University of Gloucestershire launches scholarships to strengthen Golden Valley's future workforce
University of Gloucestershire has launched a new scholarship scheme designed to support talented young people into cyber and digital careers, with HBD becoming the first major sponsor.
The Golden Valley Tech Futures Scholarship has been created to help ensure that financial barriers do not prevent talented students from accessing higher education and developing the skills needed to support the region’s growing cyber and technology sector.
Scholarships worth £1,500 each will be available to students joining BSc Computer Science or BSc Cyber Security at University of Gloucestershire in September 2026. The awards are targeted at high-achieving students from areas with historically low participation in higher education and will help with living costs.
The initiative forms part of a wider programme of activity designed to develop the talent pipeline needed to support Golden Valley. As the scheme continues to further establish Cheltenham as an internationally significant hub for cyber, AI and secure communications, and one of Europe’s leading technology clusters, investment in skills and education remains a priority.
University of Gloucestershire will fund half of each scholarship, with employers from across the Golden Valley ecosystem invited to sponsor the remaining £750 per student.
Golden Valley is a joint venture between Cheltenham Borough Council and developer HBD, part of Henry Boot. In line with its commitment to invest in skills and training HBD has pledged to sponsor the first 10 scholarships, with the University now calling on other businesses to offer their support.
This commitment is underpinned by the Golden Valley Social Value Charter, which sets out a long-term approach to delivering meaningful social and economic impact for the local community. Alongside the scholarship scheme, a range of initiatives are already being delivered by Golden Valley, including the Golden Valley Skills Hub in partnership with the University of Gloucestershire, AWS and Gloucestershire College, as well as delivering coding and robotics workshops in schools across the county through delivery partner Jam Coding.
Together, these initiatives are designed to widen access to opportunity, inspire future talent and create clear pathways into cyber, digital and advanced technology careers.
Dame Clare Marchant DBE, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of University of Gloucestershire, said: “Golden Valley represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Gloucestershire, but its success will ultimately depend on people. We need a strong, diverse and sustainable pipeline of cyber and digital talent if we are to realise the full benefits of this investment.
“Rising living costs can create additional barriers for those from areas where progression to higher education has traditionally been lower. We cannot afford for that talent and potential to be lost.
“The Golden Valley Tech Futures Scholarship is designed to address that challenge directly. We are delighted that HBD has chosen to support the scheme and hope their leadership will encourage other organisations to join us in investing in the next generation of talent.”
Hamer Boot, Managing Director at HBD, said: “Golden Valley is about creating opportunities for future generations and ensuring that Gloucestershire has the talent needed to support a world-leading cyber and technology ecosystem.
We are proud to be sponsoring 10 Golden Valley Tech Futures Scholarships and helping talented young people access the education and opportunities they need to succeed. We hope other businesses across the sector will join us in supporting this important initiative.”
Scholarships will be awarded through an eligibility process based equally on academic achievement and postcode-based participation data. The scheme will support UK-based students joining University of Gloucestershire’s Computer Science and Cyber Security programmes in September 2026.
Businesses wishing to support the scheme can email [email protected] to find out more.