UWE Bristol internship scheme 2026/27
About the scheme
Now in its 16th year, the UWE Bristol Internship Scheme connects talented students with employers, helping organisations access skilled student talent while providing students with valuable professional experience.
The scheme offers funding towards intern wages and is open to UK SMEs, micro-organisations, charities, social enterprises and public sector organisations based in the South West of England.
By hosting an intern, you can bring fresh ideas, new perspectives and additional capacity to support your organisation's projects and growth, while helping a student develop their skills, confidence and career aspirations.
How the scheme works
Submit your proposal form
Complete an Internship Proposal Form to apply for funding. All proposals are assessed against the aims of the scheme, and submitting a proposal does not guarantee that funding will be awarded.
Advertise and run your internship
Once funding has been confirmed, submit your internship opportunity to CareerHub, where it will be advertised to UWE Bristol students. You manage the recruitment process and select the candidate who best meets your organisation's needs.
Offer a flexible, part-time internship of 148 hours that fits around a student's studies. Remote, hybrid and in-person opportunities are all welcome. You'll provide mentoring, training and day-to-day support to help your intern develop their skills and confidence.
Pay your intern
You employ and pay your intern through your normal payroll processes (PAYE), either weekly or monthly, as you would any other employee.
Interns must be paid at least the Real Living Wage (the 2026/27 rate will be confirmed in October 2026).
Once the internship has been completed and the required documentation has been received, UWE Bristol will reimburse your organisation with the agreed wage subsidy.
The UWE Bristol subsidy contributes towards your intern's wages for the 148-hour internship. The subsidy does not cover additional employment costs, such as National Insurance contributions, travel expenses, equipment or any other costs associated with employing the intern. Host organisations are expected to meet these costs.
The subsidy by the University is a drawdown of grant funding under the UWE internship scheme and as such it is not a consideration for any supply and therefore this payment should not attract any VAT (zero rated).
Support from UWE Bristol
We'll support you throughout the internship and are on hand to answer questions or provide guidance whenever you need it.
Our dedicated Internship Team will:
- guide you through setting up your internship, including advertising, paperwork and funding processes
- support both you and your intern throughout the internship
- be available to answer any questions before, during and after the internship.
How to apply
To apply for funding through the UWE Bristol Internship Scheme, please complete an Internship Proposal Form by 18 November 2026.
Submitting a proposal does not guarantee that funding will be awarded.
We'll notify applicants of the outcome during the week of 14 December 2026. Successful applicants can then submit their internship opportunity for advertising and begin recruiting.
All approved internships submitted ahead of the scheme launch will be promoted to UWE Bristol students from 25 January 2027, benefiting from the increased visibility and student engagement generated by the annual launch campaign.
Employers can also choose to advertise their internship at a later date, depending on their recruitment needs.
Internships can take place at any point during the academic year and must be completed by 31 July 2027.
Funding and eligibility
UWE Bristol provides a wage subsidy for 148-hour internships, paid at the Real Living Wage through your organisation’s PAYE or payroll.
Eligible organisations must be based in South West England (Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset) and fall into one of the categories below.
Micro organisations – 100% wage subsidy
Micro organisations are defined by employing fewer that 10 employees and an annual turnover of less than £1 million. UWE Bristol provides a 100% subsidy towards the intern's wages for a 148-hour internship.
SMEs – 50% wage subsidy
SMEs are defined by employing between 11-249 staff and an annual turnover of less than £50 million. UWE Bristol provides a 50% subsidy towards the intern's wages for a 148-hour internship. The host organisation funds the remaining 50%.
UK charities, social enterprises, and public sector organisations - 100% wage subsidy
UWE Bristol provides a 100% subsidy towards the intern's wages for a 148-hour internship for these workplaces.
How funding decisions are made
Funding for the UWE Bristol Internship Scheme is limited, so all proposals are assessed against the aims of the scheme. Submitting a proposal does not guarantee funding.
