, who prepares it and how to get the most out of it.

What is Catalunya Exporta?

Catalunya Exporta is ACCIÓ’s export initiation programme. ACCIÓ is the agency for business competitiveness of the Government of Catalonia. The programme is part of the Responem plan and, according to information published in February 2026, aims to help up to 2,000 companies that have never sold abroad start exporting within three years. The goal is for half of them to become regular exporters before 2030. The programme has a budget of €3 million.

The programme is organised into three phases:

Training sessions. Free sessions covering the fundamentals of international trade, including Incoterms, digitalisation and international sales management.
Catalunya Exporta roadmap. A personalised assessment of the company’s export potential, which we explain below.
Tools and support schemes. Once the assessment has been completed, ACCIÓ helps identify the grants, services and tools best suited to each company’s project.

The three phases of Catalunya Exporta: training, the Catalunya Exporta roadmap, and tools and support schemes.

Who prepares the Catalunya Exporta roadmap?

The Catalunya Exporta roadmap is prepared by an internationalisation support agent accredited by ACCIÓ. These agents include chambers of commerce, business associations and specialist consultancies. Companies can choose the agent that best matches their sector and working methods. If they are unsure which one to select, they can submit a form and ACCIÓ will assign an agent.

The service is free for the company because it is funded by ACCIÓ. The process combines interviews with management, a review of company information and an analysis of its existing channels.

What does a Catalunya Exporta roadmap assess? The 12 sections

The Catalunya Exporta roadmap follows a clearly defined structure. These are the sections it typically includes and what each one is designed to achieve:

Company profile. Basic details, sector and contact person.
Company description. Products or services, customers and current markets. This section often reveals that a company is already selling to foreign customers without leaving its domestic market, for example through tourism.
International experience. Countries already explored, previous contacts, distributors or partners, and certifications required to sell abroad.
Organisational structure. Who could take responsibility for the international project and how much time they could dedicate to it.
Financial capacity. Available resources for travel, product adaptation or promotional investment, and the sources of the company’s revenue.
Communication channels and customer access. Website, social media, newsletter and catalogues. This usually includes a basic website audit covering indexing, page titles, meta descriptions, image alt text, versions in other languages and security.
Preliminary Business Model Canvas. A concise business model outlining the value proposition and the customer segments the company could target abroad.
SWOT analysis. The company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in relation to internationalisation.
Sustainability and gender equality. Environmental and social measures, as well as equality initiatives, which are increasingly valued by international customers and distributors.
Reflection. The company’s objectives and underlying reasons for expanding abroad: diversifying risk, growing, increasing brand recognition or innovating.
Final recommendations. Specific next steps and public-sector resources suited to the company.
Conclusions. An overall assessment of the company’s export potential.

Checklist of what the Catalunya Exporta roadmap assesses: value proposition, resources, channels, SWOT analysis and recommendations.

Why internal reflection comes before market selection

Many companies begin their international journey by asking which country they should target. The Catalunya Exporta roadmap reverses this order, first asking what makes the company’s offering different and what resources it has available.

This reflection helps prevent common mistakes, such as entering a market without a translated website, sufficient stock or anyone on the team with time to dedicate to the project. It also helps turn what already works in the domestic market into a compelling export sales proposition. Once a business model has been validated at home, the challenge is no longer simply to “sell more abroad” but to “replicate abroad what already works at home”.

The Business Model Canvas and SWOT analysis are the two key tools in this phase. The first requires the company to articulate its value proposition in a clear sentence. The second brings potential risks to light, such as dependence on a small number of sales channels, rising raw material and logistics costs, or the risk of copycat products in digital markets.

What recommendations does the Catalunya Exporta roadmap typically include?

The Catalunya Exporta roadmap does not end with a diagnosis: it provides a way forward. Its recommendations often connect companies with the public and private ecosystem supporting exports, which is extensive in Catalonia:

ACCIÓ’s Internationalisation Voucher, which helps fund services such as an internationalisation plan, market research for priority countries, or the implementation of an export strategy through active sales prospecting carried out by expert advisers accredited by ACCIÓ.
ICEX Next, ICEX’s programme for structuring the international strategy of SMEs starting to export.
Chambers of commerce and business associations such as PIMEC, which offer training, trade missions and B2B networking events.
Enterprise Europe Network, which helps companies find partners, distributors and commercial agents in Europe.

