The UK Acumen Fellowship is an eight-month hybrid leadership program run by UK Acumen Academy for social entrepreneurs and senior decision-makers addressing poverty in the United Kingdom. Around 20 fellows are selected each year and remain in their jobs while participating.
The curriculum combines three four-day residential immersives at locations in the UK, two five-week virtual workshop series, and self-paced learning. It develops moral leadership, adaptive leadership, storytelling, and peer relationships that continue through Acumen’s Foundry alumni community.
Benefits & funding
- There is no participation fee, and UK Acumen Academy covers accommodation, food, and venue costs for the residential immersives.
- Participants normally cover their own transport; limited reimbursement may be available when travel costs would prevent participation. International travel is not covered.
- The Fellowship does not provide a stipend, grant, job placement, or automatic investment. Alumni may later access selective Foundry opportunities such as mentorship, coaching, pro-bono support, and separate funding pathways.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be older than 18 and have at least five years of work experience. There is no stated maximum age.
- They must be social entrepreneurs or senior decision-makers currently leading or working full-time in an established organisation or initiative with a track record of addressing poverty and social impact in the United Kingdom.
- There are no academic prerequisites and no stated nationality or gender restriction.
- UK residence is normally required, but Acumen may consider an applicant with a concrete UK connection, such as long-term employment or a UK-focused social-impact initiative.
- Applicants need English proficiency, reliable internet access, and availability for every residential, virtual, cohort, and one-to-one session.
- Previous Acumen Fellowship participants and graduates of the listed overlapping Acumen leadership accelerators are ineligible. Ordinarily, no more than one person from the same organisation may be accepted within three years, with possible exceptions for large organisations whose applicants have clearly separate roles and teams.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Experience required
≥ 5 yrs
Age requirement
≥ 19 yrs
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Application process
- 1Read the Applicant Toolkit and review the easy-read copy of the application before the window opens.
- 2Complete the online application after 22 September 2026 and submit it by 3 November 2026.
- 3If shortlisted, participate in the virtual Selection Festival in January 2027.
- 4Selected fellows begin the Fellowship journey in March 2027.
Program timeline
Applications open
22 September 2026
Online information session
7 October 2026
Online information session
21 October 2026
Application deadline
3 November 2026
Virtual Selection Festival
January 2027
Fellowship journey starts
March 2027