Every venture starts with an idea. What if the next one's yours? We're the University of Oxford's entrepreneurship hub. We help ideas become ventures, and we stay in your corner.

EnSpire in Numbers

^{Programme count reflects the EnSpire ecosystem portfolio; participation and funding figures are drawn from EnSpire's internal records for the 2025-26 academic year.}

741 people supported some with an idea, some just curious

How we can help

Programmes

Find your stage

Three stages, one journey.

Wherever you're starting, we'll help you build skills, shape your idea and turn it into a venture.

Find a Programme

Funding

Fund your idea

Grants, prizes and invesment

Equity-free grants, competitions and investment open to Oxford students, researchers, alumni.

Find Funding

Resources

Get expert advice

1-2-1 clinics and IP rights

Book a 1-2-1 clinic with legal, finance and IP experts and understand your own IP rights early.

Book a Clinic

Resources

Find your people

Workspace and founder communities

Work from the NatWest Accelerator hub and meet other founders through communities across Oxford.

Find a Space

Ecosystem and Partners

Meet the network

Who else can help

University teams and Oxfordshire partners who can help your startup, all signposted in one spot.

Get to know us

The NatWest Accelerator Oxford is now open

News

The NatWest Accelerator Hub is open in Oxford

From partnership to place

Our partnership with NatWest now has a home. Founders can get free coaching, growth support, coworking space and a community of fellow entrepreneurs at The Oxford Trust’s Centre for Innovation. It is also the first Equinox commitment delivered.

Read the story

More from EnSpire

Find the latest EnSpire news, partnerships and founder spotlights from across Oxford’s entrepreneurship community.

Visit: EnSpire News

What's On

All Events

EnSpire & Partner Programmes

Nexus Presenting at The Oxford Moonshot Demo Day

The Oxford Moonshot: Applications Open

25 September to 30 October

Applications close Fri 30 Oct · Oxford — Four months of pre-seed support for DPhils and early-career researchers building deeptech ventures. Free, no equity.

Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Forum: Pitching Competition

28 September to 16 October

Applications close Fri 16 Oct · Saïd Business School — Pitch your venture to investors and a global audience at OSEF, with the chance to win a cash prize.

CXO School

07 October to 25 November

Wednesdays from 7 Oct, 1.30–2.30pm · Kavli Oxford — Eight sessions on the roles that turn research into impact. Register by 5 Oct.

Innovation Events

Enterprise Oxfordshire Start-Up Club

07 October to 04 November

Wed 7 Oct, 5–7pm · Online — Three evening sessions on planning, customers and finances, for people starting out in Oxfordshire.

Startup Huddle Oxford Networking - October

15 October

Thu 15 Oct, 6–8pm · Oxford Centre for Innovation — Two founders present, then open networking. Free.

Funding Opportunities

AI Hackathon 2026

29 September to 06 November

Fri 6 to 8 Nov · Turku, Finland — 72-hour AI hackathon with a €50,000 prize pool. Free, apply solo.

Bright SCIdea Challenge 2027

11 November

Deadline: Wed 11 Nov · £5,000 prize · Teams of 3–4 university students, any discipline.

Talk to us

Still not sure where you fit?

Book a 20-minute clinic with the team

Most people arrive with nothing but a hunch — that is the normal place to start, and it is the beginning of every story on this page.

Book a clinic

University of Oxford

Stay on top of upcoming events, news and stories.

Sign up to the EnSpire Newsletter.

Find out about the University of Oxford's entrepreneurial offering and much more.

Sign up

Site search

EnSpire Oxford