These support schemes are complemented by practical recommendations, such as improving website visibility in other languages, preparing a B2B sales presentation in English, or identifying the two or three priority markets to target first.

How to get the most out of the Catalunya Exporta roadmap

The quality of the Catalunya Exporta roadmap depends largely on the information the company provides. The following tips can help:

Prepare your figures before the interview: revenue by channel, key customers and any previous international contacts.
Be realistic about your resources: team availability, budget and production capacity.
Involve senior management: exporting is a strategic decision and requires a clearly designated person in charge.
Set priorities: it is better to start with one or two carefully selected markets than to target ten at once.
Turn the document into an action plan, with deadlines, responsibilities and a budget, and review it again after a few months.

Frequently asked questions about the Catalunya Exporta roadmap

How much does the Catalunya Exporta roadmap cost?

Nothing. The service is free for the company because it is funded by ACCIÓ.

Who can apply?

It is intended for companies that do not yet export or are taking their first steps into international markets and want to establish a stable export activity.

How do you apply?

Through the Catalunya Exporta page on ACCIÓ’s website, selecting Foment del Treball as the organisation.

Take the first step: apply for a completely free Catalunya Exporta roadmap

Exporting is about more than increasing sales. It is a strategic decision that can diversify risk, strengthen your brand and open up new business opportunities. The Catalunya Exporta roadmap offers a free, structured way to get started.

If you are considering taking the next step, Barcelona Export can support you in preparing your roadmap and planning the steps that follow. Contact us.

How to Build a Realistic Export Strategy | Step-by-Step Guide

barcelonaexportadmin on July 21, 2026

estrategia de exportación Estratègia d'exportació Export strategy Stratégie d'exportation

Many companies embark on exporting without a clear export strategy, without first answering the basic questions: Which products genuinely have potential abroad? Who are our ideal customers in international markets? Which markets should we prioritise, and why? Without this preliminary work, internationalisation becomes a series of disconnected attempts, with no clear direction or meaningful measurement of results.

Building a realistic export strategy requires a structured process divided into three main stages: an internal analysis of the company, an external analysis of the market and competition, and finally, the definition of the strategy and action plan. Below, we explain each stage and the key questions you need to answer.

1. Internal analysis: Where are we starting from?

The first step is to honestly assess the company’s current export strategy, its level of development and its degree of penetration in the markets where it is already present. At this stage, it is useful to consider a clear distinction: is export activity occasional, or is the company genuinely working to build loyalty among international customers?

Analysing products and services for internationalisation

It is not always possible—or advisable—to export the entire product range. The key questions at thi De s stage are:

Which products or services have the greatest potential in international markets?
Do products need to be adapted for each target market for cultural, climatic, technological or religious reasons?
What competitive advantage do our products have internationally? A thorough competitor analysis will be essential here.
What are the costs of adapting or certifying products for new markets? It is important to establish whether certification is required and how much it will cost.

Current customers

Before looking for new customers abroad, it is worth understanding the ones we already have:

Which sectors do our current customers operate in?
How many customers do we have, and how large are they?
What are the profiles of the decision-makers involved in purchasing?
Which factors do these customers value most?
What are their concerns or reservations?
Does our current strategy genuinely help us acquire new customers?

Current markets

Which markets are currently our priorities?
How do we sell in these markets?
Is our digital strategy geared towards them?

Value proposition

Every export strategy needs a clear value proposition: why a product or service is attractive to international markets and how it differs from the competition. This means identifying the key benefits for international customers, including functional advantages, economic benefits, emotional or brand-related impact, and regulatory compliance. It also means assessing the company’s ability to adapt to local needs through market-specific customisation, technical support, after-sales service and specialised training for international customers.

Auditing digital and physical channels: essential to developing a sound export strategy

Finally, as part of the internal analysis, the company needs to audit its current action plan:

Which channels is the company present on?
What specific activities are being carried out?
How much is being invested in marketing?
How effective are current activities?
What human resources are available?
Is the current action plan sufficiently customer- and market-oriented?
And, specifically, what does a website audit reveal about SEO, mobile responsiveness, traffic and technical errors?

estrategia de exportación1 Estratègia d'exportació1 Export strategy1 Stratégie d'exportation1

2. External analysis: What is happening in the market?

Once the internal assessment for our export strategy is complete, it is time to look outwards at the industry, target markets and competition.

Industry trends

How is the industry evolving globally?
Have new business models emerged?
Are there industry studies related to these changes that we should be aware of?

