Cash for community groups with councillor grant scheme

A total of £270,000 is available to support community projects with this year’s round of the Councillor Community Grant Scheme from South Oxfordshire District Council.

The grant scheme launches on Monday 17 August and is open to non-profit organisations, including community and voluntary groups and town and parish councils.

Previous projects that have been supported with the grant have ranged from mental health support groups for children, sporting equipment, memorial benches and solar panels for community buildings.

Further information can be found via the South Oxfordshire District Council website.

Growth and Skills Levy

Oxfordshire employers have a valuable opportunity to invest in skills development through the Growth and Skills Levy. Enterprise Oxfordshire Skills is helping employers navigate the levy transfer process, connecting organisations with available funding and ensuring apprenticeship opportunities remain accessible across the county.

Large employers that pay the levy can transfer up to 50% of their unused funds to other businesses, helping to fully cover the cost of apprenticeship training and end-point assessments. Smaller employers, including those that do not pay the levy, can benefit from these transfers to recruit new apprentices or upskill existing staff.

Get started via the Enterprise Oxfordshire website.

Protect your business from fraud

Fraud is an increasing risk for businesses of all sizes, with recent research showing that 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months. Criminals are using increasingly sophisticated tactics, including artificial intelligence, fake documents and impersonation scams, making it more important than ever for organisations to strengthen their defences.

The Government's 'Stop! Think Fraud' campaign provides practical advice to help businesses identify common threats and reduce the risk of financial and reputational damage. The campaign also highlights the importance of strong cyber security measures and regular employee awareness training.

Get started via the Stop! Think Fraud website.

Oxford Nanopore wins the 2026 MacRobert Award for engineering innovation

Harwell Campus-based Oxford Nanopore Technologies has been awarded the 2026 MacRobert Award, the UK's longest-running and most prestigious prize for engineering innovation. The award recognises the company's pioneering nanopore sequencing technology and its significant impact on healthcare, research and industry worldwide.

The technology enables the direct, real-time analysis of DNA and RNA without the need for complex laboratory infrastructure. By making genomic sequencing faster, more portable and more accessible, Oxford Nanopore has transformed how researchers and clinicians gather critical genetic information.

The technology is now used in more than 125 countries and has played an important role in disease surveillance and outbreak response, including during Ebola, Zika and COVID-19.

Read the story in full via the Harwell Campus website.

Enterprise Oxfordshire's Start-Up Club

Thinking about starting a business? Enterprise Oxfordshire's Start-Up Club includes three sessions, each delivered by experienced business experts, to provide practical content to help you learn and make progress, alongside a group of supportive peers.

Each session is booked separately, and attending Start-Up Club also opens the door to further support from Enterprise Oxfordshire.

• Planning Your Business - 7 October
  
  
• Delighting Your Customers - 21 October

• Managing Your Business Numbers - 4 November
  

You will finish the Start-Up Club with a clear plan on how to start your business, move your plans forward and reach your next milestone. Book onto the sessions using the links above.

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