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Oxford: spending over £500

Last updated . Figures refresh every night. How each figure is worked out.

Oxford published 21,422 payments of £500 or more between July 2025 and June 2026, worth £158.0m in all, to 935 suppliers. The largest total went to OXFORD DIRECT SERVICES LTD: £32.9m across 636 payments. These are the council's own published records; the gaps in them are listed below.

Key figures

  • £158.0mPaid in payments of £500 or more, latest year
  • 21,422Payments
  • 935Suppliers
  • 12 of 12Months with payments published

What the council published

  1. Julpublished
  2. Augpublished
  3. Septpublished
  4. Octpublished
  5. Novpublished
  6. Decpublished
  7. Janpublished
  8. Febpublished
  9. Marpublished
  10. Aprpublished
  11. Maypublished
  12. Junpublished

Gaps and problems in the data, as published:

  • 2.5% of payments (£1,863,912) have the supplier name withheld or redacted by the council, usually because the payee is an individual.

Top 50 suppliers by value

Oxford: the 50 suppliers paid most, July 2025 to June 2026
SupplierPaidPayments
OXFORD DIRECT SERVICES LTD
Details
£32,937,559636
Payments
636
OXFORD DIRECT SERVICES LTD - (QL ONLY)
Details
£32,452,02810,189
Payments
10,189
EQUANS REGENERATION LTD
Details
£7,608,74915
Payments
15
BROWNE JACOBSON LLP
Details
£5,586,01635
Payments
35
OXFORD CITY HOUSING (DEVELOPMENT) LTD
Details
£4,404,97419
Payments
19
OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Details
£4,355,792109
Payments
109
LIFE BUILD SOLUTIONS LTD
Details
£2,683,82112
Payments
12
BLAKE MORGAN LLP
Details
£2,662,84215
Payments
15
SCC (SPECIALIST COMPUTER CENTRES PLC)
Details
£2,438,241143
Payments
143
ZURICH MUNICIPAL
Details
£2,434,50314
Payments
14
REED SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT LTD
Details
£2,261,089143
Payments
143
GENERAL EXPENSES
Details
£2,252,865214
Payments
214
HILL RESIDENTIAL LTD
Details
£1,958,0767
Payments
7
MARICK REAL ESTATE LTD
Details
£1,868,4181
Payments
1
Names withheld by the council
Details
£1,863,912534
Payments
534
SHARED SERVICES CONNECTED LTD
Details
£1,657,6905
Payments
5
NPOWER
Details
£1,637,737708
Payments
708
HAYS SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT LTD
Details
£1,458,791758
Payments
758
GRAHAM ROSE LTD
Details
£1,177,441514
Payments
514
FUSION LETS LIMITED
Details
£1,016,656201
Payments
201
CBRE LTD
Details
£966,8245
Payments
5
CONNECTION SUPPORT
Details
£924,81223
Payments
23
EASY HOTEL OXFORD OPCO LTD
Details
£879,55816
Payments
16
PEABODY TRUST
Details
£863,8447
Payments
7
CIVICA UK LTD
Details
£857,79111
Payments
11
HOMELESS OXFORDSHIRE LTD
Details
£832,77922
Payments
22
GRANT PAYMENTS
Details
£719,040233
Payments
233
HOUSING PAYMENTS
Details
£665,269149
Payments
149
VIVID RESOURCING, A DIVISION OF G2V RECRUITMENT GR
Details
£627,604282
Payments
282
SOFTWAREONE UK LTD
Details
£553,5881
Payments
1
SERCO LEISURE OPERATING LTD
Details
£527,8575
Payments
5
ASYLUM WELCOME
Details
£521,34748
Payments
48
PAYE STONEWORK & RESTORATION LTD
Details
£516,09817
Payments
17
NKS CONTRACTS CENTRAL LTD
Details
£512,79875
Payments
75
OXFORD DIRECT SERVICES TRADING LTD
Details
£497,150103
Payments
103
BALFOUR BEATTY CIVIL ENGINEERING LTD
Details
£495,95812
Payments
12
NUFFIELD COLLEGE
Details
£494,2262
Payments
2
TOTAL GAS & POWER LTD
Details
£484,460270
Payments
270
FURNISHED HOMES (UNDERLEY FURNISHINGS) LTD
Details
£480,971249
Payments
249
ST MUNGOS
Details
£480,44762
Payments
62
A2 DOMINION GROUP
Details
£465,88214
Payments
14
ERNST & YOUNG LLP
Details
£465,7047
Payments
7
VODAFONE LIMITED (CORPORATE)
Details
£459,60722
Payments
22
BUCKINGHAM HOTEL
Details
£452,36717
Payments
17
SURESERVE FIRE & ELECTRICAL LTD
Details
£443,002136
Payments
136
ASPIRE OXFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE LTD
Details
£430,78031
Payments
31
OXWED LTD C/O CHASTON COMMERCIAL
Details
£400,0003
Payments
3
MFP LETTINGS
Details
£362,85022
Payments
22
PSL PRINT MANAGEMENT LTD
Details
£336,01735
Payments
35
RAMADA OXFORD
Details
£330,2588
Payments
8

Spending by category (our classification)

Payments this site classifies into each category from the supplier and the council's description; most payments fall into none. The rules are on the methodology page.

