National Scholarships Week (20-26 April 2026) is a timely reminder of what’s possible when doors are opened a little wider.  

Led by student financial app, Blackbullion, the annual UK campaign connects students with funding that can genuinely change the course of their lives. It’s also a cause close to our hearts – because investing in the next generation of talent isn’t a one-off initiative. It’s how we operate at Yondr. 

Bridging the gap in STEM 

The data center industry is growing rapidly, and the demand for engineers, operations teams, construction professionals and technical specialists has never been greater. But ambition and skills alone, unfortunately, don’t always get people through the door. That’s why we created the Yondr Scholarship. 

What the Yondr Scholarship offers

Open to students in Slough and surrounding areas who are pursuing industry relevant STEM subjects at university, the scholarship offers £27,000 in funding paid over three to four years – fundamental support designed to ease the financial pressure of higher education and help students focus on what matters: their studies and their future career.  

Fields covered include Engineering, Computer Science, Construction, Property, Mathematics, Economics and Finance – all disciplines that can feed directly into the data center industry. 

The successful student may also gain additional mentorship and internship opportunities throughout their degree.  

The scholarship is open to students based in Slough or surrounding areas from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, with priority given to those attending UTC Reading and UTC Heathrow. We continue to see underrepresentation of women in STEM, and we’re committed to changing the ratio, so female applicants are particularly encouraged. Ω

An international approach to local talent

Our commitment to supporting local talent doesn’t stop in Slough. We have established scholarship programmes internationally, and have seen first-hand what the right support at the right time can achieve:  

• In Northern Ireland, Orla Q. is in the final year of her MEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast – the first ever recipient of a Yondr Scholarship. Freed from the need to take on part-time work, Orla has focused entirely on her studies, won two academic awards, and gone on to deliver STEM outreach talks to female students at a local school. 

• In Toronto, Taysen V. and Hallie Green, studying Computer Science and Life Sciences respectively, as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity and participation in STEM. 

• In Northern Virginia, in partnership with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), our scholarship programme supports students enrolled in Engineering Technology and Data Center Operations (DCO) programmes.   

For students like Omar, a first-time scholarship recipient, it’s opened doors he didn’t think possible: “I am deeply grateful to the donors of this award for giving me an opportunity to advance my educational and career goals beyond what I initially imagined.” 

Taking the first step

We firmly believe that the data center industry will only be as strong as the people who power it – and that means investing in the next generation. National Scholarships Week is the perfect moment to take that first step. 

We’re hosting a webinar with Blackbullion on Friday 24th April for any interested students to find out more, you can sign up here: Yondr scholarship webinar 

To find out more and apply for the Yondr Scholarship, visit: blackbullion.com/funding/yondr-scholarship and follow our LinkedIn page to stay up to date with our latest scholarship opportunities.