We particularly seek to support internships that:
- increase access to meaningful, paid work experience for UWE Bristol students
- provide opportunities across a broad range of sectors, including specialist, emerging, competitive and non-traditional fields
- help reduce barriers to professional experience, particularly in the charity and third sectors, where opportunities can be limited, inaccessible or traditionally unpaid
- enable students to apply and develop knowledge and skills gained through their studies
- offer structured, high-quality experiences with clear learning outcomes, supervision and opportunities for professional development.
Examples may include opportunities in creative industries, illustration and animation, heritage and culture, law, environmental projects, research and specialist technical fields and social sciences.
Further information
What about marketing, social media and business support roles?
We receive a high volume of proposals for marketing, social media and general business support internships. To ensure the scheme supports a broad range of disciplines and provides opportunities across different sectors, funding may be prioritised for internships in areas that are less commonly available to students or where paid opportunities are harder to access.
Marketing, social media and business support internships are still welcome and organisations are encouraged to submit a proposal form. However, due to the volume of applications received, these opportunities may be less likely to receive funding and may need to be fully funded by the organisation.
How many internships can my organisation apply for?
Approved organisations may have one funded internship per academic year.
Can I have an intern in summer 2027?
Internships can take place from February 2027 and must be completed by 31 July 2027. Therefore, opportunities that take place during summer months are possible.
What sort of work is suitable for an intern?
The internship should provide a meaningful opportunity for the student to develop and demonstrate professional skills, knowledge, and confidence, while receiving mentoring and support from your organisation. It should also help them build experience, understanding of the workplace, and professional networks.
Examples of suitable projects include:
- Delivering a defined project or piece of work with clear outcomes
- Developing or improving a service, process or new idea.
- Undertaking research, analysis, or problem-solving activity.
- Supporting project delivery, coordination, stakeholder engagement, or administration.
- Applying specialist knowledge from their degree, such as creative writing, laboratory work, software development, engineering or film production.
How do I check an intern has the right to work in the UK?
You can recruit UWE Bristol undergraduate and 2027 graduate who has the right to work alongside their studies, including international students. UK students that graduated in 2026 are also eligible.
You should carry out right to work checks as you would for any employee. International students will usually have evidence of their permission to work through their passport or immigration status documentation.
If you are unsure, you can use the UK Government's online right to work checking service or call the Employer Enquiry Helpline on +44 (0)300 123 5434.
Does the intern accrue paid holiday?
Yes. Interns accrue paid holiday entitlement, including bank holidays, on a pro-rata basis. A typical 148-hour internship includes approximately:
- 132 hours paid working time
- 16 hours paid holiday and bank holiday entitlement
Holiday entitlement will be adjusted if the internship ends early.
Can an intern work more or less than 12–14 hours per week?
During term time, we recommend that interns work around 12–14 hours per week to balance their studies and employment.
During university vacation periods, hours can be increased, provided the internship does not exceed the total allocation of 148 hours. If employing an international student, you should check that any increase in hours complies with their visa conditions.
Why does the organisation have to be based in the South-West of England?
The 2026/27 scheme is designed to provide UWE Bristol students and graduates with high-quality internship opportunities while strengthening links between the University and employers within our region. As a result, organisations must be based in the South West of England (Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset) to be eligible to participate.
Many universities offer similar internship and graduate recruitment programmes for employers in their local areas, and it may be worth exploring opportunities with institutions closer to your organisation.
You can also advertise vacancies funded by your organisation on InfoHub, which is our free platform for advertising roles to UWE Bristol students and graduates.
Contact the Internships Team
If you have any further questions, please contact the Internships Team at uweinternships@uwe.ac.uk.
You may also be interested in
Careers and enterprise employer events
Find out about careers and enterprise employer related events including employers fairs, industry Q&A panels, workshops and competitions.
Recruiting student and graduate talent
Providing talent for your business is our business - find out about recruiting UWE Bristol graduates and students.