Funding and Competitions | EnSpire Oxford

Grants, competitions and investment for Oxford students, alumni, founders and researchers. Some of it comes from EnSpire, and some from partners across the University and beyond.

Funding from EnSpire

Support we run ourselves, open to Oxford founders and student societies.

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Grant

EnSpire Founders Grant

Up to £1,000 · University and alumni founders

Early-stage costs add up before the first sale. This grant gives University and alumni founders up to £1,000 towards them, and applications are open on a rolling basis.

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Grant

Student Society Grant

Up to £500 · Student societies

Events are where ideas and founders find each other. This grant gives student societies up to £500 towards an entrepreneurship-focused event.

Funding Opportunities

Grants, competitions, awards and commercialisation programmes open to people at Oxford. Deadlines listed first.

For more events, funding calls and opportunities across the University of Oxford, the community and Oxfordshire, go to our What's On page.

ICURe Engage: EPSRC Healthcare Technologies

08 October

Applications close Fri 9 Oct · Online — A four-week part-time introduction to commercialisation for healthcare technology researchers. No idea needed.

CardiaTec BrightSCIdea 2022 Winners

Bright SCIdea Challenge 2027

11 November

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

For founders and student teams

Grants, competitions and investment for early-stage ventures.

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Grant

The Sterling Road Grant

£1,000 for 25 teams each year. Aimed at exceptional Oxford student and alumni founders who are ready to start building.

Competition

Social Shifters: Global Innovation Challenge

Grant awards of up to $10,000 for the best ideas tackling social or environmental issues, with 1-2-1 coaching alongside.

Competition

The Hult Prize

A global competition that challenges young people to solve pressing world problems through social entrepreneurship.

For researchers

Funding to take your research from discovery to proof of commercial potential.

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Seed Funding

University Challenge Seed Fund

Helps university researchers take a discovery to the point where its commercial usefulness can be demonstrated.

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MedSci

MedSci: Internal Research Funding

Every internal fund run by the Medical Sciences Divisional Office, from DPhil students to early career researchers.

mpls impact

MPLS

MPLS Impact and Innovation

Draws on a UKRI Impact Acceleration Account worth more than £7 million, including engineering and physical science.

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