The Amjad And Suha Bseisu Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £1,799,157 (2024)
• Total Income: £1,643,370 (2024)
• Decision Time: Varies by program
• Grant Range: Scholarships typically full-funding (£60,000+); organizational grants vary
• Geographic Focus: UK, US, Middle East (Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq), Malaysia, Ukraine
• Established: 2005 (registered 2006)

Contact Details

Address: Charles House, 5-11 Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4LR

Phone: 020 7925 4900

Email: scholarships@bseisufoundation.org

Website: https://www.bseisufoundation.org

Charity Number: 1118545

Company Number: 6018191

Scholarship Officer: Yasmin

Overview

The Amjad and Suha Bseisu Foundation was founded in 2005 by Amjad and Suha Bseisu and registered as a UK charity in 2006. The foundation operates with total assets of £11.2 million and annual expenditure of approximately £1.8 million (2024). Originally established as a grant-providing organization, the foundation has evolved to focus primarily on higher education scholarships while maintaining strategic grant-making to charitable organizations working in the Middle East. As of 2024-25, the foundation has supported 137 scholars with full scholarships from 9 countries, plus 35 students with completion grants. The foundation emphasizes support for youth, women, and refugees in STEM fields, with consistently high representation of these groups in each cohort. The organization is driven by the founders' experience as first and second-generation Palestinian refugees and their commitment to equal educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities.

Funding Priorities

Scholarship Programs

Primary Focus: The foundation does not accept direct scholarship applications. Instead, applicants must apply through partner universities and organizations.

Master's Scholarships (UK, US, Middle East, Malaysia)

• Full funding covering tuition fees and living costs
• Example: Bseisu-UCL Scholarship worth £63,300 for one-year programs
• Focus on STEM subjects with occasional business-related degrees
• Partnership universities include: Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College London, UCL, Manchester, Bristol, Duke, MIT

Chevening-Bseisu Partnership

• Five fully funded STEM scholarships annually at top UK universities
• For students from Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria
• Chevening mandates scholars return home for two years post-completion

Completion Grants

• Support for students to complete their studies
• 35 students supported to date

Emergency Student Fund (with IIE)

• Emergency financial support for students from Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan
• 29 students supported

Undergraduate Scholarships (through AMIDEAST)

• Joint support for undergraduate degrees in the US
• Palestinian students specifically

Organizational Grant-Making

The foundation supports charitable organizations working in education, healthcare, and development across the Middle East:

• Alfanar: Arab venture philanthropy (funded 74 social enterprises, impacted 273,525+ individuals)
• Caabu: Education Programme delivering free Middle East workshops to UK schools
• Chatham House: Core activities and Israel-Palestine dialogue initiatives
• IMET2000: Healthcare in West Bank and Gaza, COVID-19 emergency response
• Al Muntaha Tutoring: Free English language lessons for Arab children ages 6-17
• Seenaryo: Participatory education and performing arts in Lebanon and Jordan
• Syria Relief: Education investment and empowerment in the Levant
• U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP): Palestinian-Israeli peace policy work
• The Wren Project: Support for 50 university students annually with autoimmune disease
• Native Scientists: Arabic science outreach workshops in London, Newcastle, Bradford

Priority Areas

• Higher education scholarships (STEM priority)
• Education initiatives for young people
• Women's empowerment
• Refugee support and empowerment
• Healthcare in Palestine and Gaza
• Civil society development in Middle East
• Arab-British cultural understanding

Eligible Countries

Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Ukraine, Malaysia

What They Don't Fund

• PhD programs
• Part-time degrees
• Students not ordinarily resident in eligible countries (some exceptions for citizenship holders)
• Non-STEM fields (with limited exceptions for business)
• Projects outside their geographic focus areas

Ready to write a winning application for The Amjad And Suha Bseisu Foundation?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Founders and Trustees

Amjad Bseisu (Co-Founder)

• Born in Jerusalem, 1963, son of a Palestinian banker who lost his home in Jaffa
• Education: BSc Mechanical Engineering (Duke), MSc and DEng Aeronautical Engineering (Stanford), Executive MBA (SMU)
• Career: Former Head of International Marketing at ARCO (1984-1998), founded Petrofac Resources International (1998), currently Chief Executive at EnQuest (since 2010)
• Former British Business Ambassador for Energy (2013-2015)
• Board member of U.S./Middle East Project

Suha Bseisu (Co-Founder)

• Palestinian artist and interior decorator
• Met Amjad at a wedding in Amman, Jordan

The foundation has 2 trustees and 4-7 employees. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Mission Statement

“Having experienced life as first and second generation refugees, they wanted to contribute to the availability of equal opportunities for the disadvantaged with a focus on education and the empowerment of women, children and brilliant young adults.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: Applications are NOT submitted directly to the Bseisu Foundation.

