Applications open for Innholder Scholarships to support future hospitality leaders
Applications are now open for the Master Innholders Innholder Scholarships, offering early career professionals fully funded structured leadership development programmes combining academic study and industry engagement to support career progression.
For over 25 years, up to 12 Innholder Scholarships are awarded annually, each worth over £11,000, for one of two world-renowned management courses. The two courses available this year include the Talent Development Programme at Cranfield University and the General Managers Programme at Cornell University in New York, USA.
Each is specially designed to help hotel professionals develop their management and leadership capabilities to broaden their expertise within the industry, ultimately helping to progress into leadership positions and become successful leaders in their own right.
The courses have been created to support learning with minimal impact to the day-to-day responsibilities of each individual in their workplace. Successful applicants undertake live virtual courses taught by leading hospitality lecturers over several months, as well as several day visits to the campuses throughout the year to help reinforce learning and network with peers in person.
The Talent Development Programme is designed for early career professionals looking to develop their management and leadership capabilities, while the General Managers Programme aims to support General Managers and senior hospitality professionals in identifying key challenges and opportunities facing hospitality businesses today.
Speaking on the announcement of the Innholder Scholarships reopening, Richard Lee IS, General Manager at Hilton London Paddington and Chair of the Innholder Scholars, said:
“Programmes like the Innholder Scholarships are critically important for professionals in our industry because they provide a consistent foundation in a highly dynamic sector.
“Hospitality today is defined by constant change, hotels are frequently bought and sold, brands and operators evolve, and career paths are rarely linear anymore.
“Programmes like the Innholder Scholarships are therefore vital sources of professional support development, and community, regardless of where an individual is working or how their career evolves.”
After completing their respective schools’ programmes, recipients of the Innholder Scholarships are also invited to join the Innholder Scholars alumni. The alumni meets throughout the year to host events, share advice and support current scholarship recipients, as well as those looking to apply.
Now in its 29th year, the Innholder Scholarships have provided millions of pounds in funding for over 300 promising hotel professionals since its inception.
Previous Innholder Scholarships recipients include Damien Martin MIH IG IS, General Manager at The Parkgate Hotel Cardiff, Rachael Stevens FIH IS, Operations Manager at The Manor House and Karen de Koning IS, General Manager at Grove of Narberth.
Speaking on her own experiences on becoming an Innholder Scholar, Karen de Koning IS said:
“Programmes like the Innholder Scholarships remain vital because they provide structure and a formal learning environment in a profession where many people find their way into hospitality without any formal training.
“For me, having that framework was invaluable, it helped to reaffirm my learnings, validate my achievements, and gave me the confidence to keep growing.”
The deadline for applications is midnight Tuesday 31 August 2026. Applicants who are invited for interview at Innholders’ Hall in London must be available on Thursday 15 October 2026.