Internship Agreement Template (UK) – Create Your Professional Contract in Minutes

A comprehensive Internship Agreement should clearly define:

• Intern and organization details - Full names, addresses, and organizational registration information
• Internship purpose and objectives - Clear statement that the primary purpose is learning and skill development
• Start and end dates - Fixed-term duration of the internship period
• Working hours and schedule - Expected hours per week and any flexibility arrangements
• Supervision and support - Details of who will supervise and mentor the intern
• Learning objectives - Specific skills, knowledge, or experience the intern will gain
• Tasks and responsibilities - Description of activities the intern will undertake
• Payment status - Clear statement whether the internship is paid or unpaid, and if paid, the rate
• Expenses reimbursement - Details of what expenses (travel, accommodation) will be reimbursed if any
• Leave entitlement - Any agreed time off during the internship period
• Confidentiality obligations - Protection of sensitive business information learned during the internship
• Intellectual property - Ownership of any work created during the internship
• Health and safety responsibilities - Employer's duty of care and intern's responsibilities
• Data protection compliance - GDPR compliance for handling intern's personal data
• Equality and non-discrimination - Protection from discrimination and harassment
• Termination provisions - Notice periods and grounds for early termination by either party
• References and feedback - Agreement on providing feedback and references post-internship
• Insurance coverage - Details of employer's liability insurance and any personal insurance requirements

Our contract is crafted by legal professionals and business professionals and includes all essential clauses for UK internship compliance.

Legal and Financial Risks:

• Minimum wage liability: Without clear terms showing the internship's educational purpose, HMRC may reclassify the intern as a worker entitled to National Minimum Wage with backdated payments plus penalties of up to 200%
• Worker rights claims: Unclear arrangements may lead interns to successfully claim worker status, triggering rights to holiday pay, working time protections, and anti-discrimination protections
• Intellectual property disputes: Work created by interns without written IP assignment clauses may belong to the intern, not your organization - creating ownership battles over valuable creations
• Confidentiality breaches: Without written confidentiality terms, interns may share sensitive business information, trade secrets, or client data without legal consequences
• Health and safety liability: Inadequate documentation of safety responsibilities increases employer liability if an intern is injured during placement
• Insurance gaps: Insurers may refuse to cover claims involving interns if there's no written agreement defining the relationship and responsibilities
• Tax and National Insurance issues: HMRC may reclassify unpaid interns as employees, resulting in backdated PAYE, National Insurance, and penalty charges
• Reputational damage: Disputes with interns over unclear arrangements can damage your organization's reputation with universities, future interns, and in the media

Common Internship Disputes:

Misclassification leading to minimum wage claims, disputes over ownership of creative work, breaches of confidentiality without clear terms, claims for holiday pay, injuries without clear safety protocols, and discrimination allegations without documented procedures. Recent cases have resulted in awards exceeding £20,000 for misclassified interns.

A £10 agreement prevents £10,000+ liability claims and protects your organization's reputation.

Comprehensive Internship Protection:

• ✓ Complete intern and organization details section
• ✓ Clear internship purpose and educational objectives
• ✓ Fixed-term start and end dates
• ✓ Working hours and schedule expectations
• ✓ Supervision and mentoring arrangements
• ✓ Detailed learning objectives and outcomes
• ✓ Tasks and responsibilities description
• ✓ Payment status clarification (paid or unpaid)
• ✓ Expenses reimbursement policy
• ✓ Leave and time-off provisions
• ✓ Comprehensive confidentiality obligations
• ✓ Intellectual property assignment clause
• ✓ Health and safety responsibilities
• ✓ Data protection compliance (GDPR)
• ✓ Insurance coverage details
• ✓ Equality and non-discrimination clause
• ✓ Grievance procedure reference
• ✓ Termination provisions and notice periods
• ✓ References and feedback commitment
• ✓ Professional conduct expectations
• ✓ Post-internship obligations

Professional, legally compliant, and ready to use immediately for educational placements.

Don't Make These Critical Errors:

• Unclear educational purpose: If the agreement doesn't clearly show the internship's primary purpose is learning (not work), HMRC will treat the intern as a worker entitled to minimum wage - triggering backdated wage bills.
• No learning objectives: Without documented learning objectives and supervision arrangements, the placement looks like unpaid work, not education - making you liable for minimum wage plus penalties.
• Calling it "work experience" for adults: Unpaid internships are only legal for students on mandatory academic placements or work shadowing. Adults doing actual work must be paid minimum wage regardless of what you call it.
• No supervision structure: Genuine internships require structured learning and supervision. If there's no mentor or learning plan, it's employment that requires payment.
• Asking for "volunteers" to do regular work: True volunteers work for charities, not commercial businesses. Having "volunteers" do regular business tasks is illegal unpaid labor.
• No confidentiality clause: Without written confidentiality terms, interns can freely share your trade secrets, client lists, financial data, and business strategies with competitors or the public.
• Missing intellectual property assignment: Creative work, software code, designs, or written content produced by interns belongs to them unless you have a written IP assignment clause.
• No termination provisions: Without clear termination terms, you may struggle to end an internship early if it's not working, or face claims if you terminate without following a process.
• Ignoring health and safety: Employers have the same health and safety duties toward interns as employees. Failure to document safety training and procedures increases liability for injuries.
• No insurance mention: Failing to clarify that interns are covered by employer's liability insurance can cause problems if they're injured - insurers may dispute coverage without documentation.
• Wrong person making the offer: Only authorized signatories can bind the organization. Having interns start based on informal emails or junior staff commitments can create legal uncertainty.
• Promising future employment: Vague promises of "possible job opportunities" without clear terms create expectations that may lead to claims if not fulfilled.

Our contract prevents all these mistakes with legally compliant, business-professional terms appropriate for genuine educational internships.