Market prioritisation

This is probably the most delicate stage of any export strategy, and decisions should be based on objective criteria:

What criteria can be used to select priority markets?
What is the potential demand for our products or services in each market?
What barriers to entry exist—legal, tariff-related, regulatory, logistical or cultural—and how do they affect each market?
Which payment methods are most commonly used in each market?
Which sales and distribution channels are most effective for reaching customers in each market?

Competitor analysis: key to a sound export strategy

It is impossible to enter a new market without understanding who you will be competing against:

Who are the main competitors, both offline and online, in the target markets?
Which competitors have the strongest market presence?
What strategies do they follow?
Which channels are they active on?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of their websites?
Which keywords are they competing for in search engines?

Target sectors

Which sectors have the greatest demand for our products or services?
Which sectors are growing fastest internationally?
What is the profile of potential customers in each target sector?
How can we adapt our offering to better meet the needs of each sector?

SWOT and CAME analysis

All this internal and external analysis should be brought together in a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and its corresponding CAME analysis (correct weaknesses, address threats, maintain strengths and exploit opportunities). Together, these provide a direct bridge to defining the export strategy.

3. Export strategy and action plan

Once the assessment is complete, it is time to make decisions and take action.

Business model

Will new business models be developed for online and offline channels?
Which markets will be prioritised in the internationalisation strategy?
Which sectors and industries will be prioritised?
What will the sales model look like, both online and offline, and is there a risk of channel conflict?
If channel conflict arises, how will we address it?

Buyer personas

Precisely defining international buyer personas, using tools such as LinkedIn to identify them, is essential to ensuring that sales and marketing activities are properly targeted.

Defining the export strategy action plan: channels, activities, resources, suppliers and investment

Every export strategy must be translated into a plan of specific actions linked to concrete channels and aligned with the agreed international strategy. This involves:

Scheduling activities and assigning teams responsible for each specific task.
Identifying suitable suppliers for each activity, along with the estimated investment required.
Implementing the activities and scheduling the corresponding campaigns.

Make use of available grants and subsidies

If your company is based in Catalonia, ACCIÓ’s Catalunya Exporta programme offers vouchers worth up to €8,000 per company per year to fund support from an accredited internationalisation adviser in developing an export strategy.

The vouchers are aimed at SMEs with an operational headquarters in Catalonia that generate no more than 25% of their turnover from exports, recorded at least €250,000 in revenue in the previous year, and have a website available in at least one foreign language. Companies have 18 months to implement their export strategy, and vouchers are awarded in chronological order of application, with funding typically running out quickly. This year’s application period opened on 14 May 2026.

A realistic export strategy is not based on intuition or copying what the competition does. It starts with an honest internal assessment, a rigorous external analysis of the market and competitors, and a concrete action plan with clear deadlines and assigned responsibilities. Only when these three elements are aligned does internationalisation stop being an experiment and become a driver of sustainable growth.

If you would like help developing your export strategy, Barcelona Export can provide a personalised analysis and an initial action plan tailored to your company’s specific circumstances.

Export for the first time: Where to start if your SME wants to sell outside the local market?

barcelonaexportadmin on June 10, 2026

Exportar por primera vez Exportar per primera vegada Export for the first time Exporter pour la première fois

In this article, we give you an honest guide to the first steps to export for the first time, and explain how you can train yourself—free of charge—to do it with the highest guarantees of success.

You have a good product, satisfied customers in Spain, and a persistent feeling that there is demand abroad. But every time you consider exporting for the first time, the same question holds you back: where do I start?

If you recognise yourself in this situation, you are not alone. It is the starting point for most Catalan SMEs taking their first international steps, and it is also exactly the starting point of the Catalunya Exporta training sessions by ACCIÓ, designed and delivered by Barcelona Export in collaboration with Foment del Treball Nacional.

The most common mistake when exporting for the first time: jumping in without looking

Many SMEs that try to export for the first time make the same mistake: they start at the end. They receive an enquiry from a foreign client, or someone mentions an opportunity in a specific market, and they jump straight into negotiations without any prior preparation. The result is almost always the same: a failed deal, a poorly chosen distributor, or a market that wasn’t suitable for the product.

Successfully exporting for the first time is not a matter of luck, but of preparation. And that preparation begins long before contacting your first international client.

