eScalate
Our three-year business support programme, eScalate, is now live and offering support to:
- SOCIAL ENTERPRISES* who would like support to develop new business models, higher-quality products, processes, services or specific products to boost productivity or resource efficiency.
- SME SCALE-UPS who are looking to increase market share, increase revenues, increase staff and add value to your business. If you have struggled with access to finance and investment readiness support, we can help.
Supporting social enterprises
We are working with OSEP (Oxfordshire Social Enterprise Partnership) to support Oxfordshire's social enterprises through six social enterpise Hubs which run workshops, networking events and peer-to-peer learning sessions. They help social entrepreneurs, charities and purposeful businesses to learn new skills, forge partnerships and increase their social and environmental impact.
The social enterprise hubs are launching in February 2020:
| Hub | Location | Launch event | Register your place |
| SOFEA | SOFEA, Didcot | 13 February, 4.30-6.30pm | Sign up here |
| Aspire @ Flo's | Flo's - The Place in the Park, East Oxford | 19 February, 1-4pm | Sign up here |
| The Oxford Hub | The Oxford Hub, Oxford city centre | 20 February, 5.30-7pm | Sign up here |
| TownSq@ Eco Business Centre | The Eco Business Centre, Bicester | 25 February, 1-3pm | Sign up here |
CAG (Community Action Group Oxfordshire)@ Makespace | Makespace, North Oxford | 25 February, 6-8pm | Sign up here |
| Tap Social | Tap Social, West Oxford | 27 February, 7-9pm | Sign up here |
View all of our eScalate and OxLEP Business events
Grants of between £1,000 and £25,000 are also available for eligible SMEs. Our grant round is now closed, our next grant round will be announced soon.
Download our flyer for social enterprises
Supporting growing businesses
The eScalate programme supports growing businesses that have scale-up potential. If your business is working towards increasing market share, revenues, staff or has struggled with access to finance or needs investment readiness support, we can help through 12 hours of 1:1 support including:
- Access to finance advice and guidance
- Market/competitor analysis focusing on becoming investment ready
- Identifying suitable types of investment
- Business Planning for finance
- Signposting clients to networks
- Investment readiness support including pitch practice coaching
Grants of between £1,000 and £25,000 are also available for eligible SMEs to fund the following activities:
- Investment readiness consultancy support
- Access to finance consultancy support
Our grant round is now closed, our next grant round will be announced soon.
Download our flyer for growing businesses
To find out more about the eScalate programme and how we might be able to support your business, please email business@oxfordshirelep.com
Not eligible? Enterprises which cannot be supported through eScalate may benefit from business support services outside of the project, contact our team to find out more: business@oxfordshirelep.com
* The eScalate programme supports SMEs that are Social Enterprises, social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and other purposeful businesses committed to enabling positive social and environmental impact.
Our Elevate programme provided support to thriving start-ups: