2026 Shortlisted nominee
Social Mobility Project Award
IntoUniversity is a national education charity transforming opportunities for young people in the UK’s most disadvantaged communities. Founded in 2002 on the belief that background should never limit potential, it now operates 46 centres and projects across 29 towns and cities, supporting more than 61,000 students in 2024–25 and celebrating its 250,000th learner in 2025. Through long‑term, place‑based support spanning Academic Support, mentoring, FOCUS workshops and career opportunities, IntoUniversity tackles stark inequalities in Higher Education access. Its students progress to university at more than double the national rate for similar backgrounds, with independent evaluation showing accelerated academic progress and stronger retention. With pioneering partnerships, innovative research and programmes reaching 1,000 young people a year through FutureYOU, IntoUniversity is building lasting traditions of educational success and proving that sustained, community‑rooted intervention can change lives.
