Funded internships — Productivity through Innovation

Innovate with new talent

Do you have ideas about how your business or organisation could innovate, but lack the skills or time to be able to deliver them? We are now offering funding and recruitment support to help you employ graduates and undergraduates as interns for up to 400 hours, which could help boost the capacity and skillset within your team. 

This funding is offered through Productivity through Innovation, an ERDF-funded programme which aims to help organisations improve their performance, productivity or market competitiveness. There are certain eligibility criteria you need to meet.

Grants for Graduates

Graduate internships – 400 hours (part-funded)

Employ a graduate for 400 hours and we will pay £1000 towards the cost. We can also offer free recruitment support – such as helping to write the job description and advertising the role — if you would like us to.  

Your intern can be a graduate of any university (it doesn't have to be Derby) but they do need to have graduated in the last three years. 

They will need to be carrying out work that has an element of technical innovation and contributes to improving the performance or productivity of your organisation. For example, they could be:

• analysing data for strategic development
• developing and optimising your marketing technology
• developing and validating your new designs/products.

Your company will need to pay the graduate direct and we will pay the £1000 when the 400 hours have been completed.

Undergraduate internships – 80 hours (fully-funded)

Employ an undergraduate student from the University of Derby for 80 hours, at no cost to you. We can also offer free recruitment support to help you find the right person. 

The student will need to be carrying out work that has an element of technical innovation and contributes to improving the performance or productivity of your organisation. One of our research or technical experts may also be able to help guide the student's work.

In addition, we would pay the student directly, making it hassle-free for your company.

Are you eligible?

To qualify for this scheme, you must be a local small or medium-sized enterprise or charity. This means:

• organisations with up to 250 employees
• that have an annual turnover of up to €50 million
• that are located in the D2N2 area (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham or Nottinghamshire).