White City Internship Fund

1. Project Registration

To apply to the scheme, all interested businesses must complete a Project Registration Form (available from early Spring). Submitted forms will be reviewed by a selection panel against the scheme criteria and available funding will be allocated on a rolling basis until the advertised deadline.

2. Project Scoping

If selected for funding, we will support you to fully scope the project and outline the skills and experience required for the role. You will have sign-off on the final job description before advertising. 

3. Advertising

Once the job description is confirmed, the opportunity will be advertised on your behalf via the 'Exclusive Opportunities' section of our online careers portal, JobsLive . All internship roles will be advertised for a minimum of two weeks. The Placement and Internship Unit will monitor applications throughout this period and publicise the internship to eligible students and graduates through various marketing channels. 

4. Shortlisting  

The Placement and Internship Unit will download and share all applicant's CVs and application forms with you. If you select in your Project Registration Form that you would like shortlisting assistance, the Placement and Internship Unit will shortlist the applications and provide you with the applications of the most suitable candidates based on the criteria outlined in the job description.  

5. Interviews

Once you’ve reviewed the applications, you will be able to contact your preferred candidates to arrange interviews at your convenience. Once you have selected your intern, please advise the Placement and Internship Unit of your decision and directly provide feedback to the unsuccessful interviewees. 

6. Agreements

Once you have confirmed with your intern their start date, hours/days of work and total salary, the Placement and Internship Unit will send a Funding Agreement to the host to be signed. Please note; this is not an employment contract, full details of the internship should be confirmed in a separate agreement between the intern and the company. 

7. Invoicing

The host organisation will pay the intern their salary directly through the company. An invoice should be sent to Imperial College London for the White City Internship Fund contribution once agreements have been signed (usually before the end of July).

Hosting an intern through the White City Internship Fund offers businesses a unique opportunity to access top talent, drive innovation, and build valuable connections with Imperial College London. Whether you’re looking for fresh insights, additional project support, or a pipeline for future hires, participating in the Fund delivers a range of benefits:

• Access high-calibre STEMB talent from Imperial College London.
• Gain fresh perspectives and innovative ideas from students.
• Utilise cost-effective, short-term project support with financial support.
• Build a strong talent pipeline and assess potential future hires.
• Support diversity and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• Benefit from full recruitment and administrative support from Imperial Careers Service.
• Leverage student insights to refine graduate attraction strategies.
• Enhance visibility and foster strong collaborations.

In order to be eligible, your organisation must be;

• Registered with a physical office or lab space in Scale Space White City or I-HUB. If you do not meet this eligibility criteria, please visit the SME Internship Fund page for alternative support. 

In order to be eligible, the project must be;

• A minimum of eight weeks in duration
• A minimum of 15 hours per week
• Delivered between July - September (some flexibility accepted for Master/PhD hires)
• Paid London Living Wage or higher
• Offered to an Imperial student or graduate
• Suitable for STEM disciplines or Business School students (view full list of departments)
• Able to provide challenging and interesting graduate-level experience to penultimate years, finalists or recent graduates of Imperial College London.