What Makespace Oxford does

Makespace Oxfordshire is a UK social enterprise (operating as Makespace Oxfordshire CBS with subsidiary Makespace Oxford CIC) that reanimates empty and underused buildings in Oxfordshire, transforming them into affordable workspace and event venues for community organisations, charities, social enterprises, artists and purpose-driven small businesses. Founded in 2018, the organisation runs nine workspace hubs across Oxford, Didcot, Abingdon and Wantage, offering private offices, studios, fixed and hot desks, and hourly event-hire space on a sliding-scale 'solidarity pricing' model — typically £82–£600 per month per unit, with event hire at £10–£40 per hour for non-profits. As of 2025, Makespace had supported 276 organisations into space and reanimated over 30 buildings since inception, with flagship expansion projects including a new 2,800 sqm hub at 9 Park End Street and a future civic space at 38-40 George Street (opening 2027).

The core capability is operational rather than technological: identifying vacant buildings, securing short-term 'meanwhile' leases from property owners (often in partnership with Oxford City Council), fitting out the space, and matching community tenants via online applications and community-coordinator consultations. Revenue derives primarily from recurring workspace subscriptions and pay-as-you-go event hire, supplemented by multi-year grants from the National Lottery Community Fund, OxLEP's Getting Building Fund, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, plus long-cycle institutional partnerships such as the Owned by Oxford Community Wealth Building initiative and a co-development deal with Marick Real Estate for the George Street civic space. The go-to-market is community-led and hybrid: customer acquisition runs through local networks, council referrals, word-of-mouth within the resident base, and direct outreach, while marketing channels emphasise Instagram, a Medium-published blog, a podcast (Glimpses of a Possible Future), and in-person events. In 2025, the organisation refounded as Makespace Oxfordshire with an explicit spatial-justice mission, signalling a strategic shift from tactical meanwhile-use operator toward systemic land-and-property reform advocate.

Name

Makespace Oxford

Legal name

Makespace Oxfordshire CBS

Website

https://makespaceoxford.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Makespace Oxfordshire is a UK social enterprise that reanimates empty and underused buildings into affordable workspace and event venues for charities, community groups, artists and purpose-driven small businesses, operating nine hubs across Oxfordshire on a solidarity-pricing model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workspace Rental Income: Monthly rental income from subletting private offices, studios, fixed desks, hot desks, and event spaces across nine hub locations in Oxfordshire. Spaces are offered below market rate with a sliding scale to support organisations with greater social impact. Revenue is recurring on a monthly/annual basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Makespace Oxfordshire acquires empty and underused buildings on short-term "meanwhile" leases, refurbishes them, and sublets affordable workspace — including private offices, studios, coworking desks (fixed and hot), and event spaces — to grassroots community organisations, charities, social enterprises, artists, and purpose-driven businesses across nine hubs in Oxfordshire. Pricing is set below market rate with a sliding scale that further subsidises organisations with greater social, cultural, or environmental impact.

