Bicester is set to benefit from a national programme aimed at boosting business and making enterprise more sustainable.

'Impact October' aims to provide support and advice to help businesses improve their social and environmental impact.

The programme will reach the area at 10am on October 16, with workshops and one-to-one surgeries at the Perch Eco Business Centre in Elmsbrook.

Spaces are limited and businesses keen to participate can sign up on the Perch Eco website.

The session will help businesses determine their sustainability score, which measures their performance in terms of people, planet, and profit.

They will then have the opportunity to discuss their specific challenges and explore ways to grow more efficiently.

Shola Osunde from Town Square Spaces, which operates the Perch Eco Business Centre and is leading the initiative alongside Profit Impact, said: "There is a misconception that being a sustainable business means you must forgo making a profit and instead operate as a special enterprise or charity - but this isn’t the case.

"There are many ways that companies can make themselves more sustainable and that isn’t limited to the environment, be it quick wins that help reduce waste, right the way through to longer-term strategies like growing local supply chains and working with your community."

He added: “For us, it’s all about helping businesses grow by connecting to and enriching the local economies around them.

"So often that happens by reaching out to the communities and building supply chains and ecosystems that make a genuine difference to those living and working around them.

"That way, success is shared and leads to further collaboration, which, in our experience, is what leads to sustainable businesses.”

The workshops will be held in Tunbridge Wells, Kingston, Bicester, and Hereford, with a different focus topic each week.

Businesses can participate in the workshops at other locations remotely and attend the in-person sessions when Impact October visits their town.

Sarah Whale, managing director at sustainability advisors Profit Impact, will be delivering the workshops.

She said: "It’s often thought that sustainability is just for big companies, but actually there is a lot of growth and opportunity for all.

"The path to sustainability may seem challenging for SMEs with limited resources, but it’s completely doable with the right guidance.

"Those looking to take part in Impact October can take our scorecard quiz before them, and then we can guide them through how to become a more sustainable business, financially, socially and environmentally."

Impact October is inspired by the B Corp initiative, a growing movement of certification helping companies navigate their social and environmental impact.