Many companies sponsor environmental organisations, some sponsor charities and some sponsor football teams. Santander’s Corporate Banking division developed a programme, called Santander Breakthrough, to stimulate British economic growth by supporting with small and medium size businesses.

As part of the Breakthrough programme, the banking giant will send nine fast-growing small businesses from the UK on a trade mission to New York this weekend. They will engage with the US marketplace and the challenges and benefits associated with exporting.

“Santander is committed to supporting businesses at all stages of their lifecycle,” John Williams, head of Breakthrough, says. “Our international presence allows us to share our knowledge and expertise of overseas markets such as the US to help fast-growth businesses unlock their potential and achieve their growth plans. Collaboration is at the heart of the Breakthrough Programme, which aims to transform the entrepreneurial ideas of today into the successful businesses of tomorrow.”

The trade mission will put UK business owners together with representatives from the British Consulate, the UKTI, international attorneys and New York state government officials. The participating companies span the UK in terms of region and sector, but all have a vested interest in expanding their business across the Atlantic.

Santander’s support for UK businesses is run through its Breakthrough programme, designed to help SMEs grow and stimulate supply-chain demand and private setor growth. Last year, Breakthrough sent 10 female entrepreneurs on a trade mission to Boston to allow them a foothold in the US corporate landscape.