Funding & Competitions
If you’re looking to pitch an idea at a competition, or want to meet an investor, there are plenty of options for different stages and sectors.
Check out our top picks, then use the filters below to further customise your search.
Finding Funding: An Overview
A short list of the different funding options that a startup could choose.
Creating the Perfect Pitch Deck
Want a pitch that will wow visually? Take a look at what these startups have done.
Startup Tips: Finding funding
Startup tips video from students and recent graduates on how they found funding.
The First questions to ask yourself when you have that big idea part 4
Where do you fnd the money to get going? And at what price?
Business competitions and awards in the UK
A list of business competitions and awards open to UK businesses (opens in new window)
Enterprising Oxfordshire
Our handy map shows you how to navigate the Oxford entrepreneurship ecosystem.
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ActInSpace
An international innovation contest based on space technologies, data, patents and infrastructures.
All-Innovate Idea Competition
Encouraging all students at Oxford to develop an entrepreneurial skill-set.
Bethnal Green Ventures
Invests in new ideas to fix social and environmental problems through an intensive three-month programme.
Business Competitions & Awards in the UK
A range of UK and internationally-based business awards and competitions.
Climate KIC
Helping climate related start-ups to connect with the right experts for their business to thrive.
Developing your Creative Practice
A development fund designed to support independent creative practitioners.
DevPost
The home for hackers. Get an inside look at the best development teams, find jobs you'll love, and improve your skills at hackathons.
EIT Innovation
EIT is an independent EU body striving to nurture entrepreneurial talent and supporting new ideas.
Emerge Education
We invest in pre-seed and seed rounds in European and North American companies focused on education.
eScalate Social Enterprise Support
Supporting social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and other purposeful businesses in Oxfordshire.
F6S Competitions List
F6S delivers millions of dollars in government grants and R&D tax relief to tech startups and SMEs.
F6S Incubators List
Delivering founders growth through startup programs, opportunities to drive traction, grants, and services.
First Steps
A £300,000 pilot fund offering loan-grant packages to charities and social enterprises working in communities in England.
Gateway to Europe
This Gateway gives guidance on European funding-related activities and support at Oxford.
Global Challenges Research Fund
A £1.5 billion fund announced by the UK Government to support research addressed to developing countries.
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
An investment to help entrepreneurs create opportunities for education, capital and business support services.
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.
IET Present Around the World
An opportunity for Young Professionals to win cash prizes, develop their skills and network with peers.
ImagineIF Accelerator
A programme of innovators across our branches worldwide, tailored mentoring and access to the Innovation Forum professional network.
IT Innovation Challenge
Supporting small start-up digital projects that will bring a benefit to the University.
Longwall Venture Partners
Investing in innovative, UK based, early stage companies in the healthcare, science and engineering sectors.
Map the System Global Challenge
Social change is complicated. Mapping is a way of understanding its complexities.
MBA Entrepreneurship Project (EP)
Challenging participants to develop a full business plan and present it to a panel of invited investors and other practitioners.
Nesta
Nesta Centre for Challenge Prizes uses prizes to stimulate innovative solutions to some of the big challenges we face.
OUI – Funding Social Enterprise
Opportunities to fund social or environmental impact projects at all stages beyond research.
OUI Angels
A business angels network for investors and private companies interested in investing in spinout companies from the University of Oxford.
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.
OXFO L.E.V8
A University of Oxford acclerator designed to support and nurture early-stage start-up teams affiliated to the University.
Oxford Angels Network
A business angels network for investors and private companies interested in investing in spin-out companies from the University of Oxford.
Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Funding
Funding opportunities from the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.
Oxford City Council Funding List
External funding awarded from grant giving organisations such as the BIG Lottery, national or local trusts and central Government.
Oxford Technology
For more than 30 years, Oxford Technology has specialised in investing in start-up and early stage technology companies based near Oxford.
Oxfordshire Business Support
A practical guide to supporting Oxfordshire businesses at all stages, by people with honest first-hand experience.
Oxfordshire County Council Community Group Funding
Helping voluntary and community organisations find and apply for funding opportunities.
Oxfordshire space industry wins at Oxford Trust 2019 awards
This year’s winner is Opsydia, a spin-out from Oxford University. They create practically invisible structures inside transparent materials.
OxLEP
Championing Oxfordshire’s economic potential, acting as a catalyst and convener to drive a dynamic, sustainable and growing economy.
OxLEP: Grow a Business
For start-up entrepreneurs and micro businesses in Oxfordshire, focusing on the critical components needed to run a successful business.
Panacea Stars
Panacea Stars collaborate with the most exciting sci-entrepreneurs to help transform bold visions into thriving companies.
Places to Find Funding
Looking for funding? Here’s a selection…check out OBS for even more options. Now get on and write your proposal!
Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards
One of the UK’s largest student and graduate business pitching competitions.
Satellite Application Catapult Competitions
Supporting competitions organised by industry and government bodies, relating to space and satellite sectors.
Shell Livewire Competition
Supporting young entrepreneurs with sustainable businesses for the UK infrastructural development needs.
Skoll Scholarship
A competitive scholarship for incoming MBA students who pursue entrepreneurial solutions for urgent social and environmental challenges.
Skoll Venture Awards
Looking for ventures that get to the root of some of the significant issues affecting our world.
Social Enterprise Awards
Since 2013, over 40 different ventures have been supported, from a community cafe to a soap recycling enterprise.
Social Enterprise Support Programme
These student and staff awards help individuals and teams to take action and make the world a better place.
SSE Funding List
A page where to find all the details about grants and support to social enterprises.
StartedinOxford Demo Night – the results
Second #startedinoxford Demo Night, celebrating Oxford's startup community.
Startup Bootcamp: Fintech London
A leading program supporting innovative companies in the financial services industry.
Startups.co.uk
UK’s leading independent, online resource for anyone starting and growing a business, established in 2000.
Tata Varsity Pitch Competition
A national early stage business pitching competition for businesses coming out of colleges and universities.
The John Fell Fund
All subject areas are encouraged to apply, and interdisciplinary and/or interdivisional projects are especially welcome.
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.
Translational funding
Translational funding is used to bridge a ‘gap’ in development between early stage university research and its commercialisation.
True.
Europe’s only retail and consumer sector specialist, that operates across the entire investment vertical.
University of Oxford Internal Funding
A selection of Internal Funding Opportunities from the University of Oxford.
Venture Capital Investment Competition
Global VCIC is the world’s largest venture capital competition among top MBA students from 70+ prestigious business schools.
Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards
Presented every year to Oxford University students who show exceptional commitment to positive social change.
Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards 2019
Presented every year to Oxford University students who show exceptional achievement and commitment to positive social change.
xEdu
Europe's leading business accelerator for edtech startups creating transformative learning solutions with pedagogical impact.
YES Young Entrepreneurs Scheme
A global competition developed to raise awareness of how ideas from science and engineering can be commercialised.
YouNoodle Competitions
Helping startup founders get advice, prizes, and opportunities from our network of startup competitions.
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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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