CSV Group Founder Yuliia Solovyeva recently spoke at a Board community event in London about scaling B2B sales in the EU and UK, focusing on direct sales, partnerships and public procurement.

The discussion explored how European B2B decisions are actually made and what companies need to consider when entering new markets.

Key topics included:

• why a strong commercial offer does not always lead to a quick response, and how European B2B decision-making works in practice;

• where to find commercial opportunities before a tender is published — through direct sales, partnerships, public procurement and Preliminary Market Consultations (PMCs);

• how to build a partner network that generates business opportunities and contracts, rather than simply accumulating contacts;

• how companies without local experience can enter the public sector in the EU and UK;

• common mistakes Ukrainian companies make when entering European markets and what they can start changing immediately.

A key takeaway was that successful expansion requires more than a competitive product or service. Companies need to understand how the market works, identify the right routes to customers and build relationships with the stakeholders who influence decisions.

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