Noreen Burroughes’s MBE Unlocks UK Trade for Maltese Women-led SMEs

The Malta-born business strategist Noreen Burroughes has been appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire at Windsor Castle, a move that promises to unlock new channels for women-led SMEs in Malta to tap into influential trade corridors.

Key Takeaways

• MBE investiture on Feb 17, 2026: Honoured by Princess Anne in Windsor Castle’s Waterloo Chamber.

• Champion for women in trade: Founder of Market Accents and of OWIT’s UK chapter, now Executive President of OWIT International.

• Early-warning on UK regulations: Her role on the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group Trade Taskforce offers Maltese exporters a heads-up on rule changes.

• Local workshops & grants: Malta Chamber of SMEs and Malta Enterprise preparing mentorship programmes and trade mission scholarships.

Noreen’s Roots and Recognition

Born in Santa Luċija and now based in London, Noreen Burroughes has spent nearly two decades building bridges between businesses across borders. After launching Market Accents in 2007, she established the UK branch of the Organisation of Women in International Trade (OWIT), before taking the helm as OWIT International’s Executive President. Her MBE, announced in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List, formally acknowledges her work embedding gender-inclusive strategies into trade policy and capacity building.

Connecting Malta to UK Trade Hubs

With her investiture pinned by Princess Anne, Burroughes gains formal access to royal trade envoys, senior civil servants and C-suite alumni of the UK honours network. As chair of the Trade Taskforce in the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Women in Enterprise, she reviews draft post-Brexit trade rules, giving Maltese entrepreneurs potential first sight of shifts in customs requirements, digital services regulations and intellectual property safeguards.

What This Means for Residents

• Free OWIT mentorship: Maltese entrepreneurs may enrol in OWIT’s pilot mentor bank until June at no cost.

• €3,000 Malta Enterprise grants: 10 scholarships are set to cover travel and attendance at OWIT’s annual London Summit.

• Border model briefings: The Malta Chamber of SMEs will host Q1 breakfast sessions on new UK-Malta operating procedures, led by Burroughes.

• Valletta roadshow: A Mediterranean trade tour this autumn will include workshops on export readiness and digital marketing.

Exporting Potential and Gender Equality

Malta’s latest statistics show 8% export participation among women-led firms—half the EU average. Although they account for just 6% of private-sector employment, these businesses generate 11% of total value added. The Central Bank of Malta estimates that boosting female exporters to 15% could yield €320M in economic output within five years. Persistent barriers—limited collateral, narrow supply-chain networks, and a shortage of role models—underscore the urgency of both policy reform and private-sector innovation.

Recommendations for Policy Makers and Clusters

To turn this accolade into action, stakeholders in Malta should:

• Pilot a Women’s Export Voucher to subsidise trade fair fees and certification costs.

• Integrate Start-in-Malta incubator graduates into OWIT’s e-commerce accelerator programme.

• Advocate at the next Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting for a dedicated women’s export agenda, leveraging Burroughes’ connections.

• Encourage banks to trial the UK’s flexible-collateral model, proven to reduce financing rejections for first-time exporters by 25%.

Noreen Burroughes’s MBE is more than a personal honour—it can serve as the catalyst Malta needs to accelerate women’s global trade ambitions.