The 5 first steps to export for the first time

1. Assess your product’s export potential

The first step is not choosing a market: it is honestly assessing whether your product is ready to compete abroad. Does it comply with destination market regulations? Is the export price competitive once logistics costs and channel margins are included? Does it require adjustments in packaging, labelling or ingredients?

Many SMEs discover at this stage that adjustments are needed before going abroad. It is far better to identify this now than after signing a contract.

2. Choose the market based on criteria, not intuition

The ideal export market is not the one you’ve heard most about, nor the one someone recommended at a trade fair. It is the one that best combines three factors: real demand for your product, accessibility (logistics, regulation, entry barriers), and manageable competition.

Tools such as the ITC Market Access Map, ACCIÓ market reports, or foreign trade databases allow you to make this decision based on real data. In the training sessions of the Catalunya Exporta programme, we dedicate specific time to teaching how to use these tools in practice.

3. Understand the rules of the game: documentation, tariffs and regulation

Exporting for the first time means becoming familiar with a documentary framework that can seem overwhelming at the beginning: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, export customs declaration, Incoterms… The good news is that once you understand the logic of the system, it becomes manageable. The bad news is that a documentation error can cost you the deal or lead to customs penalties.

4. Decide how you will enter the market: the distribution channel

Will you sell directly to the end customer? Through a commercial agent? With an exclusive distributor? On a B2B marketplace? This decision—the distribution channel—is one of the most strategic in the export process and has a major impact on results.

Each option has advantages and drawbacks in terms of control, margin, speed of market entry and risk. The right choice depends on the product, the market and the company’s resources. There is no universal answer.

5. Set export pricing correctly

Export pricing is not your domestic selling price plus a percentage. It has its own logic, including production costs, international logistics costs (insurance, transport, customs), distributor or agent margins, local taxes in the destination market, and your desired market positioning.

Incorrect pricing is one of the most costly mistakes an SME can make when trying to export for the first time. In too many cases, it results in selling abroad with lower margins than in the domestic market, making the export activity unsustainable in the long term.

Exportar por primera vez 1 Exportar per primera vegada 1 Export for the first time 1 Exporter pour la première fois 1

Catalunya Exporta training sessions: free training to export for the first time

All these topics—and many more—are exactly what is covered in the training sessions of the Catalunya Exporta programme designed and delivered by Barcelona Export in collaboration with Foment del Treball Nacional.

These sessions are designed to share basic but solid knowledge on the most relevant export topics and provide companies entering internationalisation with practical tools to export successfully. Key features:

100% virtual format: attend from anywhere without travelling
Maximum duration of 60 minutes: focused, practical content
Fortnightly schedule: one session every 15 days over the next 3 years
Varied and progressive topics: each session covers a key export aspect
Completely free for SMEs participating in the Catalunya Exporta programme

The session calendar covers a wide range of topics: from the first steps to export for the first time to negotiating with international distributors, export financing, product adaptation, international payment methods, and customs management. A complete training journey delivered in short fortnightly modules, fully compatible with any company’s daily operations.

The personalised diagnosis: your free roadmap

Beyond the group sessions, the programme includes a free personalised export diagnosis for each participating company. The result is a concrete roadmap: to export for the first time, it is essential to know which markets to explore, which entry channel is most appropriate, what product adaptations are needed, and what steps to take over the next 90 days.

It is not a generic report: it is a tailor-made analysis of your company, product and resources, prepared by the team at Barcelona Export.

Exportar por primera vez 2 Exportar per primera vegada 2 Export for the first time 2 Exporter pour la première fois 2

The first step is the most important

Exporting for the first time may seem complex, but with proper preparation and the right support it is entirely achievable for an SME with a competitive product and a willingness to learn. The Catalunya Exporta training sessions are precisely that structured first step many companies need to move from intention to action.

Check the session calendar and register directly on the Foment del Treball website:

👉 View sessions and join the Catalunya Exporta programme

Do you want the personalised diagnosis or have questions about whether your company is ready to export? Contact Barcelona Export and we will reply within 48 hours.

Catalunya Exporta programme: the ACCIÓ programme helping Catalan SMEs start exporting

barcelonaexportadmin on June 9, 2026

Discover the Catalunya Exporta programme by ACCIÓ: grants of up to €10,500, training and expert guidance to help your Catalan SME start exporting in 2026.

