Mentorship

MIPP Flagship Mentoring Programme

5.8%

of local authority chief executives and chief officers declared themselves as having a minority ethnic background (LGA, 2021)

8.2%

of senior civil servants and 12.1% of Grade 6/7 officers in the Civil Service are from an ethnic minority background

(Civil Service, 2022)

4.6% to 1.2%

the difference in Muslim representation from the most junior grade in the Civil Service to the most senior grade

(FOI Request, 2020)

Applications open!

Applications for the Muslims in Public Policy Mentoring and Leadership Development Programme are now open!

The upcoming cycle has space for a cohort of 30 mentees working as mid-career professionals in public policy or the public sector. The cycle will commence in May 2026, and run until March 2027.

Successful applicants will be paired with a senior leader from the sector. The programme also consists of an induction, 6 mentor-led, in-person workshops, bi-monthly action learning sets, and a closing networking and evaluation event. Find a summary of key information here.

Muslims in Public Policy welcome applications from both Muslim and non-Muslim professionals from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The following indicators will be assessed during the application process to measure socioeconomic background eligibility:

Parents' educational qualifications,
Type of school attended between ages 11 to 16,
Free school meal eligibility.

Apply now

Ethical leadership is a key priority for Muslims in Public Policy. We consider developing this skillset among the next generation of public policy professionals and providing young Muslims with principled leadership exposure crucial to ensuring a future of truly representative leadership across the UK's local and central government.

That is why, here at MIPP, we are striving to support new generations of public policy professionals in connecting with senior and experienced Muslims who can demonstrate these values and true success in service.

Therefore, this year we have redeveloped our mentoring programme with a stronger focus on leadership development for mid-career policy professionals who seek to excel in public service, through upskilling, networking and leadership experience opportunities.

Our mentors range from veteran senior heads of department in local councils to experienced senior civil servants working in central government (managerial level and above). Our cohort is best suited to professionals in middle management with at least 2-3 years experience and will require a blend of in-person and online interaction running from May 2026 until March 2027. Nevertheless, all are welcome and encouraged to apply.

For further information on our previous two cohorts, including testimonials from mentors and mentees, view our 2025 Impact Report here.