Black Heritage Future Apprentice of the Year Award

Are you the Black Heritage Apprentice of the Year?

We’re searching schools, colleges, and sixth forms across the UK to find the next Black Heritage Apprentice of the Year.

In partnership with Tesco, we’re looking for ambitious students who want to break barriers, create opportunities, and start strong, building a future where talent, not background, defines success. Someone hungry to learn, ready to take opportunities and run with them, and determined to grow both personally and professionally.

If you’re ready to push yourself, seize every opportunity, and grow with purpose, this is the award for you.

To enter, you must:

Be from a black heritage background
Be in Year 11, 12 or 13 (or equivalent)
Be a UK resident

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Apply

PRIZES

What could you win?

You could win the opportunity to fast-track your future with Tesco! Winners will gain:

Direct entry to our Discovery Centres – Apprenticeship Level 2-store via Stronger Starts or a Degree Apprenticeship, based at our Hertfordshire offices.
Mentoring with Tesco Black Action Plan founders.
An exclusive insight day into life at Tesco

WHAT IT TAKES

What makes an award winner?

We're looking for someone who believes in their potential, even when it feels difficult to do so. Self-belief is powerful, and at Tesco we’re committed to supporting young people as they build confidence, take bold steps, and discover what they’re capable of.

Our winner is someone who embraces learning, seeks out challenges, and is driven to build a brighter future for themselves and others. They show the early signs of a future leader - someone who wants to progress, make an impact, and ultimately help shape a more inclusive leadership landscape within Tesco.

If you’re ready to grab every opportunity, grow with purpose, and lift others along the way, you embody what this award is all about.

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FROM OUR PARTNER

Tesco and the Black Heritage Future Apprentice of the Year Award

At Tesco, we’re more than just a retailer - we’re a team of people passionate about serving customers, communities, and the planet a little better every day. We’re one of the UK’s leading retailers, and our Early Careers programmes are all about creating opportunities for people from every background to start and grow their careers with us. We partnered with the Future Apprentice of the Year Programme because it reflects what matters most to us - inclusion and opportunity for all. This award is especially important because it shines a light on talent from underrepresented communities, including Black heritage apprentices, which is a key focus of our Black Action Plan. For us, it’s about breaking down barriers and making sure everyone has the chance to thrive, no matter their starting point. Our apprenticeships focus on three key areas:

Stronger Starts Apprenticeships – designed to support school leavers and those from underrepresented groups
Finance Apprenticeships – for those who want to build a career in financial operations.
Degree Apprenticeships in our Commercial Areas.

We hire hundreds of apprentices every year, and we recruit based on potential, not experience, so our programmes are open to everyone.

For more information about our apprenticeships, click here.

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GOING ALL THE WAY

How do I win?

Start your journey

Extended Deadline:

January

2026

Online tests

Deadline:

January

2026

Submit by

5 January

2026

Your details must be submitted and completed by 9am on 5th January 2026.

If you are successful in getting through to the next stage, you will hear from us by 16th January 2026.

Assessment

If you are successful in making it through to the next stage, you will be invited to a discovery centre with Tesco at one of their UK locations.

Celebrate your success

The final shortlist of ten students will be invited to the awards ceremony on 27th February 2026, where the winners will be revealed.

All finalists will be invited to bring along a parent or carer to celebrate the big moment.

Apply Review application