For Scholarships:

1. Visit the foundation's “Find a Scholarship” page to identify eligible programs
2. Apply directly to partner universities or organizations (Chevening, British Council, AMIDEAST, individual universities)
3. The Bseisu Foundation liaises with partners based on existing scholarship programs
4. Each partner manages their own selection process

Application Methods: Varies by partner institution

• Rolling basis: Some programs
• Fixed deadlines: Most programs
• Online portals: Through university admissions systems

For Organizational Grants:

Applications are reviewed by trustees to ensure alignment with the foundation's objectives: “relief poverty and sickness, to advancement of education and to help with any other charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.”

Decision Timeline

Scholarship Deadlines (examples):

• Oxford and Cambridge: December-January typically
• Chevening: November closure
• Varies significantly by partner institution

Notification: Partners communicate outcomes on varying timelines. Check individual scholarship pages for specific dates.

Success Rates

Specific success rates not publicly disclosed. The foundation has supported 137 full scholarship recipients and 35 completion grant recipients as of 2024-25.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies determined by individual partner institutions, not the foundation directly.

Application Success Factors

Foundation's Stated Priorities

“Our focus and priority is supporting STEM scholars.”

Eligibility Factors

• Geographic: Must be ordinarily resident in Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, or Jordan (some exceptions for citizenship holders not ordinarily resident)
• Academic: Strong STEM background preferred; business-related degrees occasionally supported
• Demographics: Foundation prioritizes women and refugees (consistently high representation in each cohort)
• Study Type: Full-time masters programs only

Scholar Perspective

One scholar noted the foundation “does not merely offer financial support to overcome educational barriers, but also resembles and embodies the ambition of the Middle East.”

Strategic Approach

The foundation works collaboratively with established university scholarship programs and reputable organizations (Chevening, British Council, AMIDEAST) rather than managing applications independently. This partnership model ensures:

• Academic excellence through partner institution vetting
• Established support systems for scholars
• Access to top-tier universities
• Credibility and sustainability

Tips for Success

1. Apply through the right channel: Identify which partner program aligns with your goals and apply directly to them
2. STEM emphasis: Strongest preference for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs
3. Geographic eligibility: Ensure you meet residency requirements for your chosen program
4. Contact early: Email scholarships@bseisufoundation.org with queries before application deadlines
5. Check individual deadlines: Each partner has different timelines; start early (November-January typical)
6. Full-time only: Part-time study is not funded

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Not a traditional grant-maker for organizations: Primary focus is individual student scholarships; organizational grants are secondary and strategic
• No direct applications: Must apply through partner institutions (universities, Chevening, British Council, AMIDEAST)
• STEM priority: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields are strongly preferred
• Geographic specificity: Must be from Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Ukraine, or Malaysia
• Demographic focus: High priority on women and refugees; consistently high representation in cohorts
• Partnership model: Foundation works with established institutions rather than independently managing applications
• Full funding: Scholarships typically cover both tuition fees and living costs (£60,000+ value)
• Masters only: No PhD or undergraduate programs (except through AMIDEAST for Palestinians in US)
• Contact Yasmin: Scholarship officer available at scholarships@bseisufoundation.org for queries
• Post-award obligations: Generally no return-home requirement except Chevening (2-year return mandate)

References

1. The Bseisu Foundation official website - https://www.bseisufoundation.org -
2. Charity Commission for England and Wales, Charity Number 1118545 - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1118545 -
3. The Bseisu Foundation “How to Apply - FAQs” - https://www.bseisufoundation.org/how-to-apply -
4. The Bseisu Foundation “Find a Scholarship” - https://www.bseisufoundation.org/scholarships -
5. The Bseisu Foundation “Projects” - https://www.bseisufoundation.org/projects -
6. Council for Arab-British Understanding “Amjad and Suha Bseisu Foundation” - https://www.caabu.org/about/who-we-are/supporters-and-partners/amjad-and-suha-bseisu-foundation -
7. Chevening “The Bseisu Foundation” partnership page - https://www.chevening.org/partners/the-bseisu-foundation/ -
8. UCL “Bseisu-UCL Scholarship” - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/bseisu-ucl-scholarship -
9. Cambridge Trust “Bseisu-University of Cambridge Scholarship” - https://www.cambridgetrust.org/scholarships/bseisu-university-of-cambridge-scholarship -
10. Companies House, Company Number 06018191 - https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06018191 -