• The UK is the second strongest country in the world for soft power influence (Source: Brand Finance 2024 report).
  
  
• The UK has several globally renowned organisations that strengthen and promote the UK’s key values including:
  
  
  • In media, the BBC is the world’s most trusted international broadcaster, reaching 489 million people each week in over 40 languages (Source: BBC, 2021).
    
    
  • In culture and education, the British Council operates in over 100 countries and teaches English at all levels to people throughout the world (Source: British Council perceptions survey 2023).
    
    
• Young people across the G20 countries view the UK as the most attractive location (Source: British Council perceptions survey 2023).
  
  
• The UK hosts world class events including the Coronation and Eurovision in 2023, and the 2022 UEFA Women’s EURO.
  
  
• The UK has a long tradition of taking practical action to support global leaders of the future – for example, the UK Government’s Commonwealth, Marshall and Chevening scholarships enable young people from across the world to study at the UK’s world-leading universities.
  

Soft Power – the GREAT Challenge Fund

The UK is a soft power superpower and is consistently ranked among the world’s most attractive and influential nations. People worldwide see the UK and feel that they know the UK – this familiarity creates a long-term foundation on which to build strong and trusted global ties.

The GREAT Challenge Fund, operated by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, enables Posts to deliver a wide array of activities that showcase the UK’s culture, history, arts, music, sport, leading tech, and food & drink, improving perceptions and building prosperity for the UK. The GREAT Challenge Fund uses creative, cultural, and sporting moments such as Eurovision, Coronation, and the Women’s World Cup, promotes UK values through events like Pride and COP, and supports activity to drive investment, export, education and/or tourism wins.