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Oxford University Social Entrepreneurship Grants programme

What are the Oxford University Social Entrepreneurship Grants?

We currently have three levels of grants on offer, to support students, recent graduates or staff members in exploring a social enterprise idea.

  • Try It Grants – support and up to £500 of funding
  • Do It Grants – support and up to £5,000 of funding
  • Build It Grants - support and up to £10,000 of funding

Try It Grants

They offer small amounts of funding of up to £500, for you to try out your ideas. This might mean finding out if their idea is viable, learning more about what is needed and trying the project on a small scale first. The grant provides an opportunity for you to take the first steps towards starting your own project and gain the skills needed to run it. It’s particularly appropriate if you are not yet used to managing large sums of money or planning larger projects. The funding enables you to progress at your own pace with the chance to develop the entrepreneurial skills you will require to take on larger projects.

Do It Grants

They are for up to £5,000, with an average grant size of £2,500 allowing you to grow an entrepreneurial idea. Do It Grants are for individuals that are confident their project will work and have the basic skills to do it. Grant Winners who have completed Try It Grants may want to apply for a Do It grant when they feel confident enough and have honed their ideas to be able to develop their project. Other people may come straight in at this level as they demonstrate they have the energy and skills to take forward an idea that has some project planning already in place.

Build It Awards

Build It grants are for students or staff with an established social enterprise which they are looking to take to the next stage of development. The Build It level offers funding up to £10,000 and is the only level of grant that can be used to fund staff or training costs. Build It awards have a separate application process, where we are looking to understand exactly how your social enterprise has developed so far and how the Build It grant would help you to grow the business. Following submission of the application form, all shortlisted Build It applicants will be required to give a short pitch to the awarding panel.

Am I eligible to apply for the Oxford University Social Entrepreneurship Grants?

Grant applicants must be:

  • students, staff  or recent graduates (completing their course in 2012/3)
  • over the age of 16
  • living in the UK for the duration of the project
  • individuals or part of an informal group (less than 3 people)

Projects must:

  • benefit the public or a community in the UK
  • help to further the University’s strategic aims in relation to community engagement outreach and/or knowledge exchange
  • need a HE Social Entrepreneurship Grant to ensure their success
  • offer a learning opportunity for the applicant(s)
  • be a new initiative – not a continuation of ongoing operations
  • not be part of your paid employment
  • be an entrepreneurial solution to a social problem
  • instigate social impact or social change
  • not be for activities against the law, against University policy or anything that  fosters ethnic or religious disharmony
  • be designed with their own sustainability in mind

What can I spend the grant on?

  • Project costs (e.g. equipment, transport, materials…)
  • Delivering a product, activity or service

But NOT on:

  • Salaries (except for Build It Awards)
  • Course fees
  • Bursaries or other financial donations to others

How can I apply?

Applications are now open for Trinity Term 2013. Deadline is June 21st 2013.

To apply, download the applicable application form for either Try It and Do It Awards or Build It Awards

Submit your form and a current CV to enterprise@careers.ox.ac.uk. Any queries can also be sent to this address. Good luck!