BCU has received a transformational new £2.1 million donation from Cal Henderson, the British tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Slack, to expand a major initiative tackling under-representation in the UK’s technology and engineering sectors.
This new funding will allow BCU to support 200 students every year for the next three years, with a continued focus on widening access to Computing, Engineering and Technology courses. Professor Hanifa Shah OBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Enterprise, Engagement and STEAM, described the impact as transformative:
"This gift is a game-changer. It means we can build on the momentum of the pilot year and provide sustained support that helps more students stay, succeed and thrive. It's not just about funding degrees, it's about investing in potential."
Twelve new undergraduates have already been awarded Henderson Bursaries and Scholarships, covering their full tuition fees. The wider programme also includes Access Bursaries, academic achievement awards, small grants for essential study costs, support for entrepreneurial projects at Innovation Fest, and outreach work in local partner schools.
Henderson Bursaries and Scholarships 2026
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For many students, the support is life-changing. Mechanical Engineering student Samuel Guest, one of this year’s scholarship recipients, said:
"I can just get started on my big plan...degree, job, business. Whatever is to come, it's just going to happen smoother now".
The initiative was established to address persistent inequalities in STEAM, where women remain significantly underrepresented and many students come from the most deprived areas of the country or are the first in their family to attend university.
Professor David Mba, Vice-Chancellor of BCU, thanked Cal and Rebecca Henderson for their continued support, saying:
"This is a powerful endorsement of BCU's mission to widen participation and drive social mobility. With their backing, we can ensure that opportunity in tech is truly open to all".
Henderson, who helped launch Flickr before co-founding Slack, later acquired by Salesforce for $27.7 billion, aims to help create a new generation of diverse leaders in technology by ensuring that talent, not background, determines who gets to shape the future of the industry.