Feb 17 2021

Are you a UK-based freelancer?

Santander UK, with support from Santander Universities, are giving to up to 250 freelancers a financial grant of £1,000 to complete projects for up to 250 small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

This opportunity is open to current undergraduates or recent graduates.

The successful candidates will be selected randomly upon meeting the eligibility criteria for the scheme.

Applications opened on 5 February and close on 31 March 2021.

Am I eligible?

The scheme is open to freelancers operating in the UK. For the purposes of the scheme, a freelancer is classed as an individual who is registered with HMRC as self-employed and able to provide a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR).

The 250 successful freelancers will be selected randomly on the basis that the eligibility criteria for the programme is met. You will need to provide and/or self-verify the following criteria on the application form via the Santander Scholarship Platform to be eligible for the award:

The freelancer must meet the following criteria:

  • be at least 18 years of age
  • provide their Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) given by HMRC (applicable when registered as a sole trader or limited company)
  • have worked in a freelance capacity for a minimum of six months
  • be registered and operating in the UK
  • legally residing and working in the UK throughout the project
  • be a current undergraduate/recent graduate (graduated no more than three years ago (2017-2018 / 2018-2019 or 2019-2020 academic years) from any of the Santander UK's participating university partners
  • be able to provide a valid Student ID number from any of Santander UK's participating university partners. This will be verified with the relevant university prior to selecting the successful applicants.