Why apply?


As a bold new programme within the Mortgage Strategy annual calendar, MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026 is looking for talented and ambitious individuals currently working within the profession who are in the initial stages of their career. You must be 30 years of age or under on 31 December 2025 to apply.*

Entries should be in the form of self-nominations with a supporting statement from your line manager or senior manager.

Entering MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026 programme means you could be selected to take part in an exciting year-long initiative which hosts a programme of events, mentorship groups, peer networking sessions and personal development tasks. All this will be run via an exciting closed-access MS NextGen digital community, which enables you to make the most of your time within the programme.

If you think you could be one of the MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026, please read through the application criteria and submit your completed application, along with a short 2-minute video, by midnight on Friday 24 October 2025 .

*Age verification will be required at the application stage.

 

TOP TIPS

Application requirements


Core eligibility:

  • Must be aged 30 or under as of 31st December 2025.
  • Currently working in the mortgage, protection or financial services sector (including brokers, lenders, tech, compliance, marketing, or related roles).
  • Minimum of 1 year’s industry experience.


Selection criteria (assessed via questions and video):

  1. Impact and Contribution
  2. Innovation Mindset
  3. Leadership Potential
  4. Personal Growth and Development
  5. Advocacy for Diversity and Inclusion

Application details

Applicants will be asked to answer five structured questions designed to bring out the criteria above.

  1. What contribution are you most proud of in your career so far, and what impact did it have?
  2. Describe a time when you introduced a new idea or challenged the status quo; what did you learn?
  3. How do you support and inspire others around you, even if you’re not in a formal leadership role?
  4. What have you done to develop yourself personally or professionally over the past year?
  5. What does the future mortgage or financial services industry look like to you, and how do you contribute to that vision?


Recorded video

  • You will also be asked to submit a short video (maximum 2 minutes) introducing yourself and explaining why you want to be part of MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026 programme.
  • This video should highlight your passion for the industry, personal motivations, and what you hope to gain and contribute as part of the 2026 MS NextGen cohort.


References

  • A brief endorsement from a line manager or senior colleague is required along with their details.

Top tips for an award-winning application


Please submit your application by midnight on Friday 24 October 2025.

1. Plan ahead
Before starting your submission, take time to review the application questions and consider the best way to showcase your application. Don’t forget to note the final application deadline to ensure you don’t miss out.

2. Give yourself time
A winning application takes more than a quick draft. Set aside dedicated time to craft a strong submission that clearly highlights why you deserve to be part of the very first MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026 cohort.

3. Draft before you upload
Prepare your answers in a Word document first. This helps you avoid losing your work and makes it easy to edit and share before uploading your final submission.

4. Share your story
Every success has a story—tell us yours! Highlight the challenges you overcame, the strategies you used, and the impact your work has made. The selection panel want to see the passion and purpose behind your achievements.

5. Proof and perfect
Before submitting, proofread your application and get a fresh perspective by asking a colleague to review it. Attention to detail can make all the difference.

6. Add supporting materials
Enhance your submission with a supporting statement from your line manager or senior manager within your current company. Please also include a short 2-minute video with your application.

7. Think like the selection panel
Take a step back and review your application from the perspective of the selection panel. Does it clearly show why you deserve to win a seat at the table? Has your application met all the relevant criteria? Ensure your standout achievements and unique impact shine through!

 

VIEW FAQs

Rules & guidelines for entry

For your submission to be considered, please adhere to the following rules and general guidelines for entry.


Eligibility

Introduction

Applicants must currently be working in the mortgage, protection or financial services sector (including brokers, lenders, tech, compliance, marketing, business development or related roles). Applicants should have a minimum of 1 year’s industry experience.

Application All applications should focus on work carried out in the UK within the industries/professions specified above.

There is a single category for applications to the 2026 cohort. Applicants must answer all questions and all sections of the application form. All applications must be in the form of self-nominations. The selection panel’s decision is final.

Age

You should be 30 years of age or under on 31 December 2025 to apply for MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026 cohort. Should your application be shortlisted to go through to the final selection round, we may ask for proof of age to be supplied to us.


Deadline

The deadline for all entries is midnight on Friday 24 October. Applications will not be considered fully submitted until the applicant proceeds to the final stage and submits their application in full. A confirmation email will be received once the application is sent. Applications may be edited up until the point of 'submission'.


