FAQs
FAQs: Got a question about the The Scholarship Program? This might help…
The Marketing Academy’s Scholarship Program is an intensive development program which includes Mentoring, Coaching and Learning. The program is completely free of charge though highly selective, and if you’re successful in securing a place you’ll receive the following benefits:
- The opportunity to meet with 8 senior industry leaders for face-to-face mentoring sessions.
- An Executive Coach to work with throughout the entire program
- 3 x Residential Boot Camps (9 days in total) filled with leadership development, inspirational speakers, CMOs, CEOs and master classes
- Participation in a life changing Leadership Development module
- Peer to Peer support & connections
- Exposure to high level marketing expertise across all industries
- Lifetime access to The Marketing Academy via post-graduation enrollment to our regional Alumni Programs
- Lifetime access to The Marketing Academy Virtual Campus – a supplementary curriculum of LIVE keynote sessions, ON-DEMAND learning and Learning Journeys
You can download and read the entire outline of the Scholarship Program here.
The cost to attend the program is completely free. The entire content of the Scholarship Program is delivered by exceptional people who volunteer their time, knowledge, and expertise.
However, we don’t contribute to any travel or accommodation expenses. The residential Boot Camps require a total of 6 nights’ accommodation which must be paid for by the Scholars or their employers (we try not to book expensive venues!) Attendance at all Boot Camps and staying at the venues overnight(s) is mandatory, even if you live nearby.
To get the most out of the program, Scholars should expect to invest 15 working days of time to attend 3 ‘Boot Camps’, up to 8 mentoring sessions, Virtual Campus events, and regular coaching sessions. In addition, there may be time outside of work where you prepare for mentoring or coaching sessions or to share your learning within your teams or externally.
9 days of residential learning are split across three Boot Camps. As the Scholarship Program runs in the UK, US and Australia, each program has different mandatory Program dates across the year. To find out the key dates and specific information surrounding each program, please read the appropriate Program Guide.
Up to 12 hours for your mentoring sessions. Scholars will have around 8 x 60/90-minute sessions, and these are spread throughout the program. These are organised by the Scholars and their mentors directly post the first Boot Camp.
6-9 hours for your coaching sessions. Scholars will have around 6 x 60/90-minute sessions, and these are spread throughout the program. These are organised by the Scholars and their assigned Executive Coaches.
TMA Virtual Campus – a supplementary curriculum of LIVE keynote sessions, ON-DEMAND learning and Learning Journeys. The time for these will vary from Scholar to Scholar depending on their learning needs.
The 3 Boot Camps are intense, immersive, and residential events, attended by the entire cohort of 30 delegates, and are packed with learning, speakers, and workshops.
Full attendance to ALL 3 Boot Camp events is mandatory. You will need to attend in full and failure to do so will result in termination of your Scholarship place. Please do not apply if any of the Boot Camp dates are likely to be problematic.
We are a not-for-profit company and therefore unable to contribute to any expenses incurred by Scholars whilst travelling to mentoring meetings, coaching sessions, or Boot Camps. This cost must be met by the Scholars or their employers. It should be noted that the Boot Camps will require 6 nights’ overnight accommodation which must also be paid by the Scholar or their employer. We endeavour to keep costs as low as possible without compromising the quality of the Boot Camp experience.
Whilst employers must be in support of the Scholar’s application to the program, it is not compulsory for them to give their Scholar fully paid leave. In our experience employers appreciate the level of development the Scholarship provides to their rising stars and the ripple effect it has on their team, so tend to be extremely generous in giving our Scholars fully paid leave to attend. That said, some employers may require Scholars to take some time as holiday or unpaid leave.
Please note that to be accepted onto the program, attendance to all the Boot Camps is mandatory.
The Scholarship year begins in May 2026 and is kicked off with a four-day Boot Camp. The Scholarship runs until the end of January 2027.
You can apply if you live a maximum of three hours outside of the Program’s host country, however it is essential that you are able to travel for all the Scholarship events to make the most of the Scholarship, and how you plan to do this must be proven within your application.
You can find a list of all the mentors, coaches, partners, judges, and companies who are involved in delivering the Scholarship on the relevant website under the ‘Who’s Involved’ tab.
You can read more about what our alumni has to say about the program here.