Oxford: payments by category (our classification)
Show as a table
Oxford: payments by category (our classification)
NamePaid
1. Large outsourcing and contracting firms£8,920,788
2. Consultancy and agency staff£7,527,505
3. Legal fees£6,259,711
4. Payments to other councils and public bodies£5,469,363
5. IT and software£3,348,995
6. Communications and PR£317,617
7. Catering and hospitality£19,888
8. Conferences and events£14,635
Payments to other councils and public bodies: largest suppliers

The supplier is another council, a police, fire or NHS body, a government department or agency, or a pension fund.

  1. OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL: £4,355,792 (109 payments)
  2. CHERWELL DISTRICT COUNCIL: £308,875 (4 payments)
  3. OLD MARSTON PARISH COUNCIL: £191,979 (4 payments)
  4. LITTLEMORE PARISH COUNCIL: £160,792 (3 payments)
  5. OXFORD HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST: £133,601 (1 payment)
  6. SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL: £106,426 (5 payments)
  7. RISINGHURST & SANDHILLS PARISH COUNCIL: £74,600 (3 payments)
  8. BLACKBIRD LEYS PARISH COUNCIL: £55,749 (2 payments)
  9. HMRC: £23,567 (10 payments)
  10. OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL PENSION FUND: £23,317 (1 payment)
Large outsourcing and contracting firms: largest suppliers

The supplier is one of a named list of large firms that run council services under contract. A payment to one is often a routine instalment on a long contract.

  1. EQUANS REGENERATION LTD: £7,608,749 (15 payments)
  2. SERCO LEISURE OPERATING LTD: £527,857 (5 payments)
  3. BALFOUR BEATTY CIVIL ENGINEERING LTD: £495,958 (12 payments)
  4. VINCI CONSTRUCTION UK LTD: £274,148 (10 payments)
  5. MITIE PROPERTY SERVICES (UK) LTD: £14,076 (3 payments)
Legal fees: largest suppliers

The supplier is a law firm or chambers, or the council describes the payment as legal fees, counsel or court fees.

  1. BROWNE JACOBSON LLP: £5,586,016 (35 payments)
  2. Mishcon de Reya LLP: £281,383 (7 payments)
  3. QUALITY SOLICITORS TRUEMANS: £200,096 (1 payment)
  4. GELDARDS LLP: £48,332 (17 payments)
  5. Francis Taylor Building: £30,755 (8 payments)
  6. BEVAN BRITTAN LLP: £28,105 (8 payments)
  7. DYE & DURHAM (UK) LIMITED: £18,116 (22 payments)
  8. TURPIN & MILLER SOLICITORS: £17,501 (2 payments)
  9. DWF LAW LLP: £12,135 (5 payments)
  10. Names withheld by the council: £6,907 (2 payments)
Consultancy and agency staff: largest suppliers

The supplier is a recruitment agency or consultancy on a named list, or the council describes the payment as consultancy, agency or interim staff, or professional fees.

  1. REED SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT LTD: £2,261,089 (143 payments)
  2. HAYS SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT LTD: £1,458,791 (758 payments)
  3. ERNST & YOUNG LLP: £465,704 (7 payments)
  4. TILE HILL INTERIM & EXECUTIVE LTD: £328,249 (27 payments)
  5. INNER CIRCLE CONSULTING LIMITED: £304,159 (12 payments)
  6. BDO LLP: £172,975 (10 payments)
  7. CARTER JONAS: £144,106 (13 payments)
  8. SAVILLS UK LTD: £128,595 (3 payments)
  9. VENN GROUP: £115,731 (51 payments)
  10. TMD BUILDING CONSULTANCY LTD: £105,423 (29 payments)
IT and software: largest suppliers

The supplier is on a named list of IT and telecoms firms, or the council describes the payment as software, licences, IT, hardware, hosting or telephony.

  1. CIVICA UK LTD: £857,791 (11 payments)
  2. SOFTWAREONE UK LTD: £553,588 (1 payment)
  3. VODAFONE LIMITED (CORPORATE): £459,607 (22 payments)
  4. IDOX SOFTWARE LTD: £243,495 (17 payments)
  5. EMBRIDGE CONSULTING UK LTD: £226,970 (1 payment)
  6. VODAFONE LTD: £142,013 (11 payments)
  7. PHOENIX SOFTWARE LTD: £140,821 (14 payments)
  8. MIDLAND HR: £87,748 (14 payments)
  9. JAAMA LTD: £74,345 (2 payments)
  10. METASTREET LTD: £72,225 (2 payments)
Communications and PR: largest suppliers

The council describes the payment as advertising, marketing, publicity or public relations. Recruitment and statutory notices are left out.

