Frequently Asked Questions

Find the answers to the most common questions here

  • About SVIP

  • How is the Silicon Valley Internship Programme funded?

    The SVIP is funded entirely by the participating tech companies.

  • Can I come at a different time of year to September?

    Yes, we have some flexibility in when participants can come to the US. The yearly program typically starts in September so we aim to have all participants join as close to then as possible.

  • Do you offer a summer internship?

    No. The SVIP is a one year (or 18-month) long program beginning in September of each year. We’ve found that it takes a number of months for SVIP participants to learn the ropes and provide value to their company. Shorter term internships aren't feasible.

  • How does the SVIP teach entrepreneurship?

    The majority of SVIP participant's day-to-day experience is in the trenches, working at their host startup, learning through professional coding and how people within these startups think about business decisions. Augmenting the day-to-day experience are regular Meet the Entrepreneur and Hackathon events. Meet the Entrepreneur events provide opportunities to meet and learn from the personal success stories of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Our Hackathons are a sequential set of themed workshops which aim to take the SVIP participants through the company formation process from idea to Minimum Viable Product.

  • Arrival to Silicon Valley

  • Is the internship paid?

    Yes! SVIP participants receive a minimum salary of $80,000.

  • How much time will the SVIP take up outside of working hours?

    In addition to the full-time role in the company's engineering team, SVIP participants commit to one weekend a month for Meet the Entrepreneur and Hackathon events. There are also occasional social events as well as larger formal events such as The SVIP Xmas Party and The SVIP Summer Party.

  • Where will I live?

    The SVIP will provide each participant with accommodation for their first month in San Francisco. Additionally, the SVIP has a six bedroom house in the heart of San Francisco which accommodates some of the SVIP participants each year. Room allocations for the SVIP house are based on proximity to program participant's office location. Beyond the first month if you have not been allocated a room in the SVIP house, you will be assisted with finding your own accommodation for the duration of the program. The first month is a great opportunity to find your future housemates.

  • Where are the SVIP partner companies located?

    Some of our partner companies are based in Silicon Valley ‘proper’; that is the general area south of San Francisco around Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Mountain View. However, more and more startups are choosing to locate in the city of San Francisco itself.

  • What happens if I drop out of the program?

    We really hope this does not happen! However, in the exceptional case that it does, the SVIP participant will be responsible for reimbursing the SVIP for the 'hard costs' sunk into the participant's visa processing, flights and accommodation.

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