Product overview

Makespace Oxfordshire is a social enterprise operating nine workspace hubs across Oxfordshire offering affordable private offices, studios, coworking desks, and hireable event spaces to purpose-driven organisations, creatives, and community groups. The portfolio spans locations including Aristotle Lane (North Oxford), The Old Stables (Wantage), Makespace Central (Oxford city centre), The Junction (Didcot), The Source (Oxford), The Charter Studios (Abingdon), The Community Works (Oxford), Station Road Studios (Didcot), and 9 Park End Street (Oxford). Beyond physical spaces, the organisation runs cultural programmes including the South Abingdon Arts & Culture Project, the Meanwhile in Oxfordshire programme for temporary space activation, Future Thinking Together workshop series, the Owned by Oxford community wealth building initiative, and the Glimpses of a Possible Future podcast series. A major upcoming project is the George Street Civic Space (2027) being developed as a social lab for community co-creation and experimentation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aristotle Lane (Oxford hub) Hot-desking, event space, and private studios in North Oxford. Offers 18 private studios, 24 fixed and hot desks, and two event spaces (Blue Room and Gallery) for community organisations, creatives, and freelancers. Includes part-time hot-desking from £82/month and full-time hot-desking from £157/month, with non-profit/commercial hourly event hire.
• The Old Stables (Wantage) Affordable offices, studios, and coworking spaces in Wantage featuring a community lounge, conservatory, cafe, and large gardens. Fixed-desk coworking at £185/month standard or £125/month subsidised for qualifying impact organisations; private studios available on enquiry with subsidies.
• Makespace Central (Oxford) Private studios and office space situated next to The Community Works in Oxford city centre, 2,300 sq ft of private office and studio space for community organisations and small purpose-driven businesses.
• The Junction (Didcot) Community hall and event space near Didcot train station, available for recurring and one-off bookings with capacity for 50-70 people. Weekly full-day recurring booking £350/month; half-day £175/month; one-off hire from £80 (4 hours) or £160 (full day) with non-profit rates from £18/hr and commercial rates £25-30/hr.
• The Source (Oxford) Shared office and event space in Oxford city centre, 715 sq ft of workspace for purpose-driven individuals and organisations with positive cultural, social, or environmental impact. Full Access fixed desk £192/month (includes 6 hrs/wk events space and 4 hrs/wk meeting room); Entry-level fixed desk £150/month; event hire from £15/hr non-profit and £25/hr commercial.
• The Charter Studios (Abingdon) Private studios, gallery and coworking space on the third floor of The Charter building in Abingdon, with ten small office or studio spaces. Fixed/hot desks £500/month; single-occupancy offices £215/month; multi-occupancy offices £400-600/month. Subsidies available for qualifying impact organisations.
• The Community Works (Oxford) Restaurant, cafe, event space, gallery, storage, and studio space opposite Oxford train station, 85 sq m with capacity for up to 40 people. Event hire from £20/hr non-profit and £30/hr commercial, available Tue-Sat 10am-10pm. Tenants include Lula's Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine and The Oxford Poetry Library.
• Station Road Studios (Didcot) Private offices, studios, and community hall near Didcot train station with upper and lower wings, a quiet meeting room, and a community pottery studio (Sabali Pots).
• 9 Park End Street (Oxford) Studios, offices and common room in central Oxford occupying second and third floors, 3,057 sq ft of space for community groups and non-profits, opened in 2025.
• Meanwhile in Oxfordshire Programme County-wide service that identifies, secures, fits out, and lets vacant units in Oxfordshire's urban centres to local, independent and community-driven organisations on short-term meanwhile leases. Delivered in partnership with Oxford City Council and OxLEP.
• South Abingdon Arts & Culture Project Regenerative arts programme in partnership with Vale of White Horse District Council that empowers local artists through training, mentorship, exhibitions, and public artwork, with accompanying nature trails and a window gallery component.
• George Street Civic Space Future civic space at 38-40 George Street, Oxford being developed as a social lab for co-creation, experimentation, and community solidarity, scheduled for completion in 2027 and built in partnership with Marick Real Estate, Staycity, and Oxford City Council.
• Future Thinking Together Solidarity event series providing peer support and learning workshops for creatives to share resources, collaborate, and build collective power.

