Access to Internships (A2I)

Employers, please visit our Employer Facing Page

Access to Internships (A2I) provides support and funding to help Exeter students arrange a paid internship in the UK. Students can apply for one employer subsidy and one 'Help Getting to Work' bursary, if eligible, per year.

We can help you:

  • to identify potential internship employers in your chosen sector
  • make an effective approach to request a paid internship
  • by providing generous funding to offset the cost of an internship

Register Your Interest for the 24-25 Scheme 

If you would like to be notified when applications for funding open, please complete this form.  This form is purely an expression of interest and NOT a funding application.

We will let you know once funding applications are open and further details of the upcoming year's funding. 

Student Widening Participation (WP) Funding:

This funding is available for undergraduate students at the University of Exeter who meet the Widening Participation (WP) criteria. You can check the Widening Participation (WP) funding page for the full eligibility criteria and further information.

Other A2i Funding Sources:

Other funding may be available to support employers who have recruited as part of the SBP scheme and applies to non-WP students.  Funding through the Southwest Funded Internships Scheme is usually available from January to May. You can learn more here or you can arrange a meeting with the Employment Schemes Manager by contacting a2i@exeter.ac.uk

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 you want to undertake
  2. Identify potential internship employers that are eligible - you can contact a2i@exeter.ac.uk for a list of employers who may have opportunities available.
  3. Approach employers or recruiting managers (you can use templates in the guide below) to ask if they can offer you an internship, letting them know that the university will fund your pay.
  4. Once you have confirmed your internship with the employer, complete an application form to apply for funding (when funding applications are open). 

You can discover further advice and tips by reading our 'How to arrange a paid internship' guide. 

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 have read the  guide and 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 that you are interested in 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 the Student Widening Participation (WP) Funding webpage.

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 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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