Exploring Opportunities
So you’re interested in being entrepreneurial?
There are a wealth of activities and resources to enhance your skills, develop an idea, meet entrepreneurs and gain experience. The opportunities are only limited by the time you have.
Check out our top picks, then use the filters below to further customise your search.
Entrepreneurship @ Oxford
Looking for a way to navigate the Oxford entrepreneurship ecosystem? Our handy map shows you everything at a glance.
Understanding Intellectual Property (IP)
An Oxford guide to IP and where to find information, guidance and support.
Are you ready to start a business?
So you’ve been thinking about starting a venture recently, but how do you know if you actually are ready?
Useful TED Talks
TED Talks are a great source of information, advice and experience to help you with any idea you have, no matter what stage you are at.
How a degree can help you run a startup
Three members of Bloom & Wild discuss how their degrees have helped in their entrepreneurial life.
Sign up to our Newsletter
A weekly digest of upcoming entrepreneurship events and opportunities in Oxfordshire.
Looking for something specific?
Click on the categories below to narrow down your search.
Code Academy: Online Coding Courses (MOOC)
Teaching the world how to code. Learn to code interactively, for free.
Coursera: Entrepreneurship Online Courses (MOOC)
Online, free courses taught by top instructors from world-class universities and companies. So you can learn anywhere, anytime.
Oxford Entrepreneurs Student Society
Oxford Entrepreneurs is the largest student society promoting entrepreneurship in the world.
Oxford Startups
Oxford Startups is a meetup for startups and people interested in the startup scene in Oxford.
Startups.co.uk
UK’s leading independent, online resource for anyone starting and growing a business, established in 2000.
Oxfordshire Business Support
A practical guide to supporting Oxfordshire businesses at all stages, by people with honest first-hand experience.
Oxfordshire Business Enterprises
For non-profit organisation providing free and impartial advice on a wide range of business issues from self-employment to forming a company and from marketing to book-keeping.
Science and Technology Facilities Council
A publicly funded Research Council responsible for supporting, co-ordinating and promoting research, innovation and skills development.
European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC)
Cash incentive, access to facilities, and business development for space entrepreneurs.
Venturefest Oxford
An annual event that brings together innovators, investors and entrepreneurs within the high-tech sector.
Digital Oxford
Independent organisation that sets out to make Oxford and Oxfordshire a global destination for digital business.
YES Young Entrepreneurs Scheme
A global competition developed to raise awareness of how ideas from science and engineering can be commercialised.
Oxfordshire Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (OSEP)
OSEP has been set up to help existing and prospective social entrepreneurs plan, develop and grow their businesses across Oxfordshire.
The Oxford Academic Health Science Network
The Oxford AHSN brings together the NHS, universities, business, patients and the public to promote best health for the population and prosperity in Oxfordshire.
Oxford Internet Professionals
This is a great opportunity to meet other locals who earn their living from the Internet.
OBN
OBN is the Membership organisation supporting and bringing together the UK’s emerging life sciences companies, corporate partners and investors.
Oxford Town Chambers Network
Founded as a network of Oxfordshire’s chambers of commerce, OTCN (The Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network) now covers town chambers, business parks, shopping centres, business networking events and other membership organisations and business groups across Oxfordshire.
Connect TVT
Connect TVT strives to bring the Oxfordshire’s tech communities closer together in a more personal and meaningful way.
The Careers Service Training
Facilitating a number of learning and development programmes that provide opportunities to develop your skills and experience for your career.
Online Entrepreneurship Courses (MOOC)
Free, online entrepreneurship courses from ALISON provide a top-notch online entrepreneurship education to create a startup business.
Skillshare: Online Courses (MOOC)
Skillshare is an online learning community with thousands of classes in design, business, tech, and more.
OUI Startup Incubator
The Startup Incubator helps entrepreneur-driven ventures that are not University spinouts.
Innovation & Partnership
The University of Oxford strives to create impactful knowledge through partnerships and innovation.
Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
The centre aims to maximise the impact of social entrepreneurship to transform unjust systems around the world.
The Careers Service
The centre helps its clients, who include current Oxford students (undergraduates and postgraduates), research staff, alumni, colleagues, employers and other opportunity providers, with a range of high value career-focused services, programmes and activities.
Gateway to Europe
This Gateway gives guidance on European funding-related activities and support at Oxford.
Oxford Centre for Teaching and Learning
The Centre for Teaching and Learning provides voluntary courses for university and college staff at the University of Oxford.
