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.

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Social Enterprise? Entrepreneurship? Innovation?

Let’s shed some light on the definitions and relations between the three.

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Social Enterprise Awards

Small grants to help students and staff start or scale social impact projects or enterprises.

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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.

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Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship

The centre aims to maximise the impact of social entrepreneurship to transform unjust systems around the world.

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Oxfordshire Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (OSEP)

Helping social entrepreneurs plan, develop and grow their businesses across Oxfordshire.

Looking for something specific?

Click on the categories below to narrow down your search.

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.

Smart Handpumps

A project which uses mobile phone technology to transmit data on handpump use in rural Kenya.

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.

Oxford Healthtech Labs

Oxford Healthtech Labs builds on years of experience running needs-driven innovation training programmes at the University of Oxford.

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.

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

Jennifer Wanyi Jia, Founder of Emporsand

Jennifer Wanyi Jia is the founder of Emporsand, a social venture started in 2019 with the aim of empowering women through the provision of sustainable and affordable menstrual products.

Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards

Presented every year to Oxford University students who show exceptional commitment to positive social change.

Jemma Phibbs and James Lloyd – Co-Directors of School Space

Jemma and James started School Space while running events in high school.

The Careers Service Micro-Internship Programme

The micro-internship programme offers short-term work placements with organisations based in Oxfordshire and Greater London.

Social Impact Oxford Business Network

Using business to create social impact, in Oxford.

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.

Oxford Foundry

Building a new generation of ventures

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.

Startup Visa Endorsement (was GEV)

A UK endorsement scheme for those wish to stay in the UK to develop their business ideas.

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.

Marmalade

An inclusive platform for social change.

Makespace Oxford

Makespace Oxford is a new and affordable working and making space for individuals and organisations in North Oxford.

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.

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.

Females for Finance (F^3)

Females for Finance are looking to increase female representation across executive banking positions through education, mentorship and networking.

Alasdair Harris, Founder of Blue Ventures

Alasdair Harris is the founder of Blue Ventures, an award winning marine conservation charity and social enterprise.

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 Centre for Social Entrepreneurship

The centre aims to maximise the impact of social entrepreneurship to transform unjust systems around the world.

Leading for Impact

Leading for Impact helps you solve social and environmental problems in your current or future career.

Idea Exploration workshops

This series will take you through the stages of turning an idea into a potential venture.

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.

Elevate Grants

Final round of Elevate grants, as the Elevate project ends on 31st December 2019.

Social Impact Education

A variety of co-curricular courses aimed at providing high potential, socially-minded graduate students across the University of Oxford.

Puja Balachander & Katherine Tredinnick, Co-founders of Devie

Puja Balachander and Katherine Tredinnick launched Devie in March 2020, a social enterprise with a mission to close the school readiness gap that starts in the early years.

Social Enterprise Awards

Since 2013, over 40 different ventures have been supported, from a community cafe to a soap recycling enterprise.

EGALVIA

EGALVIA is a social enterprise aims to end discrimination, making learning and work environments more inclusive.

Julia de Boinville, co-founder, The Anti-Slavery Collective

Julia de Boinville is the co-founder of The Anti-Slavery Collective

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.

Researchers: make a social impact

Incubators/Accelerator The Skoll Centre offers plenty of resources for researchers looking to make a social impact with their ...

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.

azure_foods

Bringing pinole, an ancient Aztec source of energy made of blue corn, to market, respecting people and environment.

OX1

Oxford's first start-up incubator programme designed by student entrepreneurs, for student entrepreneurs, which does not take equity or IP.

Social Entrepreneurship Online Course

The course is designed for who wants to gain valuable tools to make an impact on the lives of others.

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.

Oxford Case Studies: Boresha Technologies

Providing reliable and low-cost sources of working capital for small farmers.

SSE Funding List

A page where to find all the details about grants and support to social enterprises.

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.

First Steps

A £300,000 pilot fund offering loan-grant packages to charities and social enterprises working in communities in England.

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.

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.

Y.O.U Underwear

Y.O.U Underwear is 100% organic cotton underwear where every purchase gives underwear to people in need.

Worthwhile

Connecting the best career starters with brilliant charities and social enterprises.

Prerna Wadikar, Founder of Jeeva Global

Prerna Wadikar is Founder of Jeeva Global, accelerating livelihoods through portable affordable energy using lithium-ion battery technology.

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.

Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards

One of the UK’s largest student and graduate business pitching competitions.

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.

Bethnal Green Ventures

Invests in new ideas to fix social and environmental problems through an intensive three-month programme.

Social Entrepreneurship is . . .

Some thoughts about this increasingly more prevalent term.

Support ‘hubs’ will boost Oxfordshire’s growing social enterprise sector

eScalate, the newest programme from OxLEP Business, is creating 6 ‘hubs’ to nurture social entrepreneurship across the county.

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.

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.

Sarah Jordan, Co-founder of Y.O.U. Underwear

Sarah Jordan is the Co-founder of Y.O.U Underwear, 100% organic cotton underwear where every purchase gives underwear to people in need.

Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship

We are a dedicated centre for social entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford.

OXFO L.E.V8

A University of Oxford acclerator designed to support and nurture early-stage start-up teams affiliated to the University.

Unltd Social Enterprise Learning Area

Finding, funding, and supporting social entrepreneurs.

eScalate Social Enterprise Support

Supporting social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and other purposeful businesses in Oxfordshire.

