The Oxford Trust
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersOxford, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
The Oxford Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Oxford Trust
- Legal name
- The Oxford Trust
- Website
- https://theoxfordtrust.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Oxford Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Innovation Centre / Science Park Services
- NAICS
- Museums (712110)
- SIC
- Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)
Keywords
Where The Oxford Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oxford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Oxford Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Innovation centre rentals and leases: The Oxford Trust generates operating income by providing flexible and licensed office, laboratory, and co-working spaces at its two innovation centres (Oxford Centre for Innovation and Wood Centre for Innovation). Space types include fully serviced offices, R&D labs (Class II), co-working desks (via Barclays Eagle Labs), virtual offices, and meeting/conference facilities. Income is reinvested into STEM education and engagement programmes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Boardroom at Oxford Centre for Innovation — up to 12 people |
| Subscription | Monthly | Flex membership — part-time hot-desking up to 4 days/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Club membership — part-time hot-desking up to 8 days/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Permanent membership — dedicated full-time co-working desk, 24/7 access |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Meeting room at Wood Centre for Innovation — up to 6 people |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Auditorium at Wood Centre for Innovation — up to 100 people |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Oxford Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Oxford Trust operates two innovation centres in Oxford — the Oxford Centre for Innovation and the Wood Centre for Innovation — letting office space, R&D laboratories, co-working desks, meeting rooms, and virtual office services to science and technology start-ups, spin-outs, and SMEs. Surpluses from these lettings fund the Science Oxford STEM education and public engagement programme, which delivers classroom and centre-based science learning for schools and families.
Product overview
The Oxford Trust operates a portfolio of physical innovation infrastructure and STEM education programmes across Oxfordshire. The core offering consists of two innovation centres (Oxford Centre for Innovation and Wood Centre for Innovation) providing flexible office space, co-working (via Barclays Eagle Labs), R&D lab space, virtual offices, and meeting facilities for science and tech start-ups. The Wood Centre for Innovation includes the Linden Building (opened 2019) and the forthcoming Aspen Building (opening summer 2026). Business support is delivered through the Escalator Support Programme (offering discounted space and mentorship) and the Exit Right event series. On the education side, Science Oxford delivers STEM programmes including school visits to the Science Oxford Centre, primary school outreach, teacher professional development, family events, and the Accessing Science Fund grants. The charitable business model reinvests income from the innovation centres into these education programmes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Escalator Support Programme: A support programme for early-stage technology-based companies providing discounted office space, business support, and access to angel investment networks for companies less than two years old with funding under £500,000.
Products and services
- Oxford Centre for Innovation — office and laboratory letting Letting of office space, R&D laboratories, and associated tenant services at the Oxford Centre for Innovation in central Oxford; available to science and technology start-ups, spin-outs, and SMEs.
- Wood Centre for Innovation — laboratory and grow-on space Letting of new-build laboratory space, grow-on office space, and shared laboratory facilities at the Wood Centre for Innovation, targeting established science and technology tenants needing Oxford accommodation.
- Barclays Eagle Labs co-working space Flexible co-working desks and workspaces at the Oxford Centre for Innovation delivered in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs, for start-ups, freelancers, and small teams needing Oxford drop-in or membership-based workspace.
- Meeting and conference room hire Hourly and daily hire of meeting rooms and conference facilities within the trust's innovation centres, available to tenants and external organisations needing central Oxford meeting space.
- Atrium Gallery event and exhibition hire Hire of the Atrium Gallery at the Oxford Centre for Innovation for exhibitions, receptions, and events for external organisations and tenants.
- Virtual office and mailing address service Subscription-based virtual office services providing a prestigious Oxford mailing address, mail handling, and on-demand use of meeting rooms, for businesses not requiring full-time office space.
- Escalator Support Programme Targeted business support programme for high-growth science and technology companies locating at the trust's innovation centres, providing wraparound support alongside workspace.
- Science Oxford STEM education programme School-facing and family-facing STEM education and public engagement programme, including classroom resources, science activities and exhibits at the Science Oxford Centre, and outreach events for young people and families across Oxfordshire.
Quantifiable outcome
- 671 employees in science and tech supported in innovation centres
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Oxford Trust
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Oxford Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Oxford Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Justice in MotionminorMatt Francis (incoming CEO from September 2026) is Co-Chair of Justice in Motion, a charity that produces thought-provoking performances to raise awareness of social injustice. This is a personal affiliation rather than an organisational partnership.
- Drees & SommerminorListed as an innovation partner of The Oxford Trust on the innovation centres page.
- Barclays Eagle LabscoreBarclays operates Eagle Labs co-working spaces at both the Oxford Centre for Innovation and the Wood Centre for Innovation. Eagle Labs provides co-working desks, mentoring, business support, networking events, and connections to Barclays' wider ecosystem including local business teams, specialist high-growth managers, and the Demo Directory matching founders with investors. Membership gives access to both centres.
