The Thatcher Fellowship is designed to introduce the sharpest young minds from business and the City to the intellectual, academic and political arguments for free markets, and give them an understanding of how Westminster really works.

Successful applicants will join us for monthly events, dinners and gatherings to meet the UK’s leading thinkers, politicians and academics, and learn how the political world actually functions. Each Fellow will benefit from an intellectually stimulating programme, running from September to July, designed for those with a background in the private sector and a belief that free markets can improve the world we live in.

The programme is aimed at mid-career professionals. There is no age limit but successful applicants have tended to be between 25 and 40, with at least five years full-time experience in the workplace. Current and previous Fellows have come from a wide range of professional backgrounds including finance, law, tech start-ups, energy, engineering and small business.

The Programme includes:

– A monthly dinner hosted by the CPS with renowned speakers

– Suggested reading to provoke debate and discussion, compiled by CPS Research Director Karl Williams

– Tailored social events where you can mean the wider CPS team, our Board, and previous cohort of Fellows

– A chance to attend the party conferences with the CPS team and be introduced to the world of politics and policy

– A CPS Thatcher Fellowship Away Day in June/July 2027

– The opportunity to benefit from training sessions on topics such as media engagement and political copywriting

– The opportunity to write opinion pieces for CapX

– Involvement in a Fellowship WhatsApp Group alongside CPS leaders

After the programme finishes, our graduates will be invited to join the Thatcher Fellowship Alumni programme which will regularly converge for networking drinks, speeches, and policy events alongside the next year’s intake.

Applications for the 2026/27 programme will open on April 1 2026.

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Support our fellows:

If you would like to find out more about how to sponsor our Fellows, either by financially supporting the programme or by sharing your expertise, please get in touch with Elliott Mears, CPS Managing Director, on [email protected].