Student Widening Participation (WP) Funding:

This funding is available for undergraduate students at the University of Exeter who meet the Widening Participation Criteria. Full eligibility criteria, application details, and further guidance can be found on the Widening Participation (WP) funding page.

If you have secured an internship and are ready to apply, you'll need to complete the funding application form on the Widening Participation (WP) funding page.

Funding is allocated on a first come first serve basis and will be allocated once your eligibility and your employers eligibility has been confirmed. Applications will close once all available funding has been allocated.

Postgraduate Taught Student Funding: 

This funding is available for postgraduate taught students at the University of Exeter who are from underrepresented backgrounds. Full eligibility criteria, application details, and further guidance can be found on the Postgraduate Taught Student Funding page.

If you have secured an internship and are ready to apply, you'll need to complete the funding application form on the Postgraduate Funding Page.

Funding is allocated on a first come first serve basis and will be allocated once your eligibility and your employers eligibility has been confirmed. Applications will close once all available funding has been allocated.

To arrange your own internship you will need to undertake the following 4 steps:

1. Identify the sector you want to work in and the type of role that interests you.

2. Identify potential internship employers and key contacts to approach - the A2i team can provide a list of employers who are open to being approached by you, if needed. 

3. Approach the employer to ask if they can offer you an internship, and mention that you have funding attached to you to cover your pay. 

Undergraduate WP Students, you might find it helpful to use the following template emails when reaching out to employers:

• Academics or Professional Services teams: UOE Internships - Template Email 80 or 140 hours
• SMEs, Charities, or Statutory Organisations: External Employers - Template Email 80 or 140 hours
• You can discover further advice and tips by reading our 'How to arrange a paid internship' guide. 

Postgraduate Taught Students, you might find it helpful to use the following template email when reaching out to employers for a research role:

• SMEs, Charities, or Statutory Organisations: Speculative Application Email Template for an External Company 

4. When you have received a positive response from the employer, you can complete the Funding Application form found on the relevant funding page above.‌

If you need help or advice with CVs, Covering Letters, or your LinkedIn profile, the Help with CVs, Cover Letters, and Applications page outlines the various ways the Career Zone can help, including appointments, events and resources.

Further Help

If you have any queries about the funding, including internship or employer eligibility, contact the team at a2i@exeter.ac.uk

If you would like further support to arrange your own internship, you can request an appointment with a dedicated Careers Consultant who can provide one-to-one careers advice and guidance. You can book an appointment by speaking to an Information Assistant via the live chat feature on this webpage, or by contacting the team via email at careers@exeter.ac.uk - please mention what A2I funding you are interested in - undergraduate or postgraduate A2i funding. 

Before you complete an application, your internship must be confirmed and you, and the employer must be eligible for the funding.  The internship role must also be challenging enough for you to gain useful skills and experience that could help you in your future career.

For further information about eligibility and how you can apply, you can visit either the Student Widening Participation (WP) Funding webpage or the Postgraduate Taught Funding Page.

You can learn about previous A2i internships, the different employers, and the skills and experience students have gained by looking through our bank of case studies.

If you would like to see some answers to frequently asked questions please see our FAQ pages:

Undergraduate WP Funding: FAQ page.

Postgraduate Taught Funding: FAQ's - please see the box towards the bottom of the page

If you have any queries, you can contact the team at a2i@exeter.ac.uk

• The intern must allow us to share their details, details of the company and the internship with the funders; University of Exeter Widening Participation Team and the Internships team.

• All parties must agree to the A2i Terms and Conditions as outlined in the A2i Internship agreements.‌

• Students can apply for a maximum of one employer subsidy and one WP 'help getting to work' bursary (if eligible), per year. However, if the student has secured an advertised internship as part of the SBP scheme and the internships team has offered the employer funding to help recruit an Exeter student, then this will not count towards the student’s allocation of A2i funding.

• Students and employers cannot apply for further funding to either extend an intern or employ the same student.

• Employers cannot combine or apply for more than one A2i subsidy; Widening Participation or Southwest Funded Internship for the same internship.

• Funding will be transfered to an employer once the internship has been confirmed and approved, and once the A2i Internship Agreement has been fully signed and returned.

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