The University of Cambridge and the Laidlaw Foundation have announced the expansion of the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership & Research Programme through its new home at King’s Entrepreneurship Lab (E-Lab), broadening access to the scholarship for undergraduates across the entire University.
The fully funded, 18-month programme supports undergraduates to develop the skills, character, and ethical foundations needed for leadership. Combining rigorous academic research, international experiences, and leadership development, the programme equips Scholars to create meaningful, real-world impact while joining a global network of over 2,500 Laidlaw Scholars at leading universities worldwide.
Now housed at King’s E-Lab, the Laidlaw programme at the University of Cambridge is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of leaders through a dynamic fusion of innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. This new setting strengthens the programme’s ability to support impactful projects, bridge disciplines and backgrounds, and connect individuals committed to creating a more just and equitable future.
“Every undergraduate at the University of Cambridge is now able to apply for this prestigious scholarship,” said Susanna Kempe, CEO of the Laidlaw Foundation. “We are grateful to Newnham College for its vision in launching the programme, and to King’s E-Lab for taking it to the next level and ensuring it reaches students across the entire University.”
“We are delighted to be hosting the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research programme at the King’s E-Lab. This new partnership enables us to work towards a shared goal of providing students with the confidence and courage to challenge the status quo, helping them to develop entrepreneurial thinking and ethical leadership practices. We are excited to meet the new cohort of scholars and see where their Laidlaw journey takes them,” said Dr Gillian Tett, Provost of King’s College, Cambridge.
Together with the Laidlaw Foundation, King’s Entrepreneurship Lab believes that good leaders come in all shapes and sizes: the quiet and the gregarious, the scientist and the poet, the musician and the athlete. Whatever a student’s passion or background, all have the potential to lead. This programme offers a powerful opportunity to embrace new challenges, build exciting collaborations, and learn from the experience of leading in different contexts.
With this expansion, the Laidlaw Scholarship is now open to students across all 29 undergraduate colleges at the University of Cambridge.
Applications launched with a fireside chat with Susanna Kempe, CEO of the Laidlaw Foundation, where she spoke about the Laidlaw Foundation’s ongoing commitment to educational equity and investing in leadership.
The new cohort of Cambridge Laidlaw Scholars will be announced in March 2026.
About King’s Entrepreneurship Lab
Our aim is to foster innovation and cultivate a community of entrepreneurial minds at the heart of the University of Cambridge. We strive to be a pioneer in entrepreneurship and innovation education, learning, and research. Our mission is to equip students from all backgrounds with vital entrepreneurial skills, and to empower aspiring innovators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
About the Laidlaw Foundation
The Laidlaw Foundation invests in the education of the underprivileged and underrepresented in order to break cycles of poverty, reduce inequality, and develop a new generation of ethical leaders. Its funding supports five core programmes:
- Sponsoring the Laidlaw Schools Trust — a growing Multi Academy Trust in the North East of England, providing extraordinary education that transforms lives;
- Developing a new generation of ethical leaders through the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme at leading universities worldwide;
- Ensuring more women reach the C-Suite through MBA scholarships at London Business School, Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, HEC Paris, IE Madrid and IESE.
- Supporting women from underserved communities to access higher education through the Trinity College Dublin Trailblazer Programme; and
- Building innovative and inspiring spaces in which pupils and students can excel.
