Global investors are snapping up British brands – is 2026 your year to go international?

While some sectors of the economy have been flourishing in 2025, overall domestic growth in the UK has been pretty sluggish for a while now.

However, overseas is a completely different story.

No economy has escaped the last few years unscathed, but there’s a different feel on the international scene. A sense of embracing opportunity as the route to change. Across Europe and beyond, confidence in franchising is soaring, and international investors are actively seeking out strong, proven brands – especially British ones.

In the 27 years I have spent working with The Franchising Centre helping UK and international franchisors expand into new markets, I’ve never seen the level of activity we are seeing now. It really is unprecedented.

In the past few months alone, we’ve seen some incredible results:

• Three new Master Franchisees secured across Germany and Eastern Europe for the Motorhome Depot franchise
• The first Master Franchisee appointed in the Czech Republic for Coptrz
• A groundbreaking Area Development agreement in Romania for Harry Ramsden’s
• An excellent response to the new international franchising campaign for Pizza Express
• Huge new partnership deal in Thailand for Bread Ahead

These aren’t just early discussions.. they’re signed, sealed, and operational deals.

The message couldn’t be clearer: international investors are showing huge confidence in British franchise systems. They recognise the innovation, professionalism, and consumer appeal that make UK brands stand out on the global stage – and they’re hungry for more.

So, if you’ve been looking for a sign that 2026 is the right time to make your move overseas – this is it! With strong investor appetite, and increasing market openness, it’s shaping up to be the perfect year.

That takes care of the “when” and the “if” of international franchising for your brand. It just leaves the “how”…which is where we come in. If you’d like any advice on how to take the next steps, or just a bit of a chat about how to take advantage of this overseas boom, I am happy to help.

Just click the button below to schedule a call.