  1. ASPIRE OXFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE LTD: £159,151 (5 payments)
  2. People Scout Limited: £38,499 (43 payments)
  3. LINKEDIN IRELAND UNLIMITED COMPANY: £23,575 (1 payment)
  4. NEWSQUEST MEDIA GROUP: £15,561 (4 payments)
  5. IMAGE HOUSE ASSOCIATES LTD: £15,172 (2 payments)
  6. Bauer Media Audio UK Formerly Jack FM: £10,000 (1 payment)
  7. FORTITUDE COMMUNICATIONS LTD: £10,000 (1 payment)
  8. ALLEN & YORK (PROFESSIONAL & TECHNICAL) LTD: £9,009 (1 payment)
  9. GRAHAM ROSE LTD: £6,465 (1 payment)
  10. XIST2 T/A SYSTEMS APPLICATION CONSULTING LTD: £4,270 (3 payments)
Conferences and events: largest suppliers

The council describes the payment as a conference, seminar, exhibition, event or venue hire.

  1. Ocean Media Group Ltd: £7,944 (2 payments)
  2. THE ASSOCIATION OF ELECTORAL ADMINSTRATORS: £1,620 (1 payment)
  3. HOUSING PAYMENTS: £1,150 (1 payment)
  4. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION: £1,098 (1 payment)
  5. HAYMARKET ADVERTISEMENT: £1,060 (1 payment)
  6. THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION: £665 (1 payment)
  7. LG FUTURES LTD: £595 (1 payment)
  8. THE OXFORDSHIRE TAXI COMPANY LIMITED: £503 (1 payment)
Catering and hospitality: largest suppliers

The council describes the payment as catering, hospitality or refreshments. School meals are left out.

  1. ELEGANT CUISINE: £13,565 (10 payments)
  2. GENERAL EXPENSES: £3,200 (2 payments)
  3. WASTE 2 TASTE LTD: £2,478 (2 payments)
  4. THE KING'S CENTRE: £645 (1 payment)

Spending by the council's own service areas

Oxford: payments by service area, as the council labels them
Show as a table
Oxford: payments by service area, as the council labels them
NamePaid
1. HRA£63,096,545
2. Oxford Direct Services Client£29,807,106
3. Housing Services£16,549,862
4. Corporate Property£13,183,611
5. Information & Technology£8,197,581
6. Communities & Citizen Services£5,991,985
7. Suspense£5,739,779
8. Economy, Regeneration & Sustainability£4,071,116
9. Planning & Regulatory Services£2,941,972
10. Financial Services£2,042,978
11. Local Cost Of Benefits£1,652,015
12. Law and Governance£1,431,099
13. Direct Services£837,189
14. Chief Executive£749,052
15. Transfer to Balance Sheet£455,000
16. People£448,322
17. Community Safety£387,560
18. Funding£291,732
19. General Fund£89,544
20. Corporate Strategy£78,967

Who is paid for grounds, street cleaning, roads and bins?

The suppliers paid most for each kind of work, where the council's own labels say what the payment was for (our matching). A council that does the work with its own staff pays mostly wages, which are not in this data, so a short list here can mean the work is done in-house.

Parks and open spaces (including play areas): largest suppliers
Show as a table
Parks and open spaces (including play areas): largest suppliers
NamePaid
1. OXFORD DIRECT SERVICES LTD£360,221
2. OXFORD DIRECT SERVICES LTD - (QL ONLY)£237,933
3. OXFORD AND DISTRICT FEDERATION OF ALLOTMENT ASSOCIATIONS£8,472
4. OCC ST BARNABAS CE (AIDED) PRIMARY£2,616
Waste collection: largest suppliers
Show as a table
Waste collection: largest suppliers
NamePaid
1. OXFORD DIRECT SERVICES LTD£129,809
2. OXFORD DIRECT SERVICES TRADING LTD£70,305
3. ESOTEC LIMITED (T/A CDS LTD)£6,612

Consultancy and agency against the pay bill

Payments we classify as consultancy and agency staff came to 13.0% of Oxford's own staff costs in its 2025-26 revenue return, against a median of 14.9% for the other district councils in England read so far. The payments and the staff costs come from different sources and periods, so this is a guide to scale.

What this data does and doesn't show

  • It is the council's own record of payments of £500 or more. It leaves out salaries, most staff costs and many internal costs, so it is not the council's whole spending.
  • Descriptions are the council's own and vary in quality; some are codes, some are blank, and some supplier names are withheld to protect individuals.
  • A large payment to one supplier is often a routine instalment on a long contract that was tendered openly.
  • The categories and the matching to services are this site's classification from keywords, not the council's. The rules are on the methodology page.

Sources

Oxford, spending over £500, published here. Licence as the council states it: not stated. Checked 2026-09-24; files read 2026-09-29.

Every file read (5)

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