MPLS Enterprise Programme
Opportunities for Oxford University members to get information about Oxford Entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH)
TORCH provides a range of training and development opportunities for early career researchers in Humanities.
Leading for Impact
Leading for Impact helps you solve social and environmental problems in your current or future career.
Tech City Digital Business Academy
Free online courses to help you start, grow or join a digital business.
Enterprising Oxford Newsletter
A weekly digest of upcoming entrepreneurship events in Oxfordshire, via Enterprising Oxford.
The Careers Service Internship Programme
The University of Oxford Internship Programme provides access to hundreds of summer internships opportunities for students.
The Careers Service Student Consultancy
The programmes equips University of Oxford students with consulting skills to help local businesses, charities and community organisations.
The Careers Service Micro-Internship Programme
The micro-internship programme offers short-term work placements with organisations based in Oxfordshire and Greater London.
Oxford Angels Network
A business angels network for investors and private companies interested in investing in spin-out companies from the University of Oxford.
The Oxfordshire Project
Helping local businesses to support each other, by providing them with knowledge and opportunity.
Science Innovation Union
A training platform, bridging the gap between academia, industry, and government.
Insight into Business
The Insight Into Business programme will effectively prepare you to demonstrate ‘commercial awareness’.
The Hill
A healthcare ideas lab, situated at the heart of Oxford’s medical, academic, digital and entrepreneurial communities.
Pitchfest
Pitchfest is a free, one-day event, where high-tech entrepreneurs pitch to a renowned group of investors.
The Oxford Seed Fund
A University fund run out of the Entrepreneurship Centre with up to £50k to allocate to Oxford based start-ups annually.
IT Innovation Challenge
Supporting small start-up digital projects that will bring a benefit to the University.
MBA Entrepreneurship Project (EP)
Challenging participants to develop a full business plan and present it to a panel of invited investors and other practitioners.
SSE Funding List
A page where to find all the details about grants and support to social enterprises.
Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI)
A preferred partner of the University of Oxford to provide capital to, and develop science spin-out companies.
Enactus Oxford
An international non-profit organisation that brings together student, academic and business leaders.
The Oxford Foundry
A new entrepreneurial centre for the University of Oxford, supporting students to become more entrepreneurial people.
Knowledge Exchange & Impact Team (KEIT)
KEIT supports, promotes and coordinates knowledge exchange and impact activities across the University of Oxford.
What does it mean to be Entrepreneurial?
It is not just about starting a business, or spinning out a company from research. It's a mindset, or a way of thinking.
Key Characteristics of an Entrepreneur
What does it take to become an entrepreneur? Do you think you could do it? There are a set of key charcteristics which many ...
Student Entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurship education is becoming more prominent, with many students seeking to learn more about business.
10 Rules for a Great Startup Idea
If you are looking to start a startup , check out this great infographic from Founder Institute (designed by Andrea Chen).
How is Entrepreneurship Relevant to my Research?
A brief reflection about how being an entrepreneur fit in with an academic career.
I Have an Idea Related to Research… Now What?
As a student or researcher you need to know the rules around IP in the university.
How Entrepreneurs and Academics Are the Same
What's the difference between an academic and an entrepreneur?
Ideas for Your Business Model
Every business needs a business model. But what exactly is a business model?
Don’t Want to Be All By Yourself? Find a cofounder
Finding a co-founder can be very tricky. It's often hard enough to find someone who you can work with, let alone finding someone you ...
Entrepreneurship in the Creative Industries
Exploring the relationship between entrepreneurship and creativity.
What Really Fosters Innovation (Infographic)
The importance of innovation and the conditions that foster it.
The Careers Service
The Careers Service helps University's members to develop skills and networks to access the world's job.
Oxford Hub
A centre for social action that’s open to everyone, and that takes a collaborative approach to solving some of today’s most pressing issues.
Oxford Gateway to Europe
This Gateway gives guidance on European funding-related activities and support at Oxford.
Are You Ready to Start a Business?
So you've been thinking about starting a venture recently, but how do you know if you actually are ready?
The Entrepreneur’s Journey: Oxford Explore and Build
A bit more in depth, a bit more work, but the effort will be worth it!
Why Humanities Graduates Make Great Entrepreneurs
Th benefits for business that come from humanities.
The Oxford Social Entrepreneur’s Journey
Useful information about social entrepreneurship in Oxfordshire.
So What is Innovation Anyway?
A definition co-written by Oxford students, the Careers Service and the Humanities Division.