Quantifiable outcome

• 276 organisations supported into affordable space
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Owned by OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOBO is an initiative using Community Wealth Building to bring wealth and power back to local people in Oxford. Makespace is one of five partner organisations behind OBO (alongside CAG Oxfordshire, Solidarity Economy Association, Oxford City Council, and Aspire). Makespace provides the spaces that local organisations need to operate, connect, and thrive within the OBO ecosystem. Through OBO, Makespace is embedded in a wider network of community-led economic development.
• Oxford City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxford City Council developed the 'Meanwhile in Oxfordshire' programme in partnership with Makespace, providing access to properties and institutional backing. The council is also a partner in Owned by Oxford and in the George Street civic space development.
• Marick Real EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarick Real Estate is leading the redevelopment of 38-40 George Street, Oxford. Makespace was selected as the official operator for the civic space on the ground floor. Marick leads the development while Makespace shapes the community space design and programming.
• StaycitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaycity is operating an aparthotel as part of the 38-40 George Street redevelopment. Its presence in the building complements the civic space operated by Makespace, with potential for cross-referral between hotel guests and community activities.
• Jan Kattein Architects (JKA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning architectural practice selected for their commitment to collective and participatory design approaches. JKA is designing the George Street civic space through dialogue with Makespace, the Community Advisory Board, and local citizens. JKA's track record includes projects with Meanwhile Space CIC and public works such as Fore Street Living Room Library.
• TORCH (Oxford University)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTORCH (Oxford's Humanities cultural programme) partnered with Makespace for community engagement at Gloucester Green Market as part of the George Street project. Provides academic-community bridge and reach into university networks.
• Platform Places / Bedminster WorkssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform Places is a cross-sector partnership committed to unlocking town centre spaces. Makespace has been mentoring and supporting Bedminster Works (Bristol) — one of Platform Places' five pilot projects — sharing learning and supporting strategy development along the lines of Makespace's model.
• Share Oxford (Library of Things)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakespace works with Share Oxford's Library of Things to provide additional resources for event hirers — equipment and items beyond what Makespace's spaces directly offer.
• Transition by DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransition by Design (TbD) is a worker cooperative architecture practice that incubated Makespace Oxfordshire. Andy Edwards is co-founder of both TbD and Makespace. TbD's co-operative, consent-based decision-making model informs Makespace's own governance. TbD was also interviewed in the Glimpses of a Possible Future podcast series.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Second Home: Established London-based coworking and event-space operator. Operates in the same workspace-as-community category as Makespace but at full market rates and without the social-enterprise / meanwhile-use differentiation.

Direct peers

• Town Square Spaces: UK social enterprise that brings meanwhile-use retail and workspace to town centres; highly comparable model of activating empty high-street space for community use on short-term leases.
• The Trampery: London operator of affordable workspace and innovation campuses for purpose-led businesses, charities and creatives — directly comparable mission of providing below-market workspace to mission-driven organisations, with a stronger commercial focus.
• The Melting Pot: Edinburgh-based social enterprise coworking space for changemakers, charities and social entrepreneurs; comparable in offering below-market workspace to mission-driven tenants with a community development ethos.
• Bedminster Works: Bristol-based Platform Places pilot project that Mentors Mentors Makespace is actively mentoring; both organisations share the meanwhile-use / community-wealth-building thesis and serve similar social-enterprise tenants.
• Civic Square: Birmingham-based civic space and community-led neighbourhood transformation project; mentioned by Makespace's own team as a peer at the 'What We're Building' away day. Highly comparable mission around community assets and spatial justice.
• Impact Hub London: Global network of impact-focused coworking and innovation spaces. Comparable in serving impact-driven entrepreneurs and community organisations, with London as its primary geography.
• Platform Places: Cross-sector UK partnership programme committed to unlocking town centre spaces, of which Bedminster Works is one pilot. Makespace's role as mentor makes Platform Places a directly comparable peer at the network level.
• Meanwhile Space CIC: UK social enterprise that activates empty buildings for meanwhile use on short-term leases — directly comparable model to Makespace Oxfordshire, even cited by Makespace's own architectural partner Jan Kattein Architects as a precedent.

Emerging players

• Hood Futures Studio: Birmingham-based community-led neighbourhood regeneration initiative; mentioned by Makespace as a peer at the 'What We're Building' away day. Comparable in spatial-justice framing and community-ownership orientation, though earlier stage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/makespaceoxfordshire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/makespace-oxford

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Makespace Oxford