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.

Fundamentals of Starting a Business in the UK

Six different steps listed to starting a business in the UK.

How to Start a Startup

Sam Altman from Y Combinator leads this exciting online class from Stanford.

Cedric Maforimbo, Founder of Weed2Pesticide

Cedric is the Founder of Weed2Pesticide, a social enterprise building a rural community-driven supply industry for pesticides.

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.

Beth Plant, Co-founder of SafeBangle Ltd.

Beth Plant is the co-founder SafeBangle Ltd which makes and sells protection alarms in the form of a bracelet, with in-built GPS and SMS functions.

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.

OSEP Newsletter

If you'd like to know more about Oxfordshire Social Enterprise Partnership, and receive details of our awards and events, signup!

Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards 2019

Presented every year to Oxford University students who show exceptional achievement and commitment to positive social change.

Emerge Conference

Bringing together a community of those who are driving social change, and those who want to get involved.

Oxford Hub Newsletter

Matt Pierri, CEO and Co-founder of SociAbility

Matt Pierri is the CEO and Co-founder of SociAbility.

spotivity

spotivity is a dynamic marketplace platform and personal utility app., aiming to change the way teens live, work, and play.

Aspect

A network of organisations to support innovation, entrepreneurship and research commercialisation in social sciences.

Rosa Arias-Yague, Founder of EGALVIA

Rosa Arias-Yague, Founder of EGALVIA, aims to end discrimination, making learning and work environments more inclusive.

Oxfordshire Community Foundation

Connecting communities for a better Oxfordshire.

Oxford Case Studies: Common Ground

A shared workspace and café in Jericho, Oxford.

Young Trustees

Gain skills and experience by joining the trustee board of a local charity.

Social Enterprise Mentorship

Providing direct support to enable social entrepreneurs to reach their goals.

Map the System Global Challenge

Social change is complicated. Mapping is a way of understanding its complexities.

Blue Ventures

An award winning marine conservation charity and social enterprise.

Skoll Scholarship

A competitive scholarship for incoming MBA students who pursue entrepreneurial solutions for urgent social and environmental challenges.

EIT Innovation

EIT is an independent EU body striving to nurture entrepreneurial talent and supporting new ideas.

Oxford University Innovation (OUI)

A wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Oxford, it manages the University's technology transfer and consulting activities.

ROBIN

A network of like-minded people from businesses and public sector bodies in Oxfordshire.

Harriet Lester, founder of VitaGUM

Harriet Lester is the founder of VitaGUM, a vitamin infused chewing gum that provides essential nutrition and improves oral healthcare in refugee populations

Oxentia

Oxford's Global Innovation Consultancy: Bringing new ideas to life

Julian Cottee, cofounder of OxGrow, Cultivate and Good Food Oxford

Julian Cottee is the cofounder of OxGrow, Cultivate and Good Food Oxford

OUI Social Enterprise Support

Through social enterprise, OUI now offers a business model that is adaptable, dynamic and supports all University Divisions equally.

Oxford Hub Impact Labs

Learn about impact measurement, and apply your skills to the benefit of local charities.

Social Enterprise UK

National body for social enterprise – business with a social or environmental mission.

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.

Social Tech Trust

A charity that supports initiatives in the UK to transform lives with the help of technology.

Aunnie Patton Power , Angel Investor and author

Aunnie Patton Power is an academic, advisor, and angel investor.

OXWASH: Stephen Morgan praises Oxford laundrette’s green qualities

OXWASH is Oxford’s first cycling laundry – set up by Oxford student Kyle Grant, in 2017.

Skoll World Forum

A three day event gathering 1000 delegates from the social, finance, private and public sectors, in Oxford.

University of Oxford Entrepreneurship Support

Organisations and student groups providing opportunities to explore entrepreneurship in the University.

Skoll Venture Awards

Looking for ventures that get to the root of some of the significant issues affecting our world.

Samuel A Diaz Pulgar, Co-founder of Nutriendo El Futuro

Samuel Diaz Pulgar is Co-Founder of Nutriendo El Futuro' (NEF), an organization that, for the past two and a half years, has fed and provided education to children in Venezuela.

OxLEP: Grow a Business

For start-up entrepreneurs and micro businesses in Oxfordshire, focusing on the critical components needed to run a successful business.

OUI Startup Incubator

The Startup Incubator helps entrepreneur-driven ventures that are not University spinouts.

#StartedinOxford Demo Day

Enterprising Oxford brings you the latest #StartedInOxford Demo Day!

Jeeva Global

Jeeva Global is a social enterprise accelerating livelihoods through portable affordable energy using lithium-ion battery technology.

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.

IDEA – Increasing Diversity in Enterprising Activities

Increasing Diversity in Enterprising Activities

Oxford Case Studies: Rhodes Incubator

Social impact and entrepreneurship can go together.

Mofe Binitie, Co-Founder of The Oxford Green Partnership Ltd

Mofe Binitie is Co-founder of the Oxford Green Partnership ("OGP"), leveraging data and design to develop fintech products focused on the green economy.

Jose Miguel Alfaro Gomez, Founder of s.e.e.d

José Miguel Alfaro Gómez is an Attorney at Law in Costa Rica and Founder of s.e.e.d, a boutique law firm targeted to social impact ventures.

Social Shifters: Find your social or environmental passion and take action

Find your social or environmental passion - and take action

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.