Understanding Intellectual Property (IP)
As a student, you need to understand what IP is, who owns it, and what can be done with it before proceeding with an idea.
Social Enterprise?Entrepreneurship? Innovation?
Let's shed some light on the definitions and relations between the three.
University of Oxford Entrepreneurship Support
Organisations and student groups providing opportunities to explore entrepreneurship in the University.
Free Entrepreneurship Online Courses and Activities
Looking for something to do from the comfort of your own home? Check out these free online entrepreneurship courses, videos and resources!
Social Entrepreneurship: exploring the buzzword
Let's explore the buzzword that is increasingly featuring in the business and start-up sector.
Researchers: make a social impact
Incubators/Accelerator The Skoll Centre offers plenty of resources for researchers looking to make a social impact with their ...
RisingWISE: empowering enterprising women
Oxbridge network that aims to foster long-term relationships between enterprising early-career researchers and women working in industry.
Oxford Case Studies: Boresha Technologies
Providing reliable and low-cost sources of working capital for small farmers.
Oxford Case Studies: VeriVin
Smart technology for identification and classification of complex liquids in sealed containers.
Oxford Case Studies: Pick Me Up Parcels
Emily Tench bagged a social enterprise award for Pick-Me-Up Parcels, a venture that does what it says on the parcel.
Oxford Case Studies: Mycelium
It is better to be extraordinary and fail, then try to be ordinary and succeed.
Oxford Case Studies: Project SOUP
Enjoying a simple bowl of soup for an evening can be the first step to making a number of positive changes in your community.
Startup Tips: Is my idea good enough?
Oxford student and alumni entrepreneurs give insightful advice about their startups
Startup Tips: What to do with your idea
Oxford student and alumni entrepreneurs give insightful advice about their startups
Startup Tips: Finding funding
Oxford student and alumni entrepreneurs give insightful advice about their startups
Startup Tips: Lessons from our students
Oxford student and alumni entrepreneurs give insightful advice about their startups
Oxford Case Studies – Hutano Diagnostics
A start-up developing a diagnostic, tracking and surveillance platform for dangerous infectious diseases in Africa.
Why do an entrepreneurship course if you are not interested in entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship skills are essential whether you start a business or not. So what skills are these?
When can I call myself a science entrepreneur?
Holly Reeve's journey from research scientist to startup co-founder
Innovation Districts: Creating Caffeine Fuelled Spaces to Think
So how can the concept of innovation districts be applied to Oxford?
What is an Entrepreneur?
Academia, entrepreneurship and . . . motorcycles? Dr Katie Jennings talks about what she thinks an entrepreneur is.
Keats, pitching and being enterprising
How negative capabilities can help to identify opportunities for becoming enterprising.
The First Questions to Ask Yourself when You have that Big Idea Part 1
Dr Stuart Wilkinson gives advice on business ideas and how to manage them.
The First Questions to ask yourself when you have that big idea Part 2
Dr Stuart Wilkinson gives advice on business ideas and how to manage them.
The First questions to ask yourself when you have that big idea Part 3
Dr Stuart Wilkinson gives advice on business ideas and how to manage them.
The First Questions to ask yourself when you have that big idea Part 4
Dr Stuart Wilkinson gives advice on business ideas and how to manage them.
Zoology meets the Saïd Business School: insights from the Ideas to Impact programme
Zoology meets business in Oxford.
An Accidental Entrepreneur
Dan Holloway, founder of Mycellium, talks about embracing enterprise by chance.
Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards 2019
Presented every year to Oxford University students who show exceptional achievement and commitment to positive social change.
Online FinTech Courses
Learn and understand fintech with free online classes from top universities and institutions.
Creativity workshop series: Design Thinking
Through interactive group sessions, you will learn how to use Design Thinking to enhance your skills in creativity.
Idea Exploration workshops
This series will take you through the stages of turning an idea into a potential venture.
CreativeLive video classes
Practical sessions about creativity, entrepreneurship, communication, design thinking and emotional intelligence.
Student Entrepreneur Programme (StEP)
Your chance to explore what it takes to be an entrepreneur, if you're a student.
EIT Innovation
EIT is an independent EU body striving to nurture entrepreneurial talent and supporting new ideas.
Developing your Creative Practice
A development fund designed to support independent creative practitioners.
TED Talks for Exploring Entrepreneurship
TED Talks are a great source of information, advice and experience to help you with any idea you have, no matter what stage you are at.
