We'd love for everyone to be able to attend The Lead Developer London on 24 & 25 June 2020, but we know that some people's personal or financial circumstances will make this difficult. We set aside a number of free tickets as part of our scholarship scheme. In some special cases, we may also be able to cover travel and/or accommodation.

The scheme is open to everyone to apply for but we would like to specifically welcome those who are underrepresented and marginalised in tech, especially people of colour, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with disabilities. We also welcome those who are facing economic or social hardships to apply.

Other factors we consider are:
- Are you currently unemployed and looking for a job in the industry?
- Are you looking to get back into the industry after a career break?
- Do you have no training budget at your current company?
- Are you changing careers later in life?
- Do you work for a charity or non-profit?

A scholarship place includes:
- A free ticket to the conference including food, drink and after party
- An optional guide who will be there to help you get the most out of the conference, and to introduce you to new people working in your field
- A welcome breakfast to meet your fellow scholars and guides
- £40 for any incidental expenses you incur during your trip

When will I hear back about my submission?
We run two deadlines for feedback on your scholarship place depending on your circumstances. If you need to apply for a VISA or need extra time to book travel and/or accommodation please select to hear back by 17th February. If you’re local and do not need to apply for a VISA or make travel arrangements we will get back to you by 23rd March.

Why are scholars without VISAs being charged £20?
Unfortunately, previously we have had a number of scholars not attend the conference and fail to let us know before the event or at all. This means that we’re unable to offer their scholarship place to another worthy applicant from our waiting list. In order to overcome this and to ensure we have as many scholars attend the conference as possible, we ask scholars without VISAs to pay £20 when they are offered their place. Scholars with VISAs are in contact with us before the conference regarding their application, therefore, we do not charge them.

This charge is refunded once you attend the conference or inform us you can no longer attend by 26th May 2020.

All applications close on 13th March 2020.

If you have any questions or you’re interested in volunteering or other opportunities please contact us via hello@whiteoctoberevents.co.uk.

Full conference details including speaker lineup, location information, and our code of conduct can be found at london2020.theleaddeveloper.com. We're working on an updated accessibility guide but if you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch: hello@whiteoctoberevents.co.uk.

A big shoutout to JSConf EU for inspiring us to improve our scholarships with their fantastic scholarship program.