Kurt Geiger is to release additional places for its free London-based Business by Design Academy (BBD) following a particularly large number of applications in 2025 and as it seeks to widen access to jobs in creative industries for those from working class backgrounds.

The premium shoe and bags retailer said applications surged 130% compared to 2024 ahead of A-Level results day and applications for 10 extra places will therefore reopen on 14 August, running until 18 August. In launching the application window this spring, the company had already increased its intake by 50% compared to last year’s.

Operated through the Kurt Geiger Kindness Foundation, BBD is a free programme that provides people facing financial or access barriers with paid placements for hands-on industry experience, mentorship, and AQA-accredited training. It covers all costs “to ensure no barriers to entry”. That’s crucial at a time when average UK student debt now stands at £53,000.

The company said its programme is also particularly important because just 17% of the creative sector is working class and 86% of internships are still unpaid, thereby giving an advantage to those who can afford to work for nothing.

It added that 43% of young people have an interest in working in creative fields but 42% of them feel it’s too difficult or expensive to consider entering the industry. Business by Design participants gain hands-on exposure across departments including design, buying, digital marketing, and merchandising and the success of the programme is such that 22% of its 2025 alumni are now employed full time at Kurt Geiger.

And early next year it plans to launch a digital version of the programme to open it up to those outside London, with plans to take it “to the US and even further afield”.

Neil Clifford, CEO of Kurt Geiger, said: “The idea that you need a degree to succeed in fashion is outdated – I know that first-hand. I didn’t go to university, but I was given opportunities that helped me break into the industry. That’s exactly what Business by Design is about – access, experience, and real-world support. By opening extra spaces, we’re helping more young people from all backgrounds take their first steps into creative careers, without the barriers of traditional education.”