TED Talks for Social Entrepreneurs
TED Talks are a great source of information, advice and experience to help you with any idea you have, no matter what stage you are at.
Oxford Venture Capital Network – Student Society
A network to help both Oxford students and startups grow.
ActInSpace
An international innovation contest based on space technologies, data, patents and infrastructures.
ImagineIF Accelerator
A programme of innovators across our branches worldwide, tailored mentoring and access to the Innovation Forum professional network.
EIT Health Summer School
The EIT Health Summer Schools support innovation by empowering the healthcare leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
Scientific Entrepreneurship – MPLS Enterprise
Success in a start-up business is significantly enhanced with an understanding of key entrepreneurial characteristics and competencies. This weekly, term-long course provides potential science/engineering entrepreneurs with the knowledge to help succeed in an entrepreneurial opportunity.
Ideas 2 Impact
This innovation and enterprise skills initiative is convened at Saïd Business School, in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Centre and the University of Oxford sciences division.
NHS Clinical Entrepreneur
The clinical entrepreneur training programme is designed to offer opportunities for clinical, NHS staff and wider health professionals to develop their entrepreneurial aspirations during their clinical training period.
Social Impact Education
A variety of co-curricular courses aimed at providing high potential, socially-minded graduate students across the University of Oxford.
Global Opportunities and Threats Oxford
An action-oriented problem-solving community geared towards addressing some of the most complex issues that face the world today.
Global Challenges Research Fund
A £1.5 billion fund announced by the UK Government to support research addressed to developing countries.
Translational funding
Translational funding is used to bridge a ‘gap’ in development between early stage university research and its commercialisation.
The John Fell Fund
All subject areas are encouraged to apply, and interdisciplinary and/or interdivisional projects are especially welcome.
Social Enterprise Awards
Since 2013, over 40 different ventures have been supported, from a community cafe to a soap recycling enterprise.
Tata Varsity Pitch Competition
A national early stage business pitching competition for businesses coming out of colleges and universities.
OUI – Funding Social Enterprise
Opportunities to fund social or environmental impact projects at all stages beyond research.
Wadham Entrepreneurs
Wadham entrepreneurs discuss the challenges and opportunities, sharing their experience and advice.
Social Enterprise Mentorship
Providing direct support to enable social entrepreneurs to reach their goals.
Managing Innovative Technology
Learn how organisations most effectively find, evaluate and process innovative technologies to realise their commercial value.
OxLEP
Championing Oxfordshire’s economic potential, acting as a catalyst and convener to drive a dynamic, sustainable and growing economy.
Brookes Enterprise
Enterprise Support offers exceptional opportunities for students, staff and recent graduates.
All-Innovate Idea Competition
Encouraging all students at Oxford to develop an entrepreneurial skill-set.
University of Oxford Innovation Fund
Investing across all areas of technology and intellectual property from Oxford including new Oxford-based software companies.
OX1
Oxford's first start-up incubator programme designed by student entrepreneurs, for student entrepreneurs, which does not take equity or IP.
OXFO Booster Grants
Apply for up to £2,000 grant funding for student society initiatives that introduce entrepreneurship in the University.
Building a Business
Providing basic business skills to those who would like to develop/enhance their skills.
Oxford Inspires
An intimate gathering of 500 of the world's most disruptive entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors.
The Researcher Strategy Consultancy
Giving researchers a chance to develop skills for a transition to analytical, business or policy roles in the public and private sector.
Oxford Hub Impact Labs
Learn about impact measurement, and apply your skills to the benefit of local charities.
Oxford Geek Nights
Oxford Geek Night is a regular meet-up for designers & developers run by Torchbox.
Oxford Fintech Programme
This programme on financial technology and innovation is designed to offer you the tools to face the future of finance.
Tech Nation
Empowering ambitious tech entrepreneurs to grow faster through knowledge and connections; to build a UK economy fit for the next generation.
Arts at the Old Fire Station
Openness, inclusion, looking forward and different thinking. The Old Fire Station acts as a bridge between sectors, organisations and people.
Creative Industries Federation
Membership body that represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries.
Business Fundamentals: Customer Engagement
Learn how to design business and marketing activities to engage customers through relationships instead of one-off sales.
Digital Skills: Digital Marketing
Empowered by Accenture, this course will teach you some of the different digital marketing strategies and techniques.
How to Finance and Grow Your Startup – Without VC
If you’re an entrepreneur at any stage of your journey, and you need money, this course is for you.
