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At Oxford Innovation Space, we are proud to have achieved the Good Business Charter accreditation, affirming our commitment to championing responsible practices, ethical conduct and making a positive impact on society.
Across our network of innovation centres, we are committed to operating in a socially responsible way that benefits our employees, customers, suppliers, local communities and the environment. By showcasing exemplary conduct, we aim to inspire and empower other businesses to embrace similar practices.
“Our accreditation with the Good Business Charter reinforces the values we hold as a business,” said Jo Stevens, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation Space. “Through our focus on fair pay, employee well-being, diversity and inclusion, and environmental responsibility, we aim to lead by example and support innovation with purpose.”
As part of the Good Business Fortnight (3-14 February 2025), we’re championing the Charter’s 10 pillars of responsible business, and celebrating the role our innovation centres play in fostering innovation that creates lasting positive impact on the places in which they are based. The 10 pillars are:
Real living wage
As a Living Wage Employer, we ensure we offer fair remuneration to all our people by paying the Real Living Wage as a minimum, benchmarking the salaries paid to our people annually. We also pay enhanced paternity and maternity pay.
Employee well-being
Our People First strategy is an overarching philosophy that prioritises employee development and wellbeing. We are committed to fostering a culture where our employees can thrive. Our employees have access to our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme which offers virtual GP appointments and mental health support. We have 14 trained mental health first aiders who serve as a point of contact, reassurance and support. We provide an on demand Mental Health Awareness course that raises awareness of mental illnesses and resilience and encourages employees to create their own Wellness Action Plan.
Employee representation
We have an employee satisfaction platform, which allows employees to comment openly or anonymously and request responses. We conduct bi-annual surveys that include open questions for suggestions.
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
We are committed to providing an open, inclusive and supportive environment to staff from all backgrounds. We monitor anonymous Equality and Diversity job applicant data and we provide annual equality and diversity training to all staff. We are committed to supporting designated ‘Diversity Champions’, who have a direct communication channel to our Managing Director. These individuals receive extra training to support them in their role, and are responsible for ensuring that objectives relating to EDI are built into our business and operations plans.
Fairer hours and contracts
We apply a fair approach to hours and contracts. We have flexible and hybrid working policies in place to support staff with personal and family commitments, helping them to achieve a good work-life balance.
Environmental responsibility
We are committed to reducing our environmental impact while supporting SMEs that develop solutions to environmental challenges. That’s why we’ve partnered with Positive Planet to measure and manage our carbon footprint. Following internationally recognised standards, we have assessed our direct emissions (from our own operations) and indirect emissions (from the energy we use and our wider supply chain).
Our goal is to cut our direct emissions by 50% by 2030, reduce our broader supply chain emissions by 50% by 2040, and work towards an overall reduction of around 90% by 2050 to reach Net Zero.
To strengthen our commitment, many of our team members have completed Carbon Literacy Training, and we hold ISO 14001 certification, demonstrating our dedication to responsible environmental management. We will also publish an Annual Net Zero Report to track our progress and outline the steps we’re taking to meet our targets.
Pay fair tax
We are committed to promoting and maintaining the highest level of ethical standards in relation to all of our business activities. Our reputation for maintaining lawful business practices is of paramount importance and we are always transparent in providing information as required to HMRC.
Commitment to customers
Delivering excellent customer service and achieving the highest levels of customer satisfaction is one of our most distinguishing points and is often the reason that a business stays with us during its growth journey. We undertake regular customer satisfaction surveys to gather feedback on the facilities and services we provide at our innovation centres. In 2024, we received a 96% satisfaction rating from customers, with 18 of our 32 centres across the UK and Ireland achieving 100% customer satisfaction!
Ethical sourcing
We have a fair and transparent Procurement Policy and Supplier Code of Conduct. We seek to work with suppliers and partners who are also committed to minimising their environmental impact, reducing their carbon footprint and working towards Net Zero.
Prompt payment
As a champion of SMEs, we understand the pressures on small businesses, which include managing cashflow and chasing late payments. We operate fair and transparent procurement processes and we are committed to making prompt payments, paying suppliers within 30 days of receipt of invoice.
For more information of the Good Business Charter, visit www.goodbusinesscharter.com
