Join Oxfordshire’s first ever virtual gathering for social enterprises and Buyers!
This is OSEP’s first ever, virtual “social enterprise and Buyer Meet Up”, exclusively for Oxfordshire based organisations. This event is being organised as part of OSEP’s eScalate programme, on behalf of the Oxfordshire LEP.

Many early stage social enterprises and purposeful businesses in Oxfordshire have told OSEP that they are looking for more opportunities to meet prospective local Buyers, to gain a better understanding of what products and services they might be interested in receiving from local social enterprises, and how to approach them with their particular business offer.

Alongside Social Value UK, we will have a panel of buyers representing local and national organisations including:

Bouygues
Oxford Direct Services
Blenheim Palace
Oxford City Council
Oxford University
Soha Housing
Midcounties Co-Op
Amey
There will be limited opportunities to engage Buyers directly during the event, so we encourage social enterprises to sign up as soon as possible.

Who is it for?

This workshop is aimed at SMEs that are Social Enterprises, social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and other purposeful businesses, seeking to establish relationships with interested Buyers in Oxfordshire.

This workshop is also aimed at Buyers in Oxfordshire seeking to support local, social enterprises and diversify their supply chains.

What will I learn?

Attend to:

✅ Meet the OSEP team and hear about support you can get from the eScalate programme to grow your enterprise business

✅ Meet and greet Buyers in the county

✅ Meet other social enterprises

Facilitator

Paul Roberts and Sophie Kilmister from the award winning social enterprise, Aspire Oxfordshire. Aspire, is one of six eScalate Enterprise Hubs in Oxfordshire, and is a preferred supplier of services to a diverse range of Buyers in Oxfordshire, including local authorities, leisure providers, facilities management companies and housing associations.

Paul brings a wealth of experiences of different charity and community enterprise models in Oxfordshire. He is a Director of Aspire’s trading company as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the Aspire charity. Paul joined Aspire in 2012 and has been at the forefront of significant organisational growth including through trading. Aspire’s turnover has grown by 480% in this time frame.

Paul has helped set up numerous, enterprising community organisations in the county. He is a co-founder of the Oxford Homeless Movement, was a founder Director of Greater Change CIC (Community Interest Company), and is a Director of Makespace Oxford CIC, of the Oxfordshire Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (OSEP CIC), and is a Founder Trustee of ‘Flo’s the Place in the Park’ (a charitable Community Benefit Society).

Prior to joining Aspire, Paul was a British Diplomat for six years. Paul previously volunteered at Asylum Welcome in Oxford and as a Generalist Adviser for the Citizens Advice. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy.

Currently Enterprise Development Programme Manager at Aspire, Sophie also works as the Operations Director of an Engineering business. A key feature of Sophie’s career has been working across sectors – commercial, public and charitable sector. Prior to joining Aspire Sophie spent 9 years in secondary education as both teacher and senior leader – teaching Business Studies and Economics. As Assistant Head involved in strategic development and implementation within a large secondary school.

Previous to this, Sophie trained as and worked as a solicitor firstly in the banking sector and then for the charity sector. She also spent three years establishing and running a £30m endowed grant making charitable foundation for an entrepreneur.

For more information about the eScalate programme , visit www.oxfordshirelep.com/escalate

Please note that this webinar is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is delivered as part of the eScalate programme to help SMEs. By engaging in this programme you are being offered assistance under the De Minimis regulation which allows a company to receive up to but not exceeding €200,000 of public funding (at the applicable exchange rate) of De Minimis aid over a rolling three-tax year fiscal period. This de minimis declaration does not cover undertakings engaged in: the primary production of agricultural goods and fisheries/aquaculture, road freight, services of general economic interest and export related activities and activities favouring domestic over imported goods. Please note, support cannot be given to undertakings (businesses) in difficulty. In order to receive support from this programme, you will be required to complete an application form and other relevant documentation.