Oxford Innovation Business Services brings Peer to Peer Investors to Small Businesses

8 years ago

Oxford Innovation Business Services (OIBS), the business services group, launches The Finance and Funding Academy on 12 April, aimed at preparing growth businesses to attract peer to peer loans and equity investments successfully.

Aligned to the Government’s agenda of encouraging small businesses to thrive and prosper, the Academy will provide programmes that focus on investment readiness, preparation of documentation, and actual introductions to the investors they see as most appropriate for the specific business. They will guide businesses through the best ways for them to fund their business growth, ensure they are ready for the challenges that lenders and investors will present and then support the businesses as they present their requirements to potential funders and investors.

With mainstream banks now no longer willing to support higher risk early stage businesses, as well as working with the now established peer to peer lenders, OIBS Finance and Funding Academy will look to match up investors keen to be part of new business growth successes.

Richard Cooper, Strategic Finance and Funding Manager said, “Preparation is so important when raising finance and so many businesses underestimate it. We have developed the funding academy to prepare a business to have their best chance of raising finance and at the best rates. The choice of funders is vast and understanding the different choices is not easy without the help of an advisor understanding your business. The funding academy has been developed by entrepreneurs who have raised in excess of £150m for SME business and understand the difficulties they face.”

The Academy’s approach will use workshops, with a maximum of 8 businesses in each to ensure that each receive one on one support in raising their funding, and will structure the programmes into formal coaching, and pitching to lenders and investors.

The launch programme will be run in Bracknell at Oxford Innovation's Enterprise and Innovation Hub, and will be followed by the second cohort in Maidstone at the Business Terrace.

Interested businesses should contact The Funding and Finance Academy on 01865 261 480.

Notes to Editors:

Details of the current events are:

The Venue: Bracknell Enterprise and Innovation Hub, Ocean House, The Ring, Bracknell, RG121AX (April 12) and The Business Terrace, Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME 15 6JQ (April 13)

Contact for bookings:

Book by contacting: Joshua O’Neil, Client Executive. Telephone: 01865 261 480 or

Mobile: 07747-273-169. Alternatively email: j.oneil@oxin.co.uk

The Booking Fee to attend is £800 plus VAT per company

About Oxford Innovation Business Service

Oxford Innovation Services (OIS) has been providing practical support to help ambitious businesses and start-ups succeed for over twenty years. We focus on SME's because these are the engine of the UK's economy, creating jobs and generating wealth. We work with them to develop their internal capabilities, plot their new routes to investment, take new ideas to market and create the strategy they'll need for their business to achieve its full potential. OIS gets to the heart of the barriers that are holding businesses back; helping you to identify the critical steps needed to drive sustainable change and take a significant step forward in valuation.