Social Enterprise
Looking for specific opportunities and resources for social enterprise?
Oxford is a great place to start your journey as an social entrepreneur.
Check out our top picks, then use the filters below to further customise your search.
Social Enterprise? Entrepreneurship? Innovation?
Let’s shed some light on the definitions and relations between the three.
Community Enterprise Awards
Small grants to help students and staff start or scale social impact projects or enterprises.
Oxford Case Study: Uncomfortable Oxford
Are you sitting comfortably? Then it’s time to get up and take a bumpy walk through Oxford’s past.
Entrepreneurship @ Oxford
Looking for a way to navigate the Oxford entrepreneurship ecosystem? Our handy map shows you everything at a glance.
Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
The centre aims to maximise the impact of social entrepreneurship to transform unjust systems around the world.
Oxfordshire Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (OSEP)
Helping social entrepreneurs plan, develop and grow their businesses across Oxfordshire.
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Ashley Cavers, Founder of The Wonky Food Co
Ashley is a co-founder of The Wonky Food Company, which makes products from imperfect and surplus fruit and veg.
Barbara Hammond, CEO of the Low Carbon Hub
Barbara Hammond is the CEO of the Low Carbon Hub, a group of social enterprises that all work together in Oxfordshire
The Careers Service Micro-Internship Programme
The micro-internship programme offers short-term work placements with organisations based in Oxfordshire and Greater London.
Community Enterprise Awards
Since 2013, over 40 different ventures have been supported, from a community cafe to a soap recycling enterprise.
Paula Skokowski, CMO at Incognia and Co-Founder of Oxford Angel Fund
Paula Skokowski is currently Chief Marketing Officer at Incognia, and a co-founder and investment manager of the Oxford Angel Fund.
Zeenith Ebrahim, Founder of Jamiilife
Zeenith Ebrahim is the founder of Jamii Life, a technology platform that connects health workers with people that can’t care for themselves in low-income South African and African communities
Smart Handpumps
A project which uses mobile phone technology to transmit data on handpump use in rural Kenya.
Social Tech Trust
A charity that supports initiatives in the UK to transform lives with the help of technology.
Alexa Virdi, Co-founder of Super Sapiens
Alexa Virdi is co-founder of Super Sapiens, a social enterprise creating fun and educational inclusive card games.
Social Impact Education
A variety of co-curricular courses aimed at providing high potential, socially-minded graduate students across the University of Oxford.
Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards 2019
Presented every year to Oxford University students who show exceptional achievement and commitment to positive social change.
Social Enterprise UK
National body for social enterprise – business with a social or environmental mission.
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.
Oxford University Innovation (OUI)
A wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Oxford, it manages the University's technology transfer and consulting activities.
eScalate Social Enterprise Support
Supporting social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and other purposeful businesses in Oxfordshire.
Social Entrepreneurship Online Course
The course is designed for who wants to gain valuable tools to make an impact on the lives of others.
Sheen Gurrib, Co-founder of ReShape Co
Sheen Gurrib is the Co-founder of ReShape Co, one of the world’s largest non-profit consulting groups catering to SMEs.
Skoll Scholarship
A competitive scholarship for incoming MBA students who pursue entrepreneurial solutions for urgent social and environmental challenges.
Oxford Hub Newsletter
Sign up for regular updates on exciting opportunities and activities, or visit the What's On page to see the full list.
First Steps
A £300,000 pilot fund offering loan-grant packages to charities and social enterprises working in communities in England.
University of Oxford Entrepreneurship Support
Organisations and student groups providing opportunities to explore entrepreneurship in the University.
Richard Snow, Co-founder and CEO of Oxford Wood Recycling
Richard is the CEO of Oxford Wood Recycling Ltd, a social enterprise recycling wood waste.
Social Shifters: Find your social or environmental passion and take action
Find your social or environmental passion - and take action
Asha Vettoor, Founder of SwaraVOW
Asha Vettoor is the founder of Swara Voice for Women an ethically made sustainable fashion brand based in India. Asha was working in ...
Michelle Miles, Founder of Sustainable Wedding Alliance
Michelle Miles is the founder of Sustainable Wedding Alliance: a purpose driven organisation driving sustainable change in the wedding industry.
