Innovate Oxfordshire, part of Oxfordshire County Council, takes public sector innovation from idea to reality.
We help local authorities and national bodies turn complex challenges into real change.
Our team combines deep public sector experience with specialist innovation expertise and relationships with academia and industry, helping organisations to move faster, reduce risk and make better decisions about what works.
Proven in practice Delivering measurable impact within complex public sector environments
“The Accelerator opens up new market options, provides clear evidence of impact, and positions the council as a leader in innovation. The approach enables better use of data—supporting more informed decisions on care needs, demand and resource planning. It brings data together across services, improves access for decision‑makers, and reduces reliance on dominant suppliers by opening up alternative solutions.”
— Adult Social Care leadership, Oxfordshire County Council
How we can help
Innovate Oxfordshire is uniquely positioned at the intersection of the public sector, academia and industry.
We bring the right people together to deliver real change. We specialise in:
- Turning ideas into testable solutions
- Running pilots in real-world settings
- Reducing risk and informing decisions
- Scaling solutions that deliver results
Better solutions, beyond traditional routesOpening up the market to identify options that meet service needs
“The Accelerator approach opens up the market beyond the usual suppliers, enabling us to identify solutions that are a much better fit for our needs. It has brought forward a modern, integrated platform that reduces fragmentation across services, while adopting best‑practice technology standards. Overall, it provides a stronger, more effective way to identify and evaluate solutions than traditional tender processes.”
— Technical Strategy lead, Oxfordshire County Council
Our approach
We have a proven model for de-risked innovation in the public sector: Define, Deliver, Demonstrate.
What sets us apart:
Public sector insight, applied differently
We understand how change actually happens, from governance and procurement to politics and delivery. This allows us to design and deliver solutions that work in practice, not just in theory.
From idea to implementation
We don’t stop at advice. We help shape, deliver and embed innovation in practice.
Faster and more cost-effective than traditional consultancy
Our model delivers value quickly, without the overhead of large consultancies.
Evidence-led decision making
We help organisations prove what is working and what is not, and make better decisions as a result.
Trusted and embedded
We work across services and systems within local government and the wider public sector, enabling joined-up solutions that external providers cannot access.
Mind Foundry: Harnessing AI for EV networks
Oxford Robotics Institute: Enhancing occupational therapy with robotic technology
Project Skyway: Revolutionising drone operations across the country
Gul-E: Pioneering cross-pavement EV solutions
TELRAAM: Using cutting-edge sensors to provide comprehensive traffic monitoring
A smarter way to manage risk and valueA more flexible, evidence-led approach to procurement and transformation
“The approach provides a new way to engage the market and develop solutions that genuinely address our key challenges. It strengthens how we approach procurement—focusing on maximising value from innovation rather than defaulting to established suppliers—and creates a strong foundation for adopting more flexible, outcomes‑focused approaches in the future.”
— Procurement & Legal Compliance lead, Oxfordshire County Council