Our support and events
We want you to know that, first and foremost, we are here for you - the Oxfordshire business community.
Our business support and events schedule is designed to help you and is particularly important at this critical time. We have new support programmes and a number of existing programmes we feel can support our business community both during and after the Coronavirus pandemic.
OxLEP Business Support Tool:
If you need business support, help or advice, please complete our business support tool and we will connect you with a personal business advisor and provide information to help you through the months ahead.
The Oxfordshire Kickstart Grant Scheme:
The Oxfordshire Kickstart Grant Scheme opened for applications from businesses for one day only at 10am on 8 December 2020. It is now closed for all applications.
Most grants awarded will be in the range of £1,000 to £3,000 although grants of up to £5,000 will be considered in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of OxLEP Business. This is a 100% grant scheme funded by Government through the European Regional Development Fund and there is no requirement for businesses to contribute financially.
To manage the expected demand, the Growth Hub closed the application process when the first 75 applications had been submitted through the online form. The scheme's application portal opened at 10am on 8 December and closed at 5pm on that day, or once the 75-application limit was reached, whichever came first.
Peer networks:
The Peer Networks programme brings together diverse cohorts of business leaders so you can discuss your business challenges with your peers. Delivered through a series of high impact group sessions, you will gain and reflect on valuable feedback from your peers and identify practical solutions to overcome your business challenges. You will then choose which coach, mentor or business advisor to work with to further explore solutions to your challenge. This is a great opportunity to create an expert virtual team to help you and your business to succeed.
UPDATE – 14 January 2021: Thank you to all Oxfordshire businesses who have either signed-up or enquired about the OxLEP Business peer networks programme. The programme has now reached full capacity and we are currently unable to consider further applications. Should we be in a position to reopen the programme to new applicants, we will make an announcement via our various social media channels.
To ensure you are still able to access the right support for your business, we would encourage you to complete our business support tool.
Existing programmes:
eScalate
The eScalate programme supports growing businesses that have scale-up potential. It also supports SMEs that are social enterprise, social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and other purposeful businesses committed to enabling positive social and environmental impact.
Innovation Support for Business (ISfB):
ISfB is a programme designed to drive and commercialise the innovative business ideas of Oxfordshire's SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Skills for Business:
Skills for Business provides practical support to small to medium-sized businesses to identify and evaluate their skills and learning needs including upskilling current staff.
Events:
We have moved our own business support events to online platforms to ensure that we can provide you with the guidance that you need.
We are holding regular digital Q&As, aimed at supporting our business community through the COVID-19 pandemic. Take a look at our most-recent Q&As:
20 November: ‘How critical is this time for our cultural and creative sectors?’
19 October: ‘How critical is it for the county to remain connected post COVID-19?'
21 May: ‘What impact will Coronavirus have on our rural economy?’
14 May: ‘What impact has Coronavirus had on Oxfordshire’s workforce?’
7 May: ‘How can Oxfordshire’s visitor economy recover from the Coronavirus pandemic?’
30 April: ‘Supporting businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic’
Head to our events section to find out more on future Q&As
We also have an ongoing programme of business support workshops delivered by our OxLEP Business team - this includes workshops in; business strategy, leadership, crowdfunding, as well as a series of grant workshops for our eScalate and Innovation Support for Business programmes.
How our business support programmes can help you:
eScalate: Find out how OxLEP Business can help your growing business.