The Careers Service Student Consultancy
The programmes equips University of Oxford students with consulting skills to help local businesses, charities and community organisations.
OUI Startup Incubator
The Startup Incubator helps entrepreneur-driven ventures that are not University spinouts.
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.
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.
Nikita Patel, Co-Founder & CEO of Fortify Health
Nikita Patel is the co-founder and CEO of Fortify Health, an evidence-driven nutrition organisation working in India aiming to address the issue of micronutrient deficiencies.
Hult Prize
The Hult Prize Foundation is a start-up accelerator for budding young social entrepreneurs emerging from the world’s universities.
Avery Bang, President and CEO of Bridges to Prosperity
Avery Bang is Founder of Bridges to Prosperity, providing infrastructure to connect over 1.2 million rural people with education, healthcare and job opportunities.
Irina Fedorenko, Co-founder of the Kindness Collective
Irina is a Weidenfeld Hoffman Trust scholar, and Co-founder of a social enterprise named Kindness Collective.
Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
We are a dedicated centre for social entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford.
Alasdair Harris, Founder of Blue Ventures
Alasdair Harris is the founder of Blue Ventures, an award winning marine conservation charity and social enterprise.
Climate Change: Financial Risks and Opportunities
This course provides a solid introduction to the financial risks and opportunities arising from man-made climate change.
Wendy Stone, CEO of Global Academy Jobs
Wendy is the CEO of Global Academy Jobs, advertising university jobs to recruit from the global talent pool
Anna Richards, Founder of Maymessy
Anna Richards is the founder and Director of Maymessy, a social enterprise which supports young people in need through bespoke cookery classes and wellness activities
Alex McCallion, Co-founder of Greater Change
Alex McCallion is Co-founder of Greater Change, helping to provide a way of giving to the homeless.
Nathania Aritao, Founder of TAYO
Nathania Aritao is Founder of TAYO International, providing financial education and management tools made for migrant workers.
OUI Social Enterprise Support
Through social enterprise, OUI now offers a business model that is adaptable, dynamic and supports all University Divisions equally.
Aunnie Patton Power , Angel Investor and author
Aunnie Patton Power is an academic, advisor, and angel investor.
Samaanta Foundation
An initiative that aims to promote equality and empowerment by providing quality higher education opportunities to students from poor socio-economic backgrounds.
Startup Visa Endorsement (was GEV)
A UK endorsement scheme for those wish to stay in the UK to develop their business ideas.
Zinc
Zinc brings together the brightest minds to build and scale a brand new way to solve the most important societal problems faced by the developed world.
Common Ground Workspace & Cafe
Common Ground is a vibrant social enterprise café & workspace/social space, that also supports student mental health
Jake Backus, Co-founder of Common Ground Cafe and Study Space
Jake Backus is a Visiting Senior Member of Linacre College, Managing Director of Empathy Sustainability, and co-founder of Common Ground.
Sara Fernandez, CEO of Oxford Hub
Sara Fernandez is CEO of Oxford Hub, a local charity that brings people and organisations together to make Oxford a better place.
Skoll Venture Awards
Looking for ventures that get to the root of some of the significant issues affecting our world.
Oxford Healthtech Labs
Oxford Healthtech Labs builds on years of experience running needs-driven innovation training programmes at the University of Oxford.
Jemma Phibbs and James Lloyd – Co-Directors of School Space
Jemma and James started School Space while running events in high school.
Harriet Lester, founder of VitaeGUM
Harriet Lester is the founder of VitaGUM, a vitamin infused chewing gum that provides essential nutrition and improves oral healthcare in refugee populations
Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
The centre aims to maximise the impact of social entrepreneurship to transform unjust systems around the world.
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.
Business Plans and Other Important Documents
10 sections that could be included in your business plan.
Oxford Case Studies: SociAbility
Matt Pierri is the CEO and Co-founder of SociAbility, whose main aim is to map the accessibility of social spaces within Oxford’s 44 colleges and halls, as well as a broad sweep of social venues, including cafes, restaurants and bars in a dedicated app.
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 Case Studies – Oxford Hub
Sara Fernandez, CEO of the Oxford Hub, discusses its success and encourages current students to use the freedom uni life provides to volunteer.
