Spiorad na Mara – a proposed offshore windfarm, located approximately 5-13km off the west coast of the Isle of Lewis – is inviting applications from final-year secondary school students from across the Outer Hebrides to its scholarships programme for the academic year 2026/27.
Now in its second year, the programme supports studies in STEM and Gaelic language and/or culture in Scottish universities.
Five scholarships are available, with successful applicants receiving a total of £10,000 each, with £2,500 being paid out every year for a four-year degree course. In total, the project has committed £200,000 over a seven-year period, to support 20 students1 from across the Outer Hebrides.
“After the positive response to the programme’s first year, we are excited to open applications once again and would encourage all eligible students to consider applying,” said Martin Whyte, Project Director for Spiorad na Mara. “The scholarships reflect our commitment to investing in young people and supporting the next generation as they progress their education beyond school.”
Applications open on Tuesday 24 February 2026 and close on Friday 12 June 2026.
The programme is open to all final-year students at the four secondary schools in the Outer Hebrides: the Nicolson Institute (Lewis), Sir E Scott (Harris), Sgoil Lionacleit (Benbecula) and Sgoil Bagh a Chaisteil (Barra). It is also open to home-schooled students across the islands who are completing their final exams and applying for a relevant university course for the first time and to students from the Outer Hebrides who are currently taking a ‘gap’ year or two after completing their finals.
Applicants are required to submit an original project or creative piece of work based on the theme ‘Why young voices matter in the future of our communities’, as well as a short explanatory narrative (500 words maximum) linking the project to the theme. The deadline for submissions is Friday 12 June 2026. All applications received will be assessed by a fully independent panel.
To find out more and submit your application, please visit the project website at www.spioradnamara.co.uk.
Spiorad na Mara is owned by Northland Power (75.5%) and ESB (24.5%), with Northland leading on the development.
Contact:
Steve Thomas
Communications Lead, Northland Power
+44 (0)7359 597354
steve.thomas@northlandpower.com
About Spiorad na Mara
Spiorad na Mara is a proposed offshore wind farm, located approximately 5-13 km off the west coast of Lewis. With an expected installed capacity of around 900 MW, it could meet the equivalent average annual electricity needs of around 1.2 million1 Scottish homes with renewable electricity and save more than 1.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
Further information is available at www.spioradnamara.co.uk
1 Should a decision be taken at any point between 2025 and 2028 that the project will not proceed, no new intake of students into the programme would be accepted. However, commitments made to students who had already received a scholarship would be honoured, up to the end of their four-year programme.
About Northland Power
Northland Power is a Canada-based global power producer dedicated to accelerating the global energy transition. Founded in 1987, with almost four decades of experience, Northland has a long history of developing, owning and operating a diversified mix of energy infrastructure assets including offshore and onshore wind, solar, battery energy storage, and natural gas. Northland also supplies energy through a regulated utility.
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with global offices in seven countries, Northland owns or has an economic interest in 3.5 GW of gross operating generating capacity, 2.2 GW under construction and an inventory of early to mid-stage development opportunities encompassing approximately 10 GW of potential capacity.
Publicly traded since 1997, Northland’s Common Shares, Series 1 and Series 2 Preferred Shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols NPI, NPI.PR.A and NPI.PR.B, respectively.
About ESB
ESB is involved in six offshore wind projects and 2GW of onshore wind projects in Scotland, as part of its drive for a 5GW renewable electricity portfolio across Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain by 2030. Since its foundation almost 100 years ago, ESB has always been fully invested in the lives of the customers and communities we serve. We have set a target to achieve net zero by 2040 and have committed to do this in a way that enables communities and natural habitats to thrive. Our focus is on developing and connecting renewables, building resilient infrastructure and empowering our customers to live healthier, more sustainable lives using clean electricity.