Here are the key dates for the 2026 Scholarship Program:
SELECTION PROCESS:
- 20th February 2026 – Scholarship application deadline and application screening begins
- 30th March – 10th April 2026 – Pitch interviews
- 27th April – 1st May 2026 – Panel interviews
- 11th May 2026 – Applicants will be notified if they have a Scholarship place by this date
BOOT CAMP DATES:
- Bootcamp 1 – Monday 18th May to Thursday 21st May 2026
- Bootcamp 2 – Wednesday 23rd September – Friday 25th September 2026
- Bootcamp 3 – Thursday 28th January – Friday 29th January 2027
Nominations
Whether your experience is in a consumer or B2B brand, public or charity sector, media or creative agency, media owner or platform, entrepreneur or working for companies large or small, all applicants will be assessed equally against our criteria.
What we are looking for*:
• Ideally between 8 and 18 years in a marketing or agency role
• Currently in a leadership role
• Highly ambitious to further career in marketing leadership, aspiring to C-Suite or board roles
• Demonstrates commitment to career with evidence of results and achievements
• Evidence of commitment to broadening horizons, such as an interest in charitable, social, cultural, creative, travel or sporting endeavours.
• High emotional intelligence & natural drive to succeed
• Currently employed on a permanent basis* in the UK and have worked in current company for a minimum of 6 months
• No known risk of termination or resignation for the duration of the program
*Please note: We have Scholarships available for individuals who do not have a ‘classic’ marketing background. Those who have demonstrated exceptional potential as natural marketers or who have shown outstanding entrepreneurial ability or exceptional achievement in the face of adversity will be considered.
We support diversity, inclusion and equality in every context and firmly believe that everyone, irrespective of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, or religion, should have the same opportunity to fast track their careers and learning via our programs.
Sadly, we don’t have the resources to let you know, but if you follow the Marketing Academy on LinkedIn, you’ll certainly see the final cohort selected.
By submitting your nomination you agree to us telling the nominee who made their nomination. If you prefer your nomination to be anonymous, please request this by emailing meg@themarketingacademy.org
We do recommend you give your nominee some warning before you nominate them – you might consider sending them a copy of the Scholarship Program Guide.
Yes. We have Scholarships available for individuals who do not have a ‘classic’ marketing background. Those who have demonstrated exceptional potential as natural marketers or who have shown outstanding entrepreneurial ability or exceptional achievement in the face of adversity will be considered.
We support diversity, inclusion and equality in every context and firmly believe that everyone, irrespective of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, or religion, should have the same opportunity to fast track their careers and learning via our programs. So please know that we rely on you, as a nominator, to help us identify a breadth of talent across the entire industry and you can nominate as many people as you like.
No. You can nominate whoever you choose, be it a member of staff, colleague, boss, peer, supplier, client, friend, or family. You can nominate someone at an agency or business that you’ve worked with and have been very impressed by, or any great marketer who you feel is a rising star. But the bottom line is your nominee should fit the selection criteria which can be found in The Scholarship Program Guide.
The Scholarship criteria requires the nominees to be fully employed or own their business.
The learning provided throughout the Scholarship centers around leadership development. We have discovered that Scholars with a wide and consistent span of direct leadership & influence within one company, are able to implement the learning immediately and can practice the tools and techniques in real time. This also enables the Scholars to get the most out of the Mentor sessions, allowing them to discuss & debate real situations which mirror the practical experience of the Mentors. Depending on the span of the freelance role this consistency can be significantly reduced, along with the ability to make wide reaching impact across a business where the Scholar is directly accountable for the long-term results.
We can only take 30 Scholars on any program. With over 250 people involved in their development and learning it’s essential that we ensure the widest possible ‘ripple effect’ of the learning so that the benefit of the Scholarship can be felt more widely within the industry. Experience has taught us that Scholars in significant leadership roles, directly employed by one company for the duration of the program, can have a greater lasting impact on their business than those in temporary, interim or short-term roles.
The learning curve of the Scholarship does not mix well with the learning curve of a new role. In fact, we have found that it can be so detrimental to the Scholar (and their new employer) that we have the right to remove Scholars from the program if they change roles during it (much as we hate to do so). We minimise this risk by ensuring that Scholars are employed, supported by their current employer and are crystal clear on their career goals – and timings – before embarking on the program.
If the Scholar is in ‘transition’ or seeking the next role while on the program then we find that most of the learning and interactions with Mentors, Coaches and the other Scholars are experienced through that lens, which ultimately results in a reductive experience. The nature of some freelance work means that the likelihood of embarking on and / or seeking new roles is higher.
If you are or know of someone in transition, freelancing or contracting, they may be eligible to enroll on our Virtual Campus program – please send them this link https://themarketingacademy.org/uk/the-marketing-academy-virtual-campus/
Yes, but you may disadvantage your nominee as there is a short turn-around time between the closing of the nomination portal and the application submission date. Nominees don’t receive the details on how to apply until they’ve been nominated. It can then take a lot of thought, time, and resource for a nominee to put together the 3-part application. So, the earlier you nominate the more time your nominee will have to design and submit their application.
