Creating opportunities for talented young people to start careers in the Highlands and Islands that support our low carbon future
Our internship programme 2025
Applications for our 2025 internship programme have now closed
The purpose of our internship programme is to provide opportunities for young people (under the age of 25) to gain knowledge, expertise and confidence, ultimately helping them to move towards employment in a field that contributes towards a more sustainable, low carbon and equal society.
This could involve activities in topics such as local food production, energy demand reduction & sustainable energy development, sustainable transport, localisation, community-based ownership and enterprise, reducing consumption and waste, sustainable land and forest management, marine protection and conservation and relevant media.
Interns will be hosted by organisations in the Highlands and Islands which are active in these areas of work. Selection, employment and management of an intern will be the responsibility of the host organisation. Initiation of the internship could come from the host organisation, or the young person who might approach a potential host to apply on their behalf.
The Pebble Trust will offer grants of up to £10,000 for each internship and up to 100% of the internship costs. Internships must last at least 12 weeks and hosts must pay interns no less than the real living wage.
The 2025 internship programme will open in mid to late January and will close on 28th March. We will endeavour to make decisions on successful applicants by 11th April.
The application should clearly set out what the intern would do (i.e a clear project or structured engagement in a range of work) & how it would benefit the intern and the organisation.
The budget can be used to assist with costs additional to wages such as travel, accommodation and project costs.
Three internships will be available over the summer of 2025. A report on the activities of the intern (by the organisation) and a personal report by the intern will be required within a month of the internship end date.
Meet our Interns
Find out more about previous internships funded by The Pebble Trust. Our past interns share their experiences.
Who Can Apply?
- We accept applications from charities, community groups, businesses or individuals provided they can demonstrate that the proposed internship meets our charitable objectives and will benefit the wider community.
- Applications should be submitted by the host organisation although individuals may approach an organisation to apply on their behalf.
- Host organisations may only submit one internship application per year.
Which Geographic Areas Can We Support?
- We prioritise internships in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, specifically Argyll and the Islands, Caithness and Sutherland, Inner Moray Firth, Badenoch & Strathspey, Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, Moray, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Shetland
- We will also consider internships from organisations based outside these areas wishing to host projects that have a strategic Scotland-wide impact.
When Should You Apply?
Internships are offered once a year. Applications for the current programme must be received by 28 March 2025. We aim to let you know the outcome by 11 April 2025. We may contact you to seek clarification or further information.
What Don’t We Fund?
We are unable to support:
- Staff or interns who are already employed by the host organisation
- Work that has already taken place
Email your completed application form to us by 28 March 2025.
We recognise that digital literacy, access and internet connectivity are not universal. If completing an online written application presents a barrier, please contact us
Please check our Application tips and FAQs before completing and submitting your application.
Applications will be judged against the following criteria:
- Opportunity for young person to gain knowledge, expertise and confidence, and a pathway to a career in a strand of sustainable development
- Ability of the application to support and develop the intern
- Contribution of the internship to Pebble Trust objectives
- Extent of any negative implications against Pebble Trust objectives
Is your project eligible for funding?
- Check our charitable objectives
- How we assess your application will help you decide if your application has a chance of being accepted
Your application
- Consider how to define your project. If your project is part of a bigger programme of work then please tell us how your project fits into that in the project description box
- Include all the works that will be required to achieve the outcomes that you identify
- Ensure that the project description, costs, anticipated outcomes and completion date are all consistent
- Your expected outcomes should be ‘SMART’:
-
- Specific – Make your outcomes clear and succinct
- Measurable – Whatever your expected outcomes are, make sure they are quantified
- Attainable – Be aspirational but realistic
- Relevant – Do the outcomes support your project aims?
- Timely – Set a specific timeframe in which to achieve your outcomes
- Keep to the maximum word count unless the extra information is essential to your application
What are the grant conditions?
The following conditions will apply to all grants:
- Must be consistent with the Trust’s charitable objectives
- The Trust will normally pay grants in advance of expenditure being incurred. For grants paid in instalments, payments after the initial instalment will only be made on receipt of a statement of expenditure to date and a brief progress report
- Applicants must agree that any assets required with grant finance will be used exclusively to advance the Pebble Trust’s objectives. In the event the grant recipient is no longer in a position to do this, the Trust will retain the right to recover the assets
- Applicants must be prepared to demonstrate best value if required
- We require an an end of internship report from the employing organisation as well as a personal report from the intern on what they have experienced. Both reports should be submitted to the Trust within one month of the end of the internship. The intern’s report can be in a format of their choosing e.g. written, video, blog post, online presentation. We would encourage you and the intern to think about your end of project report at an early stage.
