Think you've got what it takes to solve an engineering challenge in a HEINEKEN brewery?
If you're a student interested in engineering, automation, computer science, or a related field, and you're looking to kickstart your career, enter the Cider Circuit - a Hackathon that gives you the chance to win a paid internship at one of our three breweries in Hereford, Manchester, or Tadcaster. The internship can be taken at any time during 2026, and you can enter solo or as part of a team of up to 5 people. With several internships up for grabs, this is an opportunity not to be missed.
Set among 8,000 acres of orchards, our Hereford site mills over 100,000 tonnes of apples each year. It’s also our home of cider, where some of the world’s biggest cider brands are brought to life, including Strongbow, the world’s No.1 cider. It’s an inspiring environment where cutting-edge technology meets real-world impact, making it the perfect place to learn, contribute, and shape the future of cider-making.
Our Hackathon will take place in two parts. The first will be an online competition starting from the Monday 6 October 2025, where you and your team will be given 2 weeks to submit a proposal tackling a real-world problem in our brewery. Our second will involve a fully funded* site visit to Hereford on the 13 and 14 of November, where you will take this to the next step with a site-specific challenge.
Stage 1 - Register
Sign up using the form below to apply and receive updates ahead of time.
You can register individually or as part of a team, joining as a team is a great way to bring in different viewpoints and ideas for the challenge.
Stage 2 - First Challenge
Phase one will begin on Monday 6 October 2025.
Your pack will contain all the information you need for your first task.
We’ll share a real-world problem, and you’ll have two weeks to submit a presentation with your solution.
Once all entries are in, we’ll review them and select the finalists for the next stage.
Stage 3 - Second Challenge
The final teams will be invited to our Hereford Cidery on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 November.
You'll tour the site, meet our experts, and take on a second challenge using on-site resources.
All expenses will be covered.
Stage 4 - Internship
We’ll award our standout winners from the Hackathon with a paid internship at one of our three breweries in Hereford, Manchester or Tadcaster.
Alongside this, you’ll have the opportunity to win some of our fantastic merchandise, network with some of our industry experts and the chance to add this experience to your CV.
The winners will be judged by a range of colleagues at our HEINEKEN site including our brewery director, a selection of engineering specialists and members of our wider people team.
You can apply until midnight on 5 October 2025, but the registration process may close early if we receive a large number of sign-ups, so don't delay!
This competition is open to students based in the UK only, as our internship opportunity requires the right to work in the UK.