UKTI Performance & Impact Monitoring Surveys (PIMS)

PIMS is an on-going study consisting of around 4,000 20-minute telephone interviews a year with businesses that have received export related support from UK Trade & Investment. OMB Research designed and piloted the original methodology in 2005, and since this time have conducted and reported the research on a quarterly basis. In addition to the main quantitative stage, the PIMS programme also incorporates a number of qualitative projects to add depth to the main findings, along with an annual survey of ‘non-users’.

The PIMS research forms the basis for many of UKTI’s corporate targets, and OMB produce a range of quarterly and annual reports that track progress against key performance measures as well as providing detailed sub-analysis and commentary. Over the research period, OMB have delivered numerous presentations to disseminate the relevant findings, both to internal UKTI audiences and at wider events hosted by UKTI. Reports produced by OMB Research detailing the PIMS findings can be found here.

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has also published an economics paper that draws heavily on the various OMB Research surveys undertaken for UKTI. This paper is titled ‘BIS Economics Paper No.5 – Internationalisation of Innovative and High Growth SMEs’ and can be found at www.bis.gov.uk in the ‘Publications’ area.