Candidates

One year, One country, One project … and you!

If you’re keen to kickstart your international career, the Prince Albert Fund might be just the challenge you need. Essentially, it’s your chance to manage a one-year business development project for a Belgian company outside Europe. It will give you invaluable business and inter-cultural experience to accelerate your international career.   

Be informed

What is it ?

IN A NUTSHELL

  • A 12-month business development assignment outside Europe for a Belgian company of your choice
  • Tax-free compensation of €27,500 granted by the Prince Albert Fund (the company will pay for your housing, flights and mission related expenses).

We’re not offering you a traineeship. We’re enabling you to develop your own fully-fledged international project. You don’t need a project to apply – the first thing we look at is the quality of your candidature as an individual. 

Once you’re selected as a candidate, you’ll receive a number of training and coaching sessions. You will be able to choose your own project and destination at this stage, either an opportunity from one of our candidate companies, or from your own contacts.

And then you’ll be off – one year, one country, one project, and it’s up to you to make it work. Hand in a successful project report at the end of your mission and you have a chance to become a Prince Albert Fund Laureate, a distinction that carries real recognition in the world of international Belgian business. A Prince Albert Fund Grant is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Selection process

About 30 candidates are selected per year, all of them outstanding individuals. For the selection process, the Fund relies on the expertise of a specially chosen committee made up of experts in international business, in HR, and alumni of the Fund. 

In the first round, your application will be reviewed on paper by 4 members of the selection committee who check whether your profile, experience and aspirations are within the Fund’s scope and answer the selection criteria. They rank the candidates based on the criteria given below. Please note that no feedback is given to candidates after this first round.

The 75 best candidates are invited for interviews (second round) and will meet the members of the selection committee in person during a 30 minutes discussion. All interviews take place on the same day in Brussels. At the end of the day, the committee members deliberate to make a joint decision on which applicants will be awarded a grant. A thorough feedback is provided to non-selected candidates.

The Jury’s selection is based on the following criteria:

  • Strong track record of excellence, drive and resilience;
  • Overall presence, ability to convince;
  • Social attitude: open minded, flexible, team player;
  • Maturity, ability to adapt to a different culture;
  • Motivation for participating in the Prince Albert Fund and expected impact on career;
  • Potential to contribute to society in general.

 

Find out more about what a Prince Albert assignment can look like through our alumni testimonials.

Info sessions

The Prince Albert Fund runs info sessions for potential candidates once a year. If you’re interested in finding out more and meeting Fund alumni, register here (as of October) for the next session.

 

Mission milestones: 

  • Prior to departure, you’ll attend a 3-day training session developed specifically for you. 
  • You start your project within the given deadlines and spend a maximum of one month at the host company in Belgium and at least 11 months abroad conducting the project for the host company. 
  • At the end of your project, you’ll hand in your evaluation report which will be reviewed by the Steering Committee.
  • Upon your return to Belgium, you’ll attend a feedback session organized by the Fund.
  • Based on the report, the feedback of the company, the respect of all deadlines and obligations,  the Committee decides whether the participants receive the title of Laureate of the Prince Albert Fund.
  • A ceremony is organized once a year in presence of HRH Princess Astrid in Brussels where the Laureates receive their official degree.

Who can apply?

We look for talented highly motivated young professionals who need to fulfill the following criteria to apply. 

  • Is Belgian or has been domiciled in Belgium for at least 5 of the last 10 years
  • Holds a master’s degree and has a strong interest for working in a business environment (no need for a business degree)
  • Is fluent in English. Any additional language skills beyond the mother tongue is a plus
  • Has at least 2  years of professional experience (internships need to be of minimum 3 months to be considered)
  • Is 30 years old or younger (born on or after 1/1/1994)
  • Is mature, motivated and eager to learn and to discover new cultures
  • Is open-minded and has an entrepreneurial mindset

 

“The Prince Albert Fund aims to represent society as a whole. Potential candidate are therefore selected on basis of their qualities and skills, regardless of gender, ethnicity, class, race, sexual orientation, disabilities and/or religion.”

Interested to apply ?

Leave us your name and we will send you a reminder when the call opens.

The call is now open. Click here to start your application. Click here to download the application sheet.

Info session

The Prince Albert Fund runs info sessions for potential candidates once a year. If you’re interested in finding out more and meeting Fund alumni, register here  for the next session which will take place on November 20th at the VBO-FEB in Brussels.

How to apply?

Application is only possible online once a year during the application period, this year between November 7th 2023 and January 11th 2024. Subscribe to our newsletter if you want to receive a reminder and not miss the deadline!

You’ll find the selection schedule below. Please note that no changes can be made to the dates. So if you cannot make it for the Jury in March in Brussels or join us for the training in April and May, do not apply this year.

Do remember, if you are selected you will need to start your project between September 1st 2024 and January 31st 2025. 

November 7th 2023 Applications open.    
November 20th 2023 Iinfo session for candidates at 6pm at VBO/FEB. Please register online at www.kbf-frb.be (as of October).
January 11th 2024 Applications close at midnight   
March 2nd 2024 Candidates receive feedback on whether or not they are invited to the interview   
March 15th 2024 Interviews of the invited candidates at King Baudouin Foundation offices in Brussels.
April 19th & 20th, and May 3rd 2024  3 full days of training for selected candidates and company presentations

STEPS TO APPLY

  • To go to the King Baudouin Foundation’s online application page click here (only possible during the application period). You’ll then be asked to register. 
  • When you are in the online application form, make sure the title is: “My application form: Prince Albert Fund” (if not, you’ll have to go back and start again).
  • Start completing the form. You may also download the PDF version of the application form, to use as a draft version offline before submitting your final application online. 
  • Test the application. After you’ve completed the first page try ‘Save Provisionally’ at the bottom of the page. If this doesn’t work restart your browser and start the process again. If you have further problems, call the KBF contact center at +32 (0)2 500 45 55 or mail us at proj@kbs-frb.be.

Remember: You can always save your unfinished application form provisionally and complete it later (deadline: January 11th 2024, at midnight). 

 

For more info, see our FAQs here

FAQ

Do I need to have a business degree?

You need to have a master’s degree to apply. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in business but you should have a demonstrable interest in the business world. Prince Albert Fund Alumni include those with degrees in Business, Commercial Engineering, Law, other Engineering, Philology, Architecture, Languages, Sciences etc.

I’m over 30, can I still apply?

Sorry no!

The Prince Albert Fund invests in the careers of young potentials at the point where we believe it will be of most value to candidates’ futures.

Do I need to have any professional experience?

Yes. In addition to your master’s degree you need a minimum of 2 to 3 years professional experience

Do I need to be fluent in English?

Absolutely! English is the principal language of international business language. You should also be prepared to learn the local language of your project.

Do I need to present a project when I apply?

No. The Prince Albert fund has a selection of projects you may choose from that have been proposed by companies expanding abroad. Alternatively, your own contacts and interests may form the basis of a project you may wish to propose. Either is fine with us, we appreciate professionals who have the enthusiasm and maturity to start a project for a company of their choice.

Can the host company be the company I am currently working for?

No. The point of the Prince Albert Fund is to give you a new opportunity in a new environment.

When do I start working for the project and company I select?

Once you have been selected you can start looking for the company and project of your choice. After a validation of the project by the Prince Albert Fund, a contract will be established between the company and the Prince Albert Fund and between you and the Prince Albert Fund. You then have to organize your stay there (housing, travel, visa, etc). Don’t forget to take into account the time you will need to leave your previous job, if applicable. Before you leave for your mission abroad, you’ll also have to follow the leadership training.

 

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