Incubators/Accelerator
- The Skoll Centre offers plenty of resources for researchers looking to make a social impact with their work:Β Research for Action
- OUI:Β TheΒ Oxford University Innovation traditionallyΒ manages the Universityβs technology transfer andΒ consulting activities, and has recently developed a new action plan (to be announced in September 2018) to support the University’s researchers, staff and students to apply their expertise and research for wider social and economic benefit.
Great news! the OUI Startup Incubator will welcome guarantee companies (non-profit businesses and charitable organisations) and community-interest companies on a case-by-case basis, while continuing to work with shares companies. A team will be built around you to support you, provide youΒ guidance and strategic insights, as well as raise funds by putting your idea in front of investors.
The OUI does not believe in writing down business plans for social enterprises; rather, we workΒ on a case-by-case basis. WeΒ help you get your ideas out, findΒ legals, accountants, andΒ funding according to your particular needs and circumstances.Β Mark Mann,Β Senior Licensing & Ventures Manager.
- βThe Athenaeum:Β an example of success through the OUI Incubator
- Rich YoungΒ is going to launchΒ this early-stage social enterprise toΒ broker improved collaboration between academic researchers and a range of practitioners in different sectors (third sector organisations, government bodies, think thanks, traditional businesses, etc.) seeking new insights or partners to address social and environmental issues.
– The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals will be used as indicators to assess the initiative’s own social and environmental impact;
– Dubbed asΒ βtinder for academicsβ: it will include aΒ match-making appΒ to enable users to post profiles, interests and requirements of knowledge and collaborative partners;
– It will offerΒ Brokerage servicesΒ (face-to-face) including workshop convening, synthesising and publishing research in new formats (such as blogs/video shorts);
– Exploitation of big dataΒ will be key: harvesting and analysing data sets to help match-making, identifying and promoting new potential connections through social network analysis and machine learning techniques;
– Future expansion: the plan is to scale up from Oxford to Brookes, Reading and Open Universities to other universities and practitioners in the UK.
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Awards
- Oxford Hub:Β not only for students!Β If you are a University of Oxford researcher or staff member and have a project of your ownΒ check out theirΒ Social Enterprise Awards
- OUI:Β Are you a researcher in the humanities or social sciences? Why not entering the Humanities Innovation Challenge Competition – with the chance of gettingΒ in-kind support worth over Β£5,000 – or the IdeaΒ Idol CompetitionΒ – offering aΒ prize worth Β£10,000?
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Training
- Oxford Hub:Β Learn about impact measurement, and apply your skills to the benefit of local charities through participating in the Impact Labs.Β Join a team of local entrepreneurs, businesses, and community partners and launch an innovative social impact project through the Social Enterprise Challenge!
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Consulting
- OUI:Β There are different ways in which you can commercialise your researchΒ in the social impact sector: have you considered making your knowledge and expertise available to external organisations through consulting? Check out the different ways in which you can do so, while OUI takes care of your interests and those of the University.
OUI Startup Incubator in a nutshell
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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