Guidance

Export control training

Updated 12 January 2024

The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) runs training events for strategic export controls.

These events cater for:

  • companies of all sizes, from the sole trader to multinationals
  • a wide range of knowledge levels
  • different learning paths

Sign up to receive notices to exporters for email alerts about new courses added to our training calendar, and other export control news.

Register for events

Complete the event booking form to register for any of our events. Please supply all information requested.

If you are using a purchase order (PO) for payment, make sure that the PO details are sent with the registration form.

Return the booking form to:

Email denise.carter@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Telephone 07741 598195

Completion of the registration form confirms that:

All costs are inclusive of VAT.

Training event calendar

Currently there are no courses planned for 2024. Please sign up to notices to exporters alerts to be informed when new courses are available.

What happens after registration

Within 5 days of your form submission, you will receive an email confirming receipt. This also confirms reservation of your training place.

You must make sure that the contact email address is correct and clearly highlighted (if different to the attendee’s email address).

For bulk bookings you must provide each attendee’s:

  • name
  • contact details
  • email address
  • dietary requirements

This is so that certificates and places can be arranged (extra details can be provided on a separate page of the registration form).

Although we will try and accommodate changes in bookings where possible, we are not responsible for errors made by third party booking agents.

If you have any concerns or queries about your course booking, contact denise.carter@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

We email venue details and a final agenda to the attendees around 2 weeks before the course date.

If you have not received your course details by 5 working days before the event, contact denise.carter@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

Payment for all courses

The cost of each event (per delegate) is in the events calendar.

You will be invoiced after the event. Payment can be made by BACS transfer or by cheque payable to ‘Department for Business and Trade’.

We cannot accept payment by debit or credit card.

Attendance at your chosen event is only assured once you have received confirmation from ECJU.

Cancellation policy and nominating alternative attendees

You must confirm any cancellations or postponements by writing or emailing the Events Manager. This must be done at least 10 working days before the event. You may be invoiced the course costs if you fail to do this.

Alternative attendees can be nominated. You must contact the Events Manager before the event to confirm the name change(s).

If we have to cancel a training course or event, your prepaid attendance fees will be either:

  • reimbursed without undue delay
  • used as credit for a future course

As the ECJU only makes a nominal change for attendance to cover basic costs, any further claims on the part of the delegate are excluded.

Strategic export control learning path

You should review the learning path and think carefully about what you need to achieve from these courses, before deciding which level suits you best.

From 2022 we will no longer be running the Foundation Workshop, we suggest you watch the Webinar: Strategic Export Controls – An Introduction (45 minutes), then attend the intermediate course.

Intermediate courses

The intermediate or practitioners course is for those who have some training (such as our foundation workshop), reviewed the consolidated control lists, and need to put the whole strategic export control process in context.

Details

Duration: full day

Cost: £TBC

Pre-course knowledge: You should have some previous knowledge of strategic export controls, have preferably attended a beginners or foundation course, and reviewed the Consolidated Control List before attending this course.

Course content

A more detailed look at the different elements of controls, the licence assessment process and the actions you need to take to remain compliant.

The day will comprise a series of presentations and exercises covering:

  • control lists that affect the UK
    • international regimes and the consolidated control list
    • what does ‘specially designed or modified for military use’ mean?
    • how to read ‘dual-use’ text and make an assessment
  • technology
  • trade: the range of trade controls, including trafficking and brokering of goods and specified activities controls
  • end-use controls: WMD and military end-use controls
  • licence types and the licensing process
    • different types of licence
    • common pitfalls when completing a licence application
    • how decisions are made when issuing or refusing a licence
    • end user undertaking workshop
  • compliance
    • why you will receive a compliance visit
    • what to expect
  • concluding remarks including staff training
    • ideas for staff training, and why it is so important
    • why things go wrong and the consequences

Targeted courses

Targeted courses are for those wanting to learn about how to make better licence applications, control list classification, types of licences and licensing processes for specific sectors.

Licences workshop - regional

Duration: half day

Cost: £TBC

Pre-course knowledge: You may have some experience of making licence applications and undertaken prior training from the learning path.

Course content

This workshop aims to improve the permissions exporters get to export strategically controlled military and dual-use items. This reduces the number of licences required and improves compliance.

This workshop aims to improve the permissions exporters get to export strategically controlled military and dual-use items. This reduces the number of licences required and improves compliance.

With the wealth of export control licences available to UK exporters, finding the right one to enable your company to export efficiently can be daunting. Based on course feedback, input from the SPIRE replacement program (LITE), and our Compliance Unit, this course is a development of our ‘Making Better Licence Applications’ workshop and aimed at guiding exporters through the licence types available; deciding which one is right for your export.

Attendees will first be taken through the core standard individual export licence (SIEL) application screens to demonstrate how prior planning can reduce the number of ‘Requests For Information’ (RFIs), work and number of licences required.

The course will then turn to open general licences (OGLs and GEAs); covering what is available, online resources and how to read OGLs to improve compliance with the terms and conditions.

Making better licence applications: London only - on demand

Duration: half day

Cost: £TBC

Pre-course knowledge: None, although having a SPIRE account and some experience of making SIEL applications will help you get the most benefit out of this course. Please contact us to register an interest in attending the next course.

Course content

This course aims to:

  • reduce the number of RFIs
  • withdrawn/stopped cases returned to licence applicants

We take attendees step-by-step through the licence application process on SPIRE for strategically controlled military and dual use items. The type of information required, and the reasons for requiring that information, will be explained at each stage, identifying common pitfalls and mistakes.

There will also be an opportunity to share best practice with other attendees.

We also explain:

  • SIEL end-use undertaking requirements
  • the end-user advice service

Are my items controlled? - regional

This course gives an overview of the Control List Classification process and if your items could be controlled.

Duration: half day

Cost: £TBC

Pre-course knowledge: You should have some previous knowledge of strategic export controls and reviewed the consolidated control list before attending this course.

Course content

Building on the intermediate seminar and webinars this course focuses on how to review, consider and apply the control lists to better decide if the items you wish to export are controlled.

This workshop includes:

  • a review of the military and dual-use control lists (provided in the Intermediate Practitioners course)
  • varied classification exercises (including an opportunity to bring along your own examples to work through)
  • a closer look at transfers of software and technology