ISfB represents a new and distinctive phase in the business support offer in Oxfordshire.

The evaluation followed a straightforward approach making optimal use of existing intelligence and performance data supplemented by new primary research providing a comprehensive picture of the ISfB programme’s current and future impacts. It concluded that the programme has made a good start on devising and delivering some effective innovation products but more could be done to exploit the area’s potential, use its asset base effectively and scale up innovation support measures. The client said “It’s really great, thank-you! I’m looking forward to making it public and then moving onto developing the next phase of the programme”

“The ISfB programme team has succeeded in conceiving and implementing a comprehensive suite of activity in a short space of time. The team recognise that now the Wave 2 City Deal funding is largely spent and the ISfB pilot is nearly complete, it is a good time to think about next steps. Building on the SEP and ESIF strategic priorities OxLEP should consider the feasibility of a longer term ISfB programme (ISfB2) fully integrated into the OBS service and local and national provision.”

~ ISfB Evaluation, Kada Research, 2015