SEED Company Information

Is my organisation eligible to apply for SEED?

SEED is open to local and regional businesses and enterprises of all sizes. We invite a diverse range of projects and, as such, welcome applications from a huge variety of organisations, covering a broad selection of sectors and industries

How is SEED structured?

Students typically start their SEED placement in the first week of July and work full-time on their project for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 13. Upon agreement with the student, a placement can be extended at any time if, for example, you find that the project grows or takes longer than expected to complete.

All students undertaking the SEED scheme are required to attend training sessions before and during their placements. These sessions are held at the University and are conducted by a professional trainer. They aim to ensure that students are well prepared at the beginning and are given the opportunity for reflection throughout the process. The training programme for students consists of:

• A SEED induction day (held prior to placements starting, usually at the end of June)
• A mid-project review day (usually held at the end of July)
• Awards Day (usually held at the end of September)

How much will it cost?

SEED students are not officially employed by the organisation where they are undertaking their placement, but are rather classified as participating in a training scheme, for which they are entitled to a training allowance of £250 per week. This training allowance is paid by the employer via the University, which means that no tax or national insurance are payable on the earnings.

In addition to the student's training allowance, we charge participating organisations a one-off management fee to cover the cost of student training, recruitment and administration of the scheme. For organisations who employ less than 250 people, the management fee is £250. For organisations who employ 250 staff or more, the management fee is £500.

Therefore, on the basis of an 8 week summer placement, smaller companies and not for profit organisations would pay £2250+VAT per student, while larger companies would pay £2500+VAT per student.

What types of projects have been run previously?

Previously our students have worked on a variety of projects, including:

• Website and app design
• Analysis of production methods
• Creating marketing plans
• Scientific research in a commercial field
• Environmental audits
• Setting up IT systems
• Writing training programmes

Read some employer endorsements of SEED

What do I do next?

If you require any further information, or wish to discuss the scheme in more detail, please contact us at seed@reading.ac.uk or call 0118 378 8351.

If you think you have a project that would be suitable for the SEED scheme, you can complete the application form on this webpage and return it to seed@reading.ac.uk. If you have more than one project, please ensure you complete a form for every separate project you are offering. The application deadline for the 2012 scheme is Friday 20th April.