If you run an SME in Catalonia and have been thinking about selling outside Spain, here’s some news worth your attention: the Catalunya Exporta programme by ACCIÓ, the Agència per la Competitivitat de l’Empresa, is the most powerful public initiative currently available to help Catalan businesses make the leap into international markets. At Barcelona Export we explain everything you need to know to make the most of this opportunity.

¿What is the Catalunya Exporta programme?

The Catalunya Exporta programme is a public-private initiative driven by the Government of the Generalitat de Catalunya through ACCIÓ. It runs for three years (2026–2028), has a budget of over €3 million and an ambitious goal: to help 2,000 Catalan companies start exporting for the first time or consolidate their presence in foreign markets. It forms part of the Catalan Economy Internationalisation Strategy 2026–2030, which aims to reach 19,000 regular exporting companies across Catalonia.

The Catalunya Exporta programme does not work alone. It is developed jointly by ACCIÓ and a network of leading business organisations: the Consell General de Cambres de Catalunya, Foment del Treball Nacional, PIMEC, Secartys, TecnoCampus, Amec, the Fundació Cecot Innovació, Texfor, FITEX, the Centre Metal·lúrgic and the AEGP. A coalition that guarantees broad sectoral coverage and genuine on-the-ground support.

What does the Catalunya Exporta programme offer your business?

The Catalunya Exporta programme is not just training: it is a complete roadmap that accompanies the company from the initial diagnosis through to the execution of the export plan. The main pillars are:

1. Specialist training sessions Workshops and sessions on international training, export financing, building an export department, how to find international distributors, adapting your product to foreign markets and much more. Sessions are scheduled every two weeks, allowing businesses to keep pace without disrupting day-to-day operations.

2. Personalised export diagnostic Each company receives an analysis of its real starting point: the product’s export potential, the most suitable markets, the optimal entry channel and the resources required. The outcome is an actionable initial plan with specific tasks, responsibilities and deadlines.

3. Access to ACCIÓ tools and resources Participating companies gain access to ACCIÓ’s full service portfolio: market intelligence and opportunities, support for tariff barriers, resolution of international trade obstacles and, above all, the internationalisation vouchers described below.

The ACCIÓ Vouchers: direct funding to start exporting

Within the Catalunya Exporta programme ecosystem, the ACCIÓ Vouchers are the most direct funding instrument available to Catalan SMEs. The 2026 call — now open — offers two options:

Vouchers to start exporting: up to €10,500 grant (100% of the budget). Aimed at companies that do not yet export or whose foreign sales do not exceed 25% of turnover.
Vouchers for internationalisation plans: up to €8,000 grant (100% of the budget). For companies with some export experience that want to structure and scale their strategy.

In both cases, the voucher is redeemed with an ACCIÓ-accredited Internationalisation advisor — such as BarcelonaExport — who designs and executes the internationalisation project alongside the company.

Basic requirements to access the vouchers:

Be an SME with operational headquarters in Catalonia
Have invoiced a minimum of €250,000 in the previous financial year
Have a website in at least one foreign language
Be up to date with tax and Social Security obligations

One important point: vouchers are awarded in strict chronological order of application and tend to run out within a few weeks of the call opening. In 2026 the call opened on 14 May. If you are reading this now, don’t leave it until tomorrow.

Why trust an accredited adviser like Isabel Garcia at BarcelonaExport?

Working with an ACCIÓ-accredited Internationalisation adviser makes a real difference. Not only because the voucher itself requires it, but because the export process — finding distributors, negotiating contracts, adapting to local regulations — has a steep learning curve that can prove very costly without expert guidance.

At BarcelonaExport we have spent years supporting Catalan SMEs in their internationalisation journey: from market selection through to signing the first contract with an international distributor. Within the Catalunya Exporta programme, we can help you apply for the vouchers, design your export plan and execute every step with a proven methodology.

The time to export is now

Catalonia is Spain’s leading exporting region, with over €74 billion in exports and a presence in more than 180 markets. Yet 42% of those exports are concentrated in large companies. The Catalunya Exporta programme exists precisely so that SMEs — the true engine of the Catalan economy — can also benefit from international growth.

If your company has a strong product, productive capacity and a vision for the future, the Catalunya Exporta programme by ACCIÓ could be the catalyst you have been waiting for. The question is not whether you should export, but when you start.

Want to know whether your company can access the Catalunya Exporta programme and the 2026 ACCIÓ Vouchers? Get in touch and we will provide a free diagnostic within 48 hours.