Wallonie-Bruxelles International - WBI internship grant for international organisations

WBI internship grant for international organisations

You receive a monthly grant of 1,200 EUR to 1,600 EUR, depending on where you go, to do an internship at a public intergovernmental international organisation. The grant covers your living and accommodation costs and runs for 1 to 6 months, matching your internship length. If the internship is longer than 6 months, you still get 6 monthly payments at most. On top of that you can claim up to 500 EUR towards your travel, paid against receipts. The money comes from Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI), the external-relations body of Belgium's Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

Priority goes to internships at organisations that matter most to Wallonia-Brussels, such as the WHO, ILO, OECD, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the EU and the UN, plus their satellite bodies. Placements at other intergovernmental organisations are reviewed case by case. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) do not count.

Who can apply

• Your studies: You hold a higher-education degree from an institution run and funded by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, or you are enrolled in a master's or in the final year of a bachelor's at such an institution.
• Recent graduates: Most places (70%) go to graduates whose last degree was awarded no more than 2 years before you apply; the rest (30%) go to current students.
• Age: You are no older than 30 on the day your internship starts. Your chosen organisation may set its own age limit too.
• Languages: You meet the language requirements of the organisation you want to intern at.
• No prior ties: You have not already done more than 6 weeks of internship or work (paid or unpaid) at that same organisation.
• No double funding: You have no other public funding for this placement. You do not combine it with an internal grant from the organisation or with Erasmus+/FAME. People receiving social benefits are exempt from this rule.
• One shot: You have not used this WBI programme before, and you apply to one organisation at a time.

How to apply

You apply in French by email. For internships you found yourself, the deadline is 15 October for placements running January to June, and 15 April for placements running July to December. WBI first checks your eligibility within 15 days of the deadline. Then a jury of WBI staff and outside experts assesses your motivation, experience and how well the placement fits your studies. For targeted internships posted by the organisations themselves, each listing states its own deadline and steps, including an interview.

You can find more scholarships in our guide Scholarships in Belgium.