Join us for inspiring talks, practical workshops, networking and a special sustainability showcase highlighting businesses that are paving the way in Oxfordshire. This event will help your business to reduce it’s impact on the environment with manageable actions to take away, and help you to foster new connections in this purpose-led space to enable greater peer support as you embark on your sustainability journey.

10-10.30 – Coffee, pastries, networking & sustainability showcase

10.30-10.50 – Business Ecosystems for Change – Jayne Manley, Chief Executive at Earth Trust

Dr Jayne Manley believes that future life on Earth requires people thriving and being intimately connected with the ecosystems that support us. She became CEO of Earth Trust in 2012, bringing with her a strong practical diverse background in strategic change, whole ecosystem thinking, farming/land management, policy development, income generation, learning and engagement. Previously working in strategic roles for Plantlife International and Natural England, Jayne is currently Chair Oxfordshire Environment Board, member of the Oxfordshire Executive Officers Group of Future Oxfordshire Partnership, and past Chair of the OXLEP Environment and Sustainability Sub Committee.

11-12 – Want to become more sustainable but have no idea where to start?

Hannah Scott from Bioregional who will be running an optional workshop that will help you start a sustainability action plan for your organisation. In this interactive session, we will:

• Demystify carbon jargon and climate science
• Show why sustainability is good for business
• Showcase inspiring case studies from SMEs
• Demonstrate how to use our easy One Planet Living framework to guide your action planning process
• Troubleshoot your challenges!

12.10-12.40 – Sustainability world café – drop-in discussion groups on specific sustainability topics to help your business overcome challenges and find solutions

12.40-13.10 – Pizza lunch, networking & sustainability showcase

13.15-13.45 – Expert panel Q&A facilitated by Grant Hayward, OSEP CIC & B Leader

13.45-14.00 – Networking & sustainability showcase

The Sustainability showcase stands include:

• Bioregional and Oxfordshire Greentech
• Low Carbon Hub
• Velocity
• Oxford City Council
• Darcica
• Miller Web Design
• Comhla
• YOU Underwear
• Oxford Food Hub
• re-universe

Who is it for?

This event is aimed at SMEs that are Social Enterprises, social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and other purposeful businesses in Oxfordshire.

About the eScalate Programme

eScalate, is a three-year project, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which runs until April 2023 to support Social Enterprises, social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and purposeful businesses in Oxfordshire.

Support includes:

• one to ones
• workshops
• peer support sessions

For more information about the eScalate programme , visit www.oxfordshirelep.com/escalate

Please note that this event is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is delivered as part of the eScalate programme to help SMEs. By engaging in this programme you are being offered assistance under the De Minimis regulation which allows a company to receive up to but not exceeding €200,000 of public funding (at the applicable exchange rate) of De Minimis aid over a rolling three-tax year fiscal period. This De Minimis declaration does not cover undertakings engaged in: the primary production of agricultural goods and fisheries/aquaculture, road freight, services of general economic interest and export related activities and activities favouring domestic over imported goods. Please note, support cannot be given to undertakings (businesses) in difficulty. In order to receive support from this programme, you will be required to complete an application form and other relevant documentation. If you need to check your current position for state aid please contact us. If you would like any further information on De Minimis aid and Special Drawing Rights (SDR) subsidies, please see the state aid page on the OxLEP Business website:

https://oxlepbusiness.co.uk/state-aid