TED Center expands Finnish teacher training to Uzbekistan
TED Center, a Finnish company specialising in exporting Finnish teacher training and pedagogical methodology, has secured a new sales contract in Uzbekistan. The deal was made with Ziyo Muallim, a local teacher-training organisation, who enrolled 150 K–12 teachers within one week to TED Center’s online course programme.
We spoke to Natalia Gromova, CEO and Founder, at TED Center about their journey, their preparation for entering Uzbekistan, and the role Bridging4Growth has played in unlocking this growing market.
Congratulations on your new deal! Can you tell us a bit about TED Center and the new contract?
Thank you so much! TED Center focuses on Finnish education export and teacher training built on Finnish pedagogical methodology. Since 2019, we have worked with international educators by organising study visits to Finland. When the pandemic hit, we shifted to digital formats and created scalable online courses, methodological packages and webinar series for teachers.
This digital product line significantly decreased delivery costs and opened new opportunities in markets such as Uzbekistan. Our latest contract concerns an online course for K–12 teachers delivered to Ziyo Muallim, a local teacher-training company. They gathered a group of 150 teachers in just one week.
After the course, we received a wealth of positive feedback and high-quality leads for further products, and new sales discussions are now underway.
We know that piercing into a new market can be hard. How did you prepare for the new market?
In some ways, we were already halfway there. Since 2019, we have been active in Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, where we hosted study visits, delivered online training, and even collaborated on opening a new school in Almaty in 2024.
As Timur Rahmonov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Latvia, put it: “What was yesterday in Kazakhstan, tomorrow will be in Uzbekistan.” So when we entered Uzbekistan, our product line was ready, and we already had regional experience, for example, collaboration with Pedagogical University after Nizami from 2020.
However, what slowed further growth was our lack of physical presence and understanding of Uzbek business culture.
How did the Bridging4Growth program support you?
In September 2025 we joined the Bridging4Growth delegation to Tashkent. During the trip, we participated in a mentor consultation and matchmaking meetings. This helped us refine our sales pitch and pricing, understand local expectations, and build crucial face-to-face connections.
It became clear that in Uzbekistan, relationships are everything. Bridging4Growth provided exactly this missing element by enabling us to meet partners in person and strengthen earlier digital contacts. We are very thankful for this support.
Lastly, what’s your number one tip for companies expanding to new markets?
It’s difficult to choose just one, because expansion is a sequence of equally important steps. But one strong recommendation is to hire or bring in an international specialist from the market you want to enter, and build as many links and local presences as possible.
Want to know more about TED Center?
Web: www.tedcenter.fi