Montana Butsch, Founder of spotivity
Montana Butsch is Founder of spotivity, a dynamic marketplace platform and personal utility app., aiming to change the way teens live, work, and play.
Alexander Wankel, founder of Rooted Quinoa MilQ
Alexander Wankel is the Founder of Rooted Quinoa MilQ that creates milk-free "MilQ" made with peruvian quinoa.
Oxford Case Studies: Boresha Technologies
Providing reliable and low-cost sources of working capital for small farmers.
Ethical Property
Office area set up specifically to support small, start up charities, social enterprises & local businesses.
OX1
Oxford's first start-up incubator programme designed by student entrepreneurs, for student entrepreneurs, which does not take equity or IP.
Julia de Boinville, co-founder, The Anti-Slavery Collective
Julia de Boinville is the co-founder of The Anti-Slavery Collective, raising awareness of human trafficking
SSE Funding List
A page where to find all the details about grants and support to social enterprises.
Shrochis Karki, Founder of Samaanta Foundation
Shrochis is the Founder of Samaanta Foundation, an initiative that promotes equality and empowerment to poor students in Nepal.
Nick Greenhalgh, co-founder and CEO of Luca
Nick Greenhalgh is a Co-founder & CEO of Luca, a mental health screening and prevention startup for professional and elite university athletes.
Social Enterprise?Entrepreneurship? Innovation?
Let's shed some light on the definitions and relations between the three.
Meet Prime Advocates: Business for Good
Prime Advocates is a London-based not-for-profit corporate law firm and social finance consultancy. Its Social Finance Hot Desk connects pioneering social enterprise initiatives with free specialist legal advice.
Institute of Directors (IoD)
Organisation offering professional development, valuable connections and meaningful influence.
New returnable coffee cup scheme in Oxford aims to cut waste
Two young Oxford entrepreneurs have launched a reusable coffee cup scheme in the city.
Aspect
Aspect (A SHAPE Platform for Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Transformation) is a network for organisations looking to make the most of commercial and business opportunities from Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SHAPE) research.
Patrick Beattie, Founder of Redbird Health Tech
Patrick is currently developing Redbird Health Tech, a medical diagnostics distributor expanding access to health care in Ghana.
Noam Angrist, Founder of Young 1ove
Noam Angrist is the Founder of Young 1ove, a Botswana based not-for-profit organisation, providing evidence-based sex education.
Generation Medics wins big at Oxfordshire Business Success Awards
Generation Medics named the ‘Most Socially Minded Business’ at Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) Business Success Awards.
Jane Jasmine Saword and Tanya Nyadzayo, Co-founders of Her Packages
Jane Jasmine Saword and Tanya Nyadzayo are Co-founders of Her packages providing women in sub-Saharan Africa and migrant women in Europe with sanitary products and hygiene equipment.
Researchers: make a social impact
Incubators/Accelerator The Skoll Centre offers plenty of resources for researchers looking to make a social impact with their ...
Bethnal Green Ventures
Invests in new ideas to fix social and environmental problems through an intensive three-month programme.
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.
Head-to-head with Jessica Dillon at the Social Tech Trust
The Oxford Trust went head-to-head with Jessica Dillon at the Social Tech Trust, one of OCFI’s latest residents, to find out how they transform lives with tech.
Fundamentals of Starting a Business in the UK
Six different steps listed to starting a business in the UK.
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.
Green Leaves Group
Green Leaves Group is a social enterprise dedicated to helping individuals be more sustainable through tailored workshops and online campaigns.
Skoll World Forum
A three day event gathering 1000 delegates from the social, finance, private and public sectors, in Oxford.
Rosa Arias-Yague, Founder of EGALVIA
Rosa Arias-Yague, Founder of EGALVIA, aims to end discrimination, making learning and work environments more inclusive.
Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards
One of the UK’s largest student and graduate business pitching competitions.
Tom Fryer, Founder of Write on Point
Tom Fryer is the Founder of Write on Point, a social enterprise that’s working to increase access to university.
What’s On: Social Enterprise
The climate crisis is a health crisis: how can innovation help?
The World Health Organisation calls climate change "the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century." We need innovative solutions.
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