Welcome to the latest edition of our South and Vale Business Support newsletter!


Have your say in our Autumn Business Survey


Last September, Team SVBS asked businesses operating in South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts to contribute their feedback to our Business Recovery Survey. Since then, the pandemic has continued to put a strain on many local organisations, and we realise that certain challenges and needs may have changed.

Ahead of the winter period, we want to know whether the pandemic continues to affect your business, and what further support might be helpful over the next 12 months. 

Feedback collected will guide our plans for the type of help and support we offer to businesses over the next 12 months. Specifically, the data collected will help inform our decisions regarding remaining Covid-19 grant funding that is available to the district councils to support the area's businesses. 

You will also have an opportunity to tell us about any general support you believe your business needs. We are also interested to know how your business is adapting to address the climate emergency. Whatever your experiences, we would like to hear your responses to this survey.



The deadline for completing this survey is midnight on Tuesday 21 September 2021.

Visit the Henley Eco Business Fair!

In partnership with Henley Town Council, Oxfordshire Greentech and Naked Planet, we are hosting an Eco Business Fair to highlight the brilliant green and sustainable approaches of local businesses.

Our exhibitors and speakers will demonstrate how they are proactively tackling the challenges resulting from climate change. We encourage local businesses and the wider community to visit us at the fair on 22 September.

Exhibiting businesses specialise in:

  • Carbon offsetting

  • Design and print

  • Food and drink

  • Electric Vehicles

  • Eco-friendly hemp bags
...and lots more! Find out more on our website.
Instagram's first UK Mentorship Programme

Small Business Britain has partnered with Instagram to offer the chance to benefit from their first UK mentorship scheme – giving your business the opportunity to learn about content creation, marketing and social commerce from the best creators, successful founders and Instagram experts.

Five successful small businesses will benefit from:

  • A content workshop afternoon with one of the UK’s top Instagram creators

  • An hour-long virtual coaching session with a business mentor

  • Three monthly hour-long sessions on using Instagram for Business

  • £1,000 worth of Instagram ad credits
Register before the
19 September deadline here.
Access up to £8,200 to take on an engineering apprentice from Oxfordshire Advanced Skills

'At Oxfordshire Advanced Skills (OAS), we’re committed to supporting SMEs to train your next generation of engineering talent through fully funded apprenticeships.

With a minimum £3,000 incentive payment from the government for new apprentices employed before the end of September and access to up to a further £4,200 for smaller businesses through an exclusive SME Apprentice Salary Support Scheme set up by our training provider, MTC Apprenticeships, in partnership with Lloyds Bank, employing an apprentice could cost less than you think.'

If you're interested in hiring an apprentice, find out more on the OAS website.

Copyright © 2021 South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, all rights reserved.

To find out more about how the council holds, uses and stores your personal data, please click on the appropriate council’s link:


South Oxfordshire District Council   | 
Vale of White Horse District Council