No. To be eligible for an ‘Invitation to Apply’ you will need to be nominated by someone who considers you worthy of a place. We will not accept self-nominations and the nomination portal is regularly
cross-checked and verified.
You can nominate as many people as you like.
After you’ve nominated, you will receive an email confirming receipt of your nomination. Your nominee will be sent all the details they need in order to apply for a place.
Selection Process
The Scholarship Program is free but highly selective, and to apply you must first be nominated by someone through the Nomination portal on our website.
All nominees then receive an ‘Invitation to Apply’ which includes essential information about the 3-stage selection process.
Nominations for the UK 2026 Scholarship Program close on 13th February 2026.
- Application — Submission deadline 20th February 2026
This 3-part application must include submission of a full CV, Employer’s Endorsement and a 2-Minute ‘Showcase Me’.
Applicants will be informed of their progress no later than 27th March 2026.
- The Pitch — 30th March – 10th April 2026
Successful applicants will be invited to make a 10-minute ‘pitch’ followed by a 15-minute Q&A. The Pitch will take place via virtual interview.
- Panel Interviews — 27th April – 1st May 2026
Successful applicants will be invited to a virtual interview with a selection panel of Marketing and HR Professionals.
Successful applicants will be notified if they have a Scholarship place by 11th May 2026.
To find out more about the program and selection process check out our Scholarship Program Guide here.
To continue through the selection process, it’s essential we receive evidence of employer’s support of the nominees’ application in written form. An ‘Employer’s Endorsement’ form is supplied with the ‘Invitation to Apply’. Employers are asked to outline why they feel their employees should receive a place on the program and to confirm that they will enable their employee to invest a minimum of 15 days to the program if awarded.
If you have only been at your company for six months, in addition to an endorsement from your current employer, you are allowed to submit an endorsement from a previous employer too.
The ‘Showcase Me’ element of the Scholarship application is your chance to show your creative side and communicate exactly why you should be awarded a place on the program.
The ‘Showcase Me’ must be in a digital format. All we’ll say is the more original the better! Details on how to how to submit it are within the ‘Invitation to Apply’ you receive when you are nominated.
Additional Information
The learning curve of the Scholarship does not mix well with the learning curve of a new role. In fact, we have found that it can be so detrimental to the Scholar (and their new employer) that we reserve the right to terminate the Scholarship place if they change roles during it.
We minimise this risk by ensuring that Scholars are employed, supported by their current employer, are under no known risk of resignation, are crystal clear on their career goals – and timings – before embarking on the program. If the Scholar is in ‘transition’ or seeking the next role while on the program then we find that most of the learning and interactions with Mentors, Coaches and the other Scholars are experienced through that lens, which ultimately results in a reductive experience.
So, if you’re exploring new opportunities, please do not apply this year as you will not meet our selection criteria.
We believe that the learning curve of a new company doesn’t mix well with the intense experience of attending the program, therefore we reserve the right to terminate the place on the program if Scholars move company during the program.
Nominees who apply for the Scholarship and don’t make it on the program are given access to our Virtual Campus. We also sometimes share free or discounted learning opportunities with the nominees who aren’t selected for a Scholarship. We also advise nominees to re-apply in later years, as we have had many Scholars who were successful on their second, third or even fourth try.
Please email Meg Stone, Marketing and Operations Executive, at meg@themarketingacademy.org.
Academy People
Featured Fellow
Mauro Fanfoni, SVP Commercial Planning, Marketing & Innovation – Eni Retail Market Gas & Power
Mauro is currently Senior Vice President for Commercial Planning, Marketing and Innovation at Eni Retail Market G&P with responsibility for advertising, digital, relationship marketing, commodity…
Featured Scholar
Daianna Karaian, Founder – Thought Starter
As founder of Thought Starter, Daianna is growing a movement of everyday activists by putting the power to change the world in the hands of…
Featured Coach
James Eder
James Eder is the Founder of The Beans Group which helps brands engage with the youth market. James became one of the youngest entrepreneurs in…
Featured Mentor
The Scholarship – a 9 month, free, part time program for 30 of the UK’s fastest rising stars in Marketing, Advertising, Media and Communications.
The Fellowship – Equips CMOs and Marketing Directors with the tools, knowledge and insight to make the move onto Boards and into General Management / MD / CEO roles.
12 month full paid Marketing Apprenticeship for young adults who because of challenging backgrounds, lack qualifications or poor life choices are normally overlooked for this kind of work experience
