About us

We design and deliver business support programmes that generate sustainable growth.

Oxford Innovation - Championing innovation and ambition to help economies grow

For over 30 years Oxford Innovation has been a major contributor to making places thrive; championing innovation and ambition, we deliver services that strengthen local economies and help entrepreneurs and their businesses to thrive.

We provide SMEs with support in three crucial areas:
  • Space for entrepreneurs to innovate and collaborate
  • Business expertise and Advice for leaders of ambitious businesses
  • Access to Finance for growing, innovative businesses

Where we deliver support

Oxford Innovation Advice

We are the leading provider of business support programmes across the country. This is shown in our credentials of the work we have, and are, carrying out to support economic development and prosperity for local and national impacts.

By the end of 2021, we have created the following as a result of delivering high quality, effective and measurable business support programmes across England:
Supported 33,386 SME businesses
Created 29,237 new jobs
Generated £1.3 billion in GVA
Supported the development of 2,282 new products
Raised £223,564,898
 in private investment
Distributed £20,834,828 in grant funding to SMEs

Our impact

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Businesses supported

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GVA uplift

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Read our success stories

Our heritage

Founders Sir Martin Wood and Lady Audrey Wood created the most successful ‘spin out’ business from the University of Oxford called Oxford Instruments in 1959. They designed and manufactured specialist tools and systems for industry and research, became pioneers of super conducting magnets – MRI scanners and created the world’s first full body MRI scanner in 1980.

Along the way, they realised there were three crucial areas to support their success – Space for entrepreneurs to innovate and collaborate, business expertise and Advice and access to Finance. This was moulded by the Oxford Trust.

Oxford Innovation was founded by the Oxford Trust in 1987, ‘Encouraging the pursuit of science and enterprise’.

The Innovation Group

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Providing businesses with what they need at each stage of their development

Tap into our insights

Oxford Innovation Advice offers Insights into SME needs and policy effectiveness for policy makers, funders and business support commissioners. It draws on our 30 years’ experience of delivering positive economic growth by enabling scale-ups to achieve their full potential. Each edition concludes with an ‘Implications for funders and Policy makers’ section.

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Covid-19 Statement

Update – Wednesday 15th December 2021

Our Innovation Centres remain operational and accessible, and provide a safe environment for our staff and customers. We continue to assess the risk of COVID-19 alongside the latest guidance from government. In the meantime our Innovation Centre remains COVID-19 Secure and fully open for business. Our detailed risk assessment can be found here.