- Oxford Innovation SpacecoreOxford Innovation Space manages the day-to-day operations of both the Oxford Centre for Innovation and the Wood Centre for Innovation. Originally a spin-out of The Oxford Trust, it now runs a network of 31 centres across the UK and Ireland. It handles lettings, enquiries, tours, and centre management.
- Advanced OxfordminorAdvanced Oxford works with senior leaders from the region's major knowledge-intensive businesses to support the long-term development of Oxford as a desirable place to live and work. Listed as an innovation partner of The Oxford Trust.
- Headington Science ClusterminorThe Headington Science Cluster is a group of organisations (including The Oxford Trust) that have joined together to support innovation in digital health and life sciences in the Headington area. The Wood Centre for Innovation is part of this cluster.
- TheHill (Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)minorTheHill is an innovation catalyst embedded within Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It supports digital health innovation adoption in the NHS and is part of the Headington Science Cluster supported by The Oxford Trust. Mathys & Squire (tenant at the Oxford Centre for Innovation) supports TheHill's Market Access Accelerator for digital health companies.
- Science OxfordcoreScience Oxford is the delivery vehicle for The Oxford Trust's education and engagement programmes. It runs all STEM programmes for schools, families, and communities, including visits to the Science Oxford Centre, primary school outreach, teacher CPD, Family Days, and STEM Clubs. The Oxford Trust is the parent body of Science Oxford.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Oxford Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BioEscalator (University of Oxford): University of Oxford-operated innovation centre for early-stage life sciences startups in Oxford. Highly comparable to Wood Centre for Innovation: same city, same target tenant profile, similar lab offerings, competing for the same University of Oxford spinout pipeline.
- SETsquared Partnership: University-business incubator network across five leading UK universities (including Oxford). Provides office/lab space, business support, and investor access for science and tech startups — directly comparable to The Oxford Trust's innovation centre operations.
- Roslin Innovation Centre: Innovation centre at the University of Edinburgh's Easter Bush campus offering lab and office space for animal/health biotech startups. Comparable as a UK life science innovation centre providing R&D infrastructure and business support to spinouts.
- Cambridge Science Park: One of the UK's oldest and largest science parks, providing lab and office space for science and tech companies in Cambridge. Comparable in core offering (lab/office lettings to science startups) and tenant profile, though much larger scale and operated by a private developer (Trinity College).
- Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst: UK life sciences open innovation campus providing lab and office space for biotech startups. Comparable as a UK bioscience incubator/innovation centre targeting early-stage tenants with shared facilities and business support.
- STEM Learning: UK nonprofit delivering STEM education programmes to schools, teachers, and young people nationally. Closely comparable to Science Oxford as a charitable STEM education provider — though STEM Learning operates nationally without an innovation centre funding model.
Broad incumbents
- Bruntwood SciTech: UK science and technology property platform operating innovation districts (including Manchester Science Partnerships and Birmingham Research Park). Comparable lab/office offering for science tenants at much larger scale and for-profit structure.
- Kadans Science Partner: European specialist investor-developer of science parks and innovation centres with UK presence. Comparable as a purpose-built lab/office provider for life sciences and tech tenants, though operating commercially rather than as a charity.
- Science Museum Group: UK charitable group operating major science museums. Comparable to Science Oxford as a STEM education and engagement charity, but at significantly larger national scale with permanent exhibition venues rather than a single-centre outreach model.
- Wellcome Trust: Major charitable foundation funding science research, education, and engagement. Comparable as a UK science-focused charity with combined research/innovation and public engagement missions, though at vastly greater scale and as a grant-maker rather than operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Oxford Trust social profiles
Digital presenceThe Oxford Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Oxford Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
The Oxford Trust subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
The Oxford Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Oxford Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Oxford Trust
What does The Oxford Trust do?
The Oxford Trust operates two innovation centres in Oxford — the Oxford Centre for Innovation and the Wood Centre for Innovation — letting office space, R&D laboratories, co-working desks, meeting rooms, and virtual office services to science and technology start-ups, spin-outs, and SMEs. Surpluses from these lettings fund the Science Oxford STEM education and public engagement programme, which delivers classroom and centre-based science learning for schools and families.
Is The Oxford Trust a public or private company?
The Oxford Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Oxford Trust founded?
The Oxford Trust was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Oxford Trust based?
The Oxford Trust is headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Oxford Trust make money?
One revenue line is on record: innovation centre rentals and leases.
Who are The Oxford Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BioEscalator (University of Oxford), SETsquared Partnership, Roslin Innovation Centre, Cambridge Science Park, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst and STEM Learning. Broad incumbents are Bruntwood SciTech, Kadans Science Partner, Science Museum Group and Wellcome Trust.
Does The Oxford Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Oxford Trust.
What industry is The Oxford Trust in?
The Oxford Trust's product category is Innovation Centre / Science Park Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAG, STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAEAGAI, Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming). Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 3821.