The Shareholder Committee (Cabinet Committee) of Oxfordshire Council met on Tuesday 24 February 2026 and approved the Enterprise Oxfordshire Business Plan for 2026/27. The committee also noted that a second version of the business plan would be developed following the Economic Strategy.

Approval of Enterprise Oxfordshire Business Plan

The committee approved the Enterprise Oxfordshire Business Plan for 2026/27, along with an indicative budget for 2027/28. Councillor Ben Higgins, Cabinet Member for Future Economy and Innovation, presented the report, noting that the Enterprise Oxfordshire Board had approved these plans on 29 January. It was also highlighted that a second version of the business plan would be produced after the Economic Development Strategy had been considered by Cabinet, which would then inform other areas of Enterprise Oxfordshire's work. The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Higgins and seconded by Councillor Roberts, and subsequently approved by the committee.

The Enterprise Oxfordshire Business Plan for 2026-2027 outlines the company's activities, including business support, skills development, socio-economic inclusion, inward investment, and strategic programmes. Many of these programmes are funded by central government. The plan details a refreshed set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and seeks a two-year agreement on budgets for 2026/27 and 2027/28. The plan proposes reversing a previously agreed savings target of £285,000 and drawing down the full £1.6 million contribution from the Enterprise Zone agreed in March 2025. A second version of the business plan will be developed to incorporate additional delivery requirements following the adoption of the economic strategy.

The report highlighted that Enterprise Oxfordshire, formerly OxLEP, transitioned to become an Oxfordshire County Council-owned company on 1 April 2024. The Shareholder Committee was established by Cabinet to provide strategic oversight and make decisions reserved to the sole member of the company. The business plan details various service areas, including business support, skills programmes, socio-economic inclusion initiatives like the Social Contract programme and Connect to Work, business representation, inward investment, and export promotion.

The financial implications of the report were noted as having no direct financial implications resulting from the decisions made. The legal implications confirmed that Enterprise Oxfordshire is a company limited by guarantee, with Oxfordshire County Council as the sole member. The Articles of Association include reserved matters that require the Shareholder Committee's approval, such as the annual business plan. There were no further staffing or equality and inclusion implications arising from the report.

The business plan itself detailed various service areas and priorities, including business support for SMEs transitioning to net zero, start-up and growth programmes, and managing the Oxfordshire Business & Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC). In the skills domain, it covered support for young people, employers, training providers, and apprenticeships, as well as the delivery of Skills Bootcamps and programmes to address unemployment. The strategic development and programmes section focused on supporting the emerging Future Oxfordshire Economic Development Strategy, managing Oxfordshire's Enterprise Zones, and developing an inward investment function. The communications team's role in promoting EO's activities and ensuring the voice of Oxfordshire businesses is heard was also outlined. Key performance indicators (KPIs) for various teams, including the Invest Team, Careers Hub, Community Employment Plans, Connect to Work, Growth Hub, and the Communications Team, were also presented.