Ten prestigious training scholarships will be made available exclusively to small retailers this year, Skillsmart Retail and Retail Trust announced today.

The annual scholarships for the renowned Oxford Summer School, Keble College, University of Oxford, from 21st to 27th August, are worth nearly £2,000 each.

They will be available only for companies employing fewer than 1,000 people this year, in a move designed to give independent retailers a boost during tough times.

Anne Seaman, Chief Executive of Skillsmart Retail said: "The Oxford Summer School is the ideal course for ambitious independent managers. It provides a broad insight into the retail world that they can take back into their business and help them grow. I would encourage all managers of independent retailers to get their applications in as soon as possible to that they don't miss out on this incredible opportunity."

The Oxford Summer School is run by the British Shops and Stores Association (bssa). It includes exercises, lectures and tutorials led by retail experts, presentations from leading retail figures, team-building events and social activities.

It is designed to help retailers build the skills they need to succeed; how to manage people, money, marketing, merchandise and retail space.

Louise Pallas, an independent retailer who won a place at the summer school last year, said: "The opportunity to experience meeting the best in the business and learning from them is something I will never forget and I am grateful I was given the opportunity I never imagined I would have had."

Robert Gough, a Debenhams manager, another former scholarship winner, said: "I would definitely recommend that independent retailers apply for a scholarship. Coming from a large organisation such as Debenhams meant the course had synergies with our own in-house training. However, independents often do not have this training, so the Summer School would expose them to a really thorough, high level of training that will allow them to work and think differently in the future. It's a must for budding high-flyers."