BPCC members had a chance to meet him at a reception at the British Embassy on 24 September, at which he focused on the role of innovation in the trading relationship between Poland and the UK. Prof. Krzysztof Jan Kurzydłowski the director of NCB+R, the national R&D centre, spoke about the opportunities for Polish-British cooperation in R&D using the funds available from the EU's 2014-2020 financial perspective. Food and drink from Britain was also showcased at the event, with an India Pale Ale from Yorkshire's Great Heck brewery available, along with a selection of fine regional cheeses from across the UK.
The following morning, the British Embassy played host to a meeting at which BPCC members could voice their concerns about public procurement in Poland. Peter Bennett, senior policy advisor at the Crown Commercial Service, joined Lord Maude and Dariusz Piasta, acting president of the Polish public procurement office, the UZP, and Janusz Lewandowski, chairman of the European Parliament's Budget Committee. This was followed by a round-table discussion in which the issue of Poland's implementation of the EU Public Procurement Directive into national law was debated. Later that afternoon, Lord Maude visited the offices of the BPCC, to hear about the BPCC Trade team’s continuing progress in supporting UK businesses in entering the Polish market. BPCC Trade continues to be the best performing in the 39-country Overseas Business Network initiative.