Our unwavering support for our businesses

Our unwavering support for our businesses

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Following the emergence of the Coronavirus in early 2020 and the subsequent steps taken to stop the spread of the pandemic, businesses have needed significant support and reassurance.

As the local enterprise partnership representing one of the most high-performing economies anywhere in the world, our ability to support our business community to deal with the challenges brought about by COVID-19 was vital over the past 12 months.

Here are just some of the interventions we delivered during 2020/2021, helping our business community to discover a path to recovery, understand new opportunities, or indeed recognise – with our expert support – how they could upskill their existing workforce to be more agile in-light of pandemic.

Business Resilience Fund
To support our business community to survive the initial stages of the pandemic, we awarded 114 grants totaling £793,725 through our Business Resilience Fund. This intervention alone enabled the creation of 230 jobs, safeguarding a further 636.
Peer Networks
Over 150 businesses from across the county and multiple sectors benefited from the Peer Networks programme. Bringing together diverse cohorts of business leaders, the programme provided a valuable space for businesses to discus challenges with peers.
Brexit support
Our EU Transition Support programme delivered 356 hours of support on Brexit-related matters, completing 44 diagnostics in the process and making 18 onward referrals.
Skills for Business
Now in its second full-year of delivery, our European Social Fund-backed Skills for Business programme continues to provide practical support for small to medium-sized businesses, helping them identify and evaluate skills and learning needs.
Business Support Tool
As part of our evolving offer, we introduced a business support tool, made available via the OxLEP Business website. Over the past year, 1,200 businesses were triaged via the support tool, providing them with a bespoke action plan.
Business Investment Fund
As part of our Getting Building Fund investment, the £2.1m Business Investment Fund has been developed to support our business community move to an effective renewal phase following the Coronavirus outbreak through matched grants.
Enhanced Growth Hub
Through a variety of interventions, including a new ‘start-up club’ and topic-focused webinars, our enhanced growth hub has responded to the demands of our business community, at a pace business demands.

"Our role has evolved and we've recognised the need to support businesses to find new opportunities, learn from others and even diversify their role to align with a new type of economy. "

Nigel Tipple - Chief Executive

And don't just take our word for it...

Peer Networks:

Our Peer Networks programme has been delivered through a series of high-impact group sessions, with businesses gaining valuable feedback and support in identifying practical solutions to overcome future challenges, with businesses able to rely on these new networks for years to come. One of our first cohorts, 'Aspen', brought together a diverse range of businesses facilitated through expert mentorship.

Skills for Business:

The Skills for Business programme has had a genuine impact on our business community. The programme has to-date supported dozens of businesses to recruited their first apprentice, conducted over 70 skills needs assessments and supported over 500 businesses to engage with their local community and schools. 

eScalate:

As well as a whole raft of new business support initiatives that we have launched this year, our existing European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programmes have been equally as important supporting our business community to adapt and react positively to the pandemic. 

Alongside our Innovation Support for Business (ISfB) programme, our eScalate programme has has supported SMEs that operate as a social enterprise, as well as those who are social entrepreneurs and other purposeful businesses committed to enabling positive social and environmental impact.

One company to have pivoted their operations via eScalate and in-light of COVID-19 was Opera Anywhere. 

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