Our internship programme 2024
The purpose of our internship programme is to provide opportunities for young people (under the age of 25) to gain knowledge, expertise and confidence, ultimately helping them to move towards employment in a field that contributes towards a more sustainable, low carbon and equal society.
This could involve activities in topics such as local food production, energy demand reduction & sustainable energy development, sustainable transport, localisation, community-based ownership and enterprise, reducing consumption and waste, sustainable land and forest management, marine protection and conservation and relevant media.
Interns will be hosted by organisations in the Highlands and Islands which are active in these areas of work. Selection, employment and management of an internship will be the responsibility of the host organisation. Initiation of the internship could come from the host organisation, or the young person who might approach a potential host to apply on their behalf.
The Pebble Trust will offer grants of up to £10,000 for each internship and up to 100% of the internship costs. Internships must last at least 12 weeks and hosts must pay interns no less than the real living wage.
The 2025 internship programme will open in mid to late January and will close on 28th March. We will endeavour to make decisions on successful applicants by 11th April.
The application should clearly set out what the intern would do (i.e a clear project or structured engagement in a range of work) & how it would benefit the intern and the organisation.
The budget can be used to assist with costs additional to wages such as travel, accommodation and project costs.
Three internships will be available over the summer of 2025. A report on the activities of the intern (by the organisation) and a personal report by the intern will be required within a month of the internship end date.
Meet our interns
Find out more about previous internships funded by The Pebble Trust. Our past interns share their experiences.
Who Can Apply?
- We accept applications from charities, community groups, businesses or individuals provided they can demonstrate that the proposed internship meets our charitable objectives and will benefit the wider community.
- Applications should be submitted by the host organisation although individuals may approach an organisation to apply on their behalf.
- Host organisations may only submit one internship application per year.
Which Geographic Areas Can We Support?
- We prioritise internships in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, specifically Argyll and the Islands, Caithness and Sutherland, Inner Moray Firth, Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, Moray, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Shetland
- We will also consider internships from organisations based outside these areas wishing to host projects that have a strategic Scotland-wide impact.
When Should You Apply?
Internships are offered once a year. Applications for the current programme must be received by 28 March 2025. We aim to let you know the outcome by 11 April 2025. We may contact you to seek clarification or further information.
What Don’t We Fund?
We are unable to support:
- Staff or interns who are already employed by the host organisation
- Work that has already taken place
Email your completed application form to us by 28 March 2025.
We recognise that digital literacy, access and internet connectivity are not universal. If completing an online written application presents a barrier, please contact us
Please check our Application tips and FAQs before completing and submitting your application.
Applications will be judged against the following criteria:
- Opportunity for young person to gain knowledge, expertise and confidence, and a pathway to a career in a strand of sustainable development
- Ability of the application to support and develop the intern
- Contribution of the internship to Pebble Trust objectives
- Extent of any negative implications against Pebble Trust objectives
Is your project eligible for funding?
- Check our charitable objectives
- How we assess your application will help you decide if your application has a chance of being accepted
Your application
- Consider how to define your project. If your project is part of a bigger programme of work then please tell us how your project fits into that in the project description box
- Include all the works that will be required to achieve the outcomes that you identify
- Ensure that the project description, costs, anticipated outcomes and completion date are all consistent
- Your expected outcomes should be ‘SMART’:
-
- Specific – Make your outcomes clear and succinct
- Measurable – Whatever your expected outcomes are, make sure they are quantified
- Attainable – Be aspirational but realistic
- Relevant – Do the outcomes support your project aims?
- Timely – Set a specific timeframe in which to achieve your outcomes
- Keep to the maximum word count unless the extra information is essential to your application
What are the grant conditions?
The following conditions will apply to all grants:
- Must be consistent with the Trust’s charitable objectives
- The Trust will normally pay grants in advance of expenditure being incurred. For grants paid in instalments, payments after the initial instalment will only be made on receipt of a statement of expenditure to date and a brief progress report
- Applicants must agree that any assets required with grant finance will be used exclusively to advance the Pebble Trust’s objectives. In the event the grant recipient is no longer in a position to do this, the Trust will retain the right to recover the assets
- Applicants must be prepared to demonstrate best value if required
- We require an an end of internship report from the employing organisation as well as a personal report from the intern on what they have experienced. Both reports should be submitted to the Trust within one month of the end of the internship. The intern’s report can be in a format of their choosing e.g. written, video, blog post, online presentation. We would encourage you and the intern to think about your end of project report at an early stage.
