The Gateway To Work Experience Bursary

This year, we are encouraging applications from those with little to no work experience. Our full eligibility criteria follows:

The Gateway to Work Experience Bursary is open to:

• Birmingham Scholars, defined as:
  • Students in receipt of a Pathways to Birmingham - (P2B) which includes the programmes Access to Birmingham, Routes to the Professions, National Access Summer School
  • Students in receipt of a Realising Opportunities offer
  • Students in receipt of a Sanctuary Scholarship
  • Care experienced or Care Leavers 
• And/or students who have a home address in an IMD Quintile 1 (indices of multiple deprivation, IMD Deciles 1 and 2, lowest 20%) neighbourhood*

*If your home address is in Northern Ireland you will need to contact us with your home postcode so that we can check your eligibility to apply. You can use the post-code checker above to see whether you are eligible to apply. 

You could receive up to £1,000 if you're undertaking unpaid or low-paid work experience (paid at or below the National Minimum Wage). The amount depends on your circumstances, the opportunity, and your funding needs. Funds are limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The bursary supports:

• Unpaid or low-paid professional development (e.g. work experience, shadowing, summer programmes, internships)
• Career insight opportunities (e.g. insight days/weeks, conferences)
• Interviews 

You can apply for help with costs related to these experiences, including:

• Accommodation: up to £120/night (e.g. university halls, budget hotels)
• Travel (UK only): bus, train, ferry, domestic flights, tram, metro, coach
• Formal work clothing: up to £150 total
• Conference fees
• Dependent care costs (if not covered elsewhere) 

What the Bursary will not fund

• International experiences and associated costs
• Bills
• Food
• Non-observational ‘hands-on’ work experience, unless insurance/indemnity from a relevant professional body covers this (see Terms and Conditions)
• Retrospective applications for this bursary, or those for opportunities in academic year 2026/27
• Programme fees and any other costs associated with international work experience
• Work experience or internships considered to conflict with the principles or policies of the University or the Student charter. More information on the University’s charter can be found on the University Legislation webpage.

*Note: If you receive funding this year, you cannot reapply for The Gateway to Work Experience Bursary within the same academic year.

The bursary is open from September 2025, until June 2026 (the closing date is subject to budget).

• A panel will review your application in the first week of every month (the last review being June). Funds are therefore granted monthly. You should expect to hear of an outcome after the panel meets, in the following week or soon after.
• You will not be chased for missing or unclear information submitted to the application form, so ensure that the application is filled thoroughly.

Please ensure the required documents listed on the Bursary Documentation page are completed and submitted to the application form where requested. Ensure the file is titled by your Student ID and full-name e.g. ‘123456 – NAME – Provider Declaration’

1. Provider Declaration - contact your work experience provider to complete this form for health and safety purposes
2. Budget Template - for you to complete 

Ensure you have also retained the following for the application:

• Confirmation of work experience (e.g. letter with start, end and if applicable, pay description)
• Confirmation of event you are attending (e.g. booking email)
• Screenshots of evidence relating to funds e.g. of a train ticket you will be booking with the funds granted by this bursary. These screenshots will go into the budget template.

The link for the application can be found below:

• Application form

 
If you are a disabled or neurodivergent student and would benefit from additional support in completing your Gateway to Work Experience Bursary application, please contact workexperience@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

• The experience does not exceed the recommended hours of work in term-time (a maximum of 20 hours per week).

• The experience must not compromise your health and safety, or that of those around you.
• If you are due to attend a health / medical related opportunity, you understand that these are observational opportunities only. Students are not to engage in any hands-on involvement. This is because the University’s insurance policy does not cover you for indemnity. However, if you’re a member of a relevant professional body, such as, but not exclusively, the MDU or Royal College of Nursing  they may be able to arrange this type of policy for you. Please make yourself aware of any relevant exclusions.  
• If you are covered for clinical indemnity or have arranged this policy with your relevant professional body, we will need to see evidence to be able to provide Gateway funds.
• It must not endorse illegal activity. 
• The organisation has the required Public Liability and Employers insurances in place, a Health & Safety Policy, Equal Opportunities Policy and has conducted a risk assessment to minimise possible risks to you.
• The experience must not ask you to undertake illegal activity in the UK or internationally
• It must not be from (or associated with) the tobacco or vaping Industries, the sex industry or pyramid style selling schemes.
• The work experience does not require you to work in a private residential address that is not your own.
• You have structured supervision in place, to ensure you are fully briefed, assisted and regularly receive feedback on your progress. 
• You complete the post-programme evaluation form, to help you reflect on your experience and how beneficial you found the bursary. Your evaluation is vital to help assess whether funds should be committed again.

• Student Development Scholarships - for all undergraduates and postgraduates undertaking worthwhile and original vacation projects (in the UK or abroad), which do not constitute an examinable part of their degree programme. This award is not available to students who are fully funded, for example through scholarships, Research Council awards or equivalent.
• Students who apply through Go Global Summer will be assessed for Turing grant funding and international Gateway as part of the same application process via the Go Global team. Priority will be given to students from widening participation backgrounds. Placements must have a minimum duration of 4 weeks (a minimum of 28 days including travel).
  For any enquiries regarding international opportunities, please contact goglobalsummer@contacts.bham.ac.uk. Turing Funds also offer extra support for students with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Additional sources of funding for work experience can be found reviewing our ‘Alternative sources of funding’ webpage and the Undergraduate Funding Database to explore other funding options that may support you, or to contact the CN internships team for more information.
• Postgraduates are not eligible for The Gateway to Work Experience Bursary. If you are a postgraduate student with an Access Scholarship, please visit the Postgraduate Work Experience Bursary webpage.

For more information about how the University aims to improve access, provide equal opportunities and enable progress through higher education and in to graduate levels roles click here: Widening Participation and Access - University of Birmingham

If you have any questions, contact the Careers Network bursaries team via workexperience@contact.bham.ac.uk.