Eligibility

If you are based in West Oxfordshire, and you would like to start your business, then you can register for this event. If you are outside of the county, please register for the OxLEP Start Up Club.

West Oxforshire Spark Programme

The West Oxfordshire Business SPARK programme is designed to help you to start your brilliant new business! This support will be engaging and fun, but also challenging, to ensure that you get maximum value. By joining our SPARK programme, you will join 5 half-day workshops.

Workshop 1 – Business Fundamentals and Business Model Canvas

Learning Objectives

• Developing critical thinking skills
• Developing a collaborative mindset
• Developing creativity
• Developing understanding of why businesses succeed or fail

Overview

This first workshop in the West Oxfordshire Business SPARK programme is designed to encourage you to focus on the fundamentals of a successful business and develop a viable, successful and sustainable business plan.

The workshop will be delivered by one of our experienced business experts, providing practical content to help you learn and make progress on the day, alongside a group of supportive peers.

You will finish the day with a clear plan on how to move your business forward and reach your next milestone.

Your Expert

Grae Laws – MBA delivers highly engaging workshops that motivate business owners to do more, be more and get more from their business. He provides positive, constructive advice in all business areas including improving performance, understanding customer needs and most importantly, adapting to change. He is also the MD of a hi-tech consulting business.

Save the date

We will contact you with the information for joining the other worskshops in the series:

Understanding your customers, marketing and sales – 14th May 2024, 9:30 – 12:30 (ZOOM)

Financial Planning & Management – 21st May 2024, 9:30 – 12:30 (ZOOM)

Developing your Year 1 Action Plan & building your confidence – 12th June 2024 , 9:30 – 12:30 (ZOOM)

Business pitch for success – 25th June 2024, 9:30 – 12:30 (VENUE TBC)

Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) scheme

The Growth Hub programme operates a Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) scheme. All SMEs which receive support under this programme are being aided under the UK Subsidy Control Act (2022) and The Subsidy Control (Gross Cash Amount and Gross Cash Equivalent) Regulations (2022 No. 1186).

MFA allows a beneficiary to receive up to £315,000 of Subsidy over a three-fiscal year period (i.e. the current and previous two fiscal years). The value of MFA given is the gross cash amount or the gross cash equivalent of the subsidy. The MFA value of this support is £1145.10 per workshop. Please note this only applies to registered companies / sole traders.