Our Mission: Unlocking opportunity where Black talent thrives — with employers, for the future of work.
We’re creating thousands of paid internships for talented Black career starters, supporting our alumni and harnessing our unique data so that UK employers can build more inclusive, representative teams where everyone can thrive.
We do this by designing impactful programmes, delivering them at scale, and engaging with employers to challenge outdated systems, reframe recruitment, and reshape workplace culture.
Our vision is a world of work where Black talent is just talent.
We envision a future where Black professionals are thriving across every sector, at every level – not by exception, but by design. Where lack of representation is no longer a talking point and opportunity is everywhere. A future where inclusion is lived, and equity is embedded into the systems that shape work. That’s the workplace we’re building – one programme, one partnership, and one internship at a time.
Our Story
The Foundation started as a small project to address the lack of Black representation in Investment Management in the City of London. In 2020, we launched the 100 Black Interns programme to offer paid internship opportunities to Black students and graduates.
What began as a sector-specific initiative quickly gained national momentum, sparking calls for expansion into other industries, creating a much larger mission: to provide 10,000 internships to Black students and graduates across 25 sectors in the UK over five years.
Now, in 2025, we are on the verge of reaching that milestone. We are now the UK’s fastest-growing pipeline of Black talent, creating opportiunities across 33 industries to connect ambitious individuals with organisations committed to change.
But our work doesn’t stop here. True progress isn’t just about scale – it’s about lasting transformation. That’s why we’re using insights and data to drive cultural change, inform inclusive workplace practices, and ensure diverse talent has access to meaningful opportunities at every stage of their careers. We do this through out training and mentoring, corporate membership scheme, insight days, networking events, and our soon-to-launch alumni programme!
Today, The 10,000 Interns Foundation is a registered UK charity working to ensure that diverse talent meets opportunity so that our society and economy are equitable and fit for future purpose.
As a Foundation we believe that intersectionality should be core to our work, so, in 2022 we piloted a small programme for Disabled students and graduates of all ethnicities to understand how our model could be used to create opportunity for other underrepresented talent. The Able Interns programme created over 300 opportunities for Disabled job-seeking students and graduates over 2 years. Following a year of evaluation and community consultation, our co-founder, Sami Dar, will launch the ABL Foundation, to continue the work started by the 10,000 Able Interns programme and focus its support specifically on the Disabled community by providing the most effective interventions through paid internships and much more.
As a Foundation we believe that intersectionality should be core to our work, so, in 2022 we piloted a small programme for Disabled students and graduates of all ethnicities to understand how our model could be used to create opportunity for other underrepresented talent. The Able Interns programme created over 250 opportunities for Disabled job-seeking students and graduates over 2 years. Following a year of evaluation and community consultation, our co-founder, Sami Dar, will launch the ABL Foundation, to continue the work started by the 10,000 Able Interns programme and focus its support specifically on the Disabled community by providing the most effective interventions through paid internships and much more.
Engaged with 1,000+ participating organisations with an average yearly rollover (retention) rate of over 50%
Grown applications by 100% since the first iteration of our expanded programme.
Built a network of over 7,000 alumni and launching a new programme to support career progression, connection, and continued growth beyond the internship.
Worked with 50 universities through campus Careers Services, and campus societies including ACS’s, attracting applications across all years of study.
Thousands of internships. Hundreds of employers. One growing movement.
Explore the numbers and the stories behind the impact.
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How Ife’s internship turned setbacks into new opportunities
“The 10,000 Black Interns programme gave me a platform to prove myself and turn setbacks into opportunities. As a dual athlete, I’ve always been driven to succeed, but academic challenges after my post-16 results meant I had to find new ways to shine. Thanks to the programme, I’m now conducting groundbreaking research at LSE, bridging the gap between economic theory and the workplace. The exposure, network, and support I gained through 10KBI have been instrumental in my growth and continue to inspire my journey forward.”
How Ayomide’s internship transformed self-doubt into career success
“Breaking into the legal industry wasn’t easy; self-doubt crept in as rejection after rejection piled up, despite feeling qualified. Everything changed when I secured my first legal internship through the 10,000 Black Interns programme, giving me the confidence to believe in myself and my abilities. That internship was a turning point, showing me that persistence pays off and my goals were within reach. It ultimately paved the way for my dream internship and role in the legal field—an achievement I never thought possible at the start of the application season.”