OSEP Resources

Sign up to the OSEP mailing list to get news, resources and updates on the latest business support in Oxfordshire. Here are some useful links to organisations and resources for social enterprises, charities and purposeful businesses. >>

 

Funding & Impact Investment

 

• • Oxford Hub Social Enterprise Support Programme
    The programme provides funding, mentoring and support for students, staff or recent graduates with a mission to start a social enterprise. The workshops and events are also open to members of OSEP.
  • Access works to make charities and social enterprises in England more financially resilient and self-reliant, so that they can sustain or increase their impact.
  • Big Society Capital exists to improve the lives of people in the UK through investment with a sustainable return.
  • Working in the UK and internationally, the Impact Investing Institute is at the forefront of the emerging consensus that capital can and should deliver for people and planet.
  • Based in Oxford, Ethex helps everyday people make ethical investments that fund extraordinary organisations.
  • Barclays Impact investing aims to protect and grow investors’ money, while at the same time having a positive social or environmental impact.
  • Connect Fund provides grants to develop shared infrastructure solutions to create a more open and accessible social investment market.
  • Good Finance have a list of social investors, funds and advisors across the country.
  • UnLtd provide funding and support for Social Enterprises.
  • The Berkeley Foundation Fund provides support for local and grassroots charities.
  • The Good Exchange provides a grant matching service for community groups.
  • National Lottery Awards for All offer funding to deliver a new or existing activity or to support your community organisation to change and adapt to new and future challenges.

 

Local Networks

 

• • EnSpire Oxford: encourages and promotes entrepreneurship. They make it easy for students, researchers and staff to connect with each other and with enterprises across Oxfordshire.
  • Oxford Hub:  are involved in running both the University of Oxford and the Oxford for Brookes University social entrepreneur programmes and their website offers information about social impact, social change, events and the local volunteering community.
  • ROBIN: The Responsible Oxfordshire Business Involvement Network creates links between local businesses and public sector bodies and Oxfordshire’s voluntary organisations and community groups.
  • Independent Oxford: a community for small businesses in Oxfordshire, promoting the social and environmental benefits of shopping locally. The network offers monthly meet ups, peer support and marketing through it’s website and magazine.

 

National Organisations

 

• • Social Enterprse UK is a national body that supports and helps to grow the social enterprise movement in the UK. Information about the UK SE community can be found here.
  • Supply Change connects organisations who need goods and services, with social suppliers who can deliver quality and a positive impact.
  • Social Value UK intends to change the way society accounts for value. By doing this, they believe that we will end up with a world with more equality and a more sustainable environment.
  • Community Catalysts Oxfordshire have a partnership with Oxfordshire County Council to support the development of small enterprises and ventures offering help and care at home and in the community for older and disabled people.

 

Purposeful/Mission Driven Businesses

 

• • B-Corp:  Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.  Start your B Corps journey with the B Impact Assessment.
  • Purposely is for founders who are using or considering the company limited by shares legal structure and who want to embed their purpose.
  • Blueprint for better business help business to be inspired and guided by a purpose that benefits society and respects people and planet.
  • The BoB UP System is a unique methodology that teaches entrepreneurs how to design, build and activate a business strategy based on the foundation of their core brand assets.
  • Business Fights Poverty works to help improve the lives, livelihoods and learning opportunities for the most vulnerable people and communities.

 

Skills & Resources

 

• • Auto-Enrolment Planner Tool: A free interactive online auto enrolment planner tool to calculate workplace pensions enrolment.
  • Sage Business Advice:  Clear, practical, and up-to-date articles support all aspects of business: planning, funding, growth, technology, legislation, and more.
  • The Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
    A wealth of information about social enterprise and a programme of visiting speakers who are successful social entrepreneurs or actively engaged in supporting the sector. Skoll Centre also hosts the annual Emerge conference.
  • Social Finance Hot Desk provide free legal advice to social enterprises.
  • Power to Change help communities protect local assets and address local needs.
  • Oxford University Careers Service – support organisations through innovative learning and consulting experience programmes for University of Oxford students.
  • Taylor Vintners Pop Ups provide free online legal advice for social ventures.
  • Business Intellectual Property Centre at Oxford County Library at the Westgate Centre
  • Government guidance on charities and trading.
  • Expert Impact Mentoring helps to accelerate the impact of social entrepreneurs by connecting them with world-leading business experts for free advice and mentoring. Find out how you could benefit here.
  • HL BaSE is Hogan Lovells’ International social enterprise and social finance practice. They provide practical, commercial advice to social enterprises and mission-led businesses, and they act as advisors to impact investment projects. Apply for pro bono assistance here.
  • Acumen Academy provide a wide range of resources and tools from its global community
  • Digital Commons Co-Operative develops community tech that helps social movements defend the planet and re-generate the economy we need for a fairer world.
  • Expertise: a free online resource for small and medium-sized businesses looking to improve their digital footprint.
  • OxLEP Business Support Tool – find the right business support tool for your business.
  • OxLEP Skills – find support to grow your businesses workforce including apprenticeships and vocational pathways.
  • Watch this video to hear Ashley Cavers talking about The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and how small businesses can make a difference.

 

Social Shifters

Access free resources for learning about social impact.

 

Workspaces