Background
West Yorkshire-based Bok Goodall is a lingerie designer, illustrator and founder of Ms A London, the first brand of its kind to specialise in fit-appropriate, gender-confirming lingerie and swimwear for the transfeminine community.
The challenge
Bok spent three years and a lot of her own money researching and developing a global-first sizing system for her brand.
In August 2024, she entered a competition run by Curve New York, North America’s leading lingerie trade show. Excitingly, Bok won 1st place, with her prize giving her a free exhibition stand at Curve in February 2025 and the chance to showcase Ms A London’s product range to 1,200 of America’s most important buyers.
Bok was referred to the programme by a member of the team at the Department for Business and Trade to see what financial support was available to help her access this potentially game-changing business opportunity. Although the exhibition is free, preparing for and travelling to the US is going to be extremely expensive.
The solution
After a carrying out a free initial diagnostic of Bok’s business through our Export service, we were able to offer Ms A London access to funding through our Internationalisation Fund. The much-needed funding will go towards the expense of Bok’s flight and accommodation in New York, taking some of the financial pressure off a small business looking to make its mark in a fiercely competitive global industry.
The impact
“Being at this show puts Ms A London on a global stage. The styles I’m showing will be available to US buyers, who will undoubtedly be the biggest market for the brand. The Internationalisation Fund allows me to attend this important event and meet new clients and press. Thank you for understanding what I’m doing and for seeing the value in it. This is a very targeted brand, and marketing and visibility is key to its success. The more people are aware it exists, the better sales will be.” Bok Goodall, Founder
Learn more about our Export programme
If your business is aspiring to expand overseas like Ms A London, you can access up to £2,000 of grant-match funding through our Export programme. The funding is only available until March 2025, so make sure to submit your expression of interest soon.