Esade and IQS launch program with full scholarships to help talented 16-year-old secondary school students
Esade and IQS have launched ‘Barcelona Talent Accelerator’, a program with full scholarships for academically talented 16-year-old secondary students with limited financial resources in the Barcelona metropolitan area. The program will start on May 9th, 2026, with an introductory bootcamp followed by three years of training and guidance.
“Our aim is to bolster our impact and commitment to the city of Barcelona by actively contributing to its educational and social progress. This program promotes talent from secondary schools and offers students opportunities for learning and growth that were previously beyond their reach,” emphasized Daniel Traça, Esade director general.
IQS director general, Salvador Borrós, explained that “this program showcases the power generated when institutions committed to their environment pull together. We pool our capabilities, methodologies and spaces to offer these young people an experience that might be a turning point in their academic and personal career, whilst preparing them to build a robust, impactful university career.”
A three-year program with on-going guidance
‘Barcelona Talent Accelerator’ believes in taking action at the secondary-school stage, eliminating economic barriers and giving participants a transformative learning environment focused on self-knowledge, critical thinking and purposeful leadership.
The program will offer a combination of three face-to-face bootcamps, two summer schools and a mentoring and follow-up system during the academic year. The first bootcamp, scheduled for May 9, will also be an introductory day and first contact with the university environment. The summer schools, programmed for the summers of 2026 and 2027, will consist of two intensive weeks on the Esade campus at Sant Cugat and the IQS campus in Barcelona.
During the program, participants will develop key skills including communication, teamwork, creativity and leadership, and will take part in real-life challenges related to fields such as innovation, sustainability, the responsible use of artificial intelligence and social entrepreneurship. The program also includes English booster classes and academic and university guidance, with a view to helping students take decisions with more confidence and a broader outlook.
An alliance to bolster the local education ecosystem
‘Barcelona Talent Accelerator’ is a joint effort in which Esade and IQS combine their experiences, methodologies and campuses to give participants a broad, connected and transformative insight into university learning. This alliance cements an educational model that combines academic excellence, personal guidance and social impact, and consolidates the commitment of both entities to educational and social development in Barcelona.
Applications may be made until March 27, and an online information session for schools, families and interested students will be held on March 3 to mark the launch.