Format of entry

All submissions must be made online through the online application portal and the requested information must be supplied within the entry form. Any information not provided via the online form will not be passed to the selection panel. In all cases, the selection panel are looking for concise written submissions and your application should cover as many of the listed criteria as possible keep the word count within the stipulations per category. Please note that the selection panel reserves the right to penalise entries exceeding the word limit.


Supporting entry

Video

Applicants should submit a short video (maximum 2 minutes) introducing themselves and explaining why they want to be part of MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026 programme. This video should highlight the applicant’s passion for the industry, personal motivations, and what they hope to gain and contribute as part of MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026 cohort.

Video can be uploaded to Youtube, TikTok or Vimeo (create a free account on Vimeo) and the link included in the application form. Please ensure that your application video is easily accessible to the selection panel, that it works and that it will continue to work up to and including 31 January 2026. Links or files that cannot be viewed will be eliminated from the selection process.

References

A brief endorsement from a line manager or senior colleague is required along with the line manager’s details. By providing your line manager or senior colleague’s details via this form, you confirm you have prior permission from that individual to share their written statement and contact details for the sole purpose of your self-application to this programme.


Confidentiality

Information supplied within the entry form will remain confidential and for the selection panel’s eyes only, with the following exceptions:

Mortgage Strategy may refer to information supplied within the application form in its marketing communications and/or editorial material related to the programme. Should you wish to identify any elements of your entry as not to be shared in this way, please mark these clearly as ‘Confidential’ or ‘For selection panel’s eyes only’ and contact info.ms-nextgen@emap.com to flag these sections.


Information submitted by you

All applicants must supply their contact details in full as requested in the online application form.

If your application is shortlisted and/or selected for MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026 final cohort,

  1. All and any application form details, e.g. individual or company name, job title, etc, as completed in the online application process, may be used on MS NextGen programme materials
  2. This could include use across our websites, editorial, email communications and/or other promotional, programme support or editorial channels, including social media
  3. Any copy we select will adhere to the brand’s house style.

Please ensure that the information submitted is accurate and correct. We accept no responsibility for any incorrectly submitted information, including individual and company names, job titles etc.   

Application process 

Please view the application process and be sure to read our FAQs and Rules & Guidelines before submitting your application.

STAGE 1: ENTRY FORM

Applicants must currently be working in the mortgage, protection or financial services sector, should have a minimum of 1 year’s industry experience, and be 30 years of age or under on 31 December 2025.

STAGE 2: SHORTLIST

Shortlisted applicants will be taken forward to the final selection process. Shortlisted applicants may be asked to provide proof of age if they are taken through to final stages.

STAGE 3: SELECTION

Our expert industry selection panel review all shortlisted application forms, and their scores and comments create MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026 cohort.

Entry FAQs

Hopefully you'll find an answer to your question below. If you need more information, please contact info.ms-nextgen@emap.com.

To submit your entry form, please follow the steps below:

  1. Visit the application page.
  2. Create an account or log into your existing account if you have one.
  3. You will then be taken to the basket page (Step 1). Application will appear under the ‘MS NextGen’s 30 under 30: Class of 2026’ heading and there you can complete the application form questions. 
  4. You can then ‘Continue’ at the bottom of the page to proceed through the basket process. 
  5. You will receive a confirmation email from the system once your application has been successfully submitted.

If you do not have an existing account on the system, you will be prompted to create a new account, which you can then use for any future applications to MS NextGen’s 30 under 30.

You can create an account via any of the following options:

  1. Click the person icon in the menu bar and enter your details under 'Create Account'
  2. Visit the apply now page and click the 'Apply Now' button. 

If you have any queries, please contact info.ms-nextgen@emap.com.

You must self-nominate using the application form supplied and add a supporting statement from your line manager or a senior manager within your organisation. Nomination applications on behalf of staff, colleagues or others within your network will not be accepted.

If you know a colleague who you think should apply, please reach out to them and share the application form and application deadline of midnight on Friday 24 October 2025.

You should be 30 years of age or under on 31 December 2025 to apply for the Class of 2026 cohort. You'll be asked to submit proof of age as part of your application.

Yes, at the bottom of the application form, click the 'Save for later' button. When you need to return to your application, log back in via the person icon in the top right corner of the MS NextGen website menu bar, and enter the email address and password that you used when you first started your application.

You will then be taken through to your dashboard and will be able to continue working on your application (up until the application deadline). 

Please contact us at info.ms-nextgen@emap.com should you need any further help you with your application.