Unleash Your Potential: Innovation and Enterprise
Get an introduction to innovation and enterprise, and learn to generate and evaluate your own ideas.
Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success
Learn how to apply tools to better solve problems, generate ideas, and excel in your chosen career.
Get Interactive: Practical Teaching with Technology
This is a very practical course that will teach you how to create interactive online courses.
Perch @ Eco Business Centre
A mixture of offices and coworking space. The perfect place for people who live and work sustainably
Eagle Labs at The Wood Centre For Innovation
A flagship for early stage science and technology companies aimed at supporting spinout scientists, university graduates and entrepreneurs.
OxWEST (Oxford Women in Engineering, Science and Technology)
We promote gender equality in STEM subjects by supporting women studying or working in these fields
Oxford Women In Business (OxWIB)
A thriving student society providing a platform for opportunities for enterprising young women at the University of Oxford.
Oxford Case Studies – Uncomfortable Oxford
Are you sitting comfortably? Then it’s time to get up and take a bumpy walk through Oxford’s past.
Head-to-head with Low Carbon Hub
The Oxford Trust went head-to-head with Barbara Hammond, CEO of The Low Carbon Hub – a small social enterprise with big aims, now based at WCFI in Headington. They are working on the ground-breaking Project LEO, an ambitious and innovative smart grid trial.
Head-to-head with Katie Bedborough of Oxford VR
A company to watch, OCFI-based Oxford VR has just raised £10m Series A funding. The Oxford Trust went head-to-head with Katie Bedborough, their COO, to find out more about how their VR technology is being used in mental health treatments.
Head-to-head with Helen Williams of Vitaccess
Recently The Oxford Trust went head-to-head with Helen Williams, Director of Operations, at Vitaccess – a pioneering digital healthcare consultancy.
The Liber Project
Liber is a new endeavour addressing the numerous business challenges brought on by the Covid-19 crisis.
Creative Destruction Lab
Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a seed-stage programme for massively scalable, science-based companies.
Aspect launch new Accelerator!
Aspect’s new flagship four-month social sciences student and alumni accelerator hosted by LSE to support and scale socially-responsible student and alumni ventures is now open for applications.
Working in Startups: Understanding the Growth Cycle
Growing pains - What are the phases a start-up goes through as it grows?
Why Students Need to Learn Entrepreneurial Skills
Thinking about becoming a student entrepreneur? Or just looking to expand your skill set? Here’s why as a student you need to learn ...
How a Degree Can Help You Run Your Startup
Three members of Bloom&Wild discuss how their degrees have helped in their entrepreneurial life
Why Students Need to Learn Entrepreneurial Skills
Thinking about becoming a student entrepreneur? Or just looking to expand your skill set? Here’s why as a student you need to learn ...
WeAreTheCity
WeAreTheCity includes gender-related news, a networks directory, calendar of events and conferences, returnships, business schools, inspirational women profiles, HeForShe interviews, giving back and jobs.
Female Entrepreneur Resources
A list of support groups and resources for female entrepreneurs in the UK, compiled by Startups.co.uk
Female Founders Fund
The leading source of institutional capital for female founders raising seed capital with over $3B in enterprise value.
Get Your Startup Started
In this course, you’ll learn how to pitch your business and secure the funding you’ll need to launch your new company.
OUI Social Enterprise Support
Through social enterprise, OUI now offers a business model that is adaptable, dynamic and supports all University Divisions equally.
Priyav Shah, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at CuraCode
Priyav Shah is a Co-Founder of CuraCode which creates highly secure, low cost authentication labels based on a patented technology discovered at Oxford University.
Females for Finance (F^3)
Females for Finance are looking to increase female representation across executive banking positions through education, mentorship and networking.
Mark S Thompson, Founder of OxVent
Mark Thompson is Founder of OxVent, a social venture with the object of making low cost ventilator technology available in low middle income countries.
Y.O.U Underwear
Y.O.U Underwear is 100% organic cotton underwear where every purchase gives underwear to people in need.
RisingWISE: ‘My career has taken exciting turns since the programme’
The RisingWISE programme helps women researchers thrive, as its alumnae have experienced firsthand.
Sarah Haywood, Managing Director for Advanced Oxford
Sarah Haywood is the Managing Director for Advanced Oxford, a membership group bringing together Oxfordshire companies, institutions and organisations focused on innovation and knowledge-related business.
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Enterprising Oxford is a University of Oxford initiative to help connect people to the entrepreneurship resources they need, and to promote entrepreneurship across Oxfordshire.
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