School Summit Connect
Partnership opportunity

One partnership. Every school. Future talent.

School Summit connects your organisation with students, schools and educators across Northern Ireland and Ireland — through one ongoing partnership, not a one-off campaign.

Book a partnership meetingDownload the partnership pack

Trusted by employers · sponsors · universities · public sector · defence

Who you reach through one partnership
Post-primary students

The talent pipeline you're competing for

Schools & guidance teams

The gatekeepers who shape student decisions

Educators & advisers

The trusted voices that drive choices

Northern Ireland & Ireland

Year-round reach across both jurisdictions

Choose your level

Four ways to partner. One ecosystem.

Pick the level that matches your ambition. Every level connects you to the same audience — students, schools and educators — through the same partnership team.

Event Partner

For organisations engaging at flagship moments.

Be present at the next School Summit and meet schools face-to-face.

  • Branded presence at the event
  • Schools network introductions
  • Lead capture on the day
Discuss this level
Category Sponsor

Own one of 40 innovation categories.

Become the named partner for a category that maps to your sector.

  • Named sponsorship of a category
  • Year-round visibility
  • Direct route to interested students
Discuss this level
Education Partner

Universities, colleges and apprenticeship providers.

Reach schools and students with your courses, open days and pathways.

  • Schools engagement programme
  • Open-day & taster promotion
  • Applicant pipeline
Discuss this level
Most strategic
Founding Partner

Sector leaders backing the long-term mission.

Shape School Summit alongside government, education and industry.

  • Strategic-level involvement
  • Cross-initiative visibility
  • Multi-year partnership
Discuss this level
Category sponsorship

Own one of 40 innovation categories.

Become the named partner for the category that maps to your sector. Visible to every student, school and educator engaging with that area of innovation.

40
Categories available
AI & Machine Learning
Available

Applied AI projects from school and university teams.

Robotics
Available

Autonomous systems, mechatronics and assistive robotics.

Cyber Security
Available

Defensive tooling, secure design and ethical hacking.

FinTech
Available

Payments, financial literacy and inclusion.

HealthTech
Available

Patient care, diagnostics and digital health.

MedTech & Life Sciences
Available

Medical devices, biotech and life-sciences innovation.

Climate & Sustainability
Available

Decarbonisation, biodiversity and circular economy.

Clean Energy
Available

Renewables, storage, hydrogen and grid innovation.

AgriTech & Food
Available

Smart farming, food systems and rural innovation.

Marine & Blue Economy
Available

Ocean tech, aquaculture and coastal sustainability.

Advanced Manufacturing
Available

Industry 4.0, automation and precision engineering.

Aerospace
Available

Aviation, satellites, drones and propulsion.

Automotive & Mobility
Available

EVs, autonomous transport and shared mobility.

Construction & Built Environment
Available

Modern methods, smart buildings and infrastructure.

Civil Engineering
Available

Roads, bridges, water and public works.

Software Engineering
Available

Modern web, mobile, platforms and developer tooling.

Data & Analytics
Available

Data engineering, BI and decision intelligence.

Cloud & DevOps
Available

Cloud-native systems, reliability and platform engineering.

Gaming & Immersive Tech
Available

Game design, XR, AR/VR and interactive media.

Creative & Media
Available

Film, broadcast, design and digital storytelling.

Music & Audio
Available

Music tech, production and live audio innovation.

Fashion & Textiles
Available

Sustainable design, materials and wearable tech.

Social Impact
Available

Community, equality and civic innovation.

Education & EdTech
Available

Learning platforms, accessibility and pedagogy.

Mental Health & Wellbeing
Available

Youth wellbeing, resilience and digital therapeutics.

Sport & Performance
Available

Athlete performance, sports tech and participation.

Tourism & Hospitality
Available

Visitor experience, destinations and service innovation.

Retail & E-commerce
Available

Modern retail, marketplaces and consumer experience.

Logistics & Supply Chain
Available

Smart logistics, fulfilment and supply resilience.

Professional Services
Available

Law, consulting, accounting and advisory innovation.

Public Sector & GovTech
Available

Digital government and public-service delivery.

Defence & Security
Available

Defence innovation, security tech and resilience.

Policing & Justice
Available

Community safety, justice tech and forensic innovation.

Emergency Services
Available

Fire, ambulance and emergency response innovation.

Trades & Skilled Crafts
Available

Modern apprenticeships and skilled-trade careers.

Entrepreneurship & Start-ups
Available

Founders, ventures and student-led businesses.

Space & Satellite Tech
Available

Earth observation, satellite services and space science.

Quantum & Emerging Tech
Available

Frontier research and next-generation computing.

Diversity & Inclusion in STEM
Available

Widening participation across STEM careers.

Future of Work
Available

Skills, hybrid working and workforce transformation.

How it works

One ecosystem. Four ways to engage.

Events, Innovator NI, Connect and Marketplace are not separate products — they are engagement channels in one partnership journey, designed to work together.

  1. 01 · Inspire

    School Summit Events

    Where future talent first meets your sector.

    Flagship in-person events that bring schools, students and industry into the same room — keynotes, exhibitions, panels and live engagement moments.

    Who it's for

    Employers, sponsors, universities, public sector and defence organisations who want a high-impact live moment in front of schools.

    What you get out of it
    • Direct face-to-face contact with attending schools
    • Branded presence on stage, on-floor and in the programme
    • On-the-day lead capture and meaningful conversations
  2. 02 · Challenge

    Innovator NI

    The competition platform that surfaces future talent.

    A national competition where students tackle real industry challenges across 40 innovation categories — judged by industry, showcased to schools.

    Who it's for

    Sector leaders who want to identify, engage and influence the next generation of talent in their field.

    What you get out of it
    • Named sponsorship of a category that maps to your sector
    • Industry judging access to top student teams
    • Year-round visibility through the competition cycle
  3. 03 · Connect

    School Summit Connect

    The relationship layer behind every interaction.

    The platform that keeps your organisation close to schools, applicants and educators year-round — every interaction, in one timeline.

    Who it's for

    Any partner who wants ongoing engagement, not a one-off campaign — with one organisation record, one contact record, one timeline.

    What you get out of it
    • Continuous engagement between events
    • Consented relationships with schools and educators
    • A single relationship history across every initiative
  4. 04 · Create opportunities

    School Summit Marketplace

    Where interest converts into opportunity.

    The destination where students discover apprenticeships, open days, pathways and roles surfaced by partner organisations.

    Who it's for

    Employers, universities and apprenticeship providers ready to convert engagement into applications, attendees and hires.

    What you get out of it
    • Apprenticeships, open days and pathways in front of students
    • Applicant pipeline with consent and attribution
    • Measurable conversion from interest to opportunity

One partnership team. One contact record. One timeline across every channel.

You don't have to choose a channel. Most partners combine two or three — and we manage them as one relationship.

Why partner

What your organisation gets out of it.

Outcomes, not features. Every partnership is judged on the same four measures.

Reach

Direct, trusted access to post-primary schools across Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Engagement

Live moments at School Summit events and year-round contact through schools and educators.

Impact

Measurable outcomes — interest, enquiries, applications and conversions in one place.

Pipeline

A consistent route into future apprentices, applicants and early-career talent.

Opportunities available now

Pick the route in — talk to us about the rest.

Each opportunity is part of one partnership. Most organisations combine two or three.

Sponsor a School Summit event

Employers, sponsors and partners seeking live engagement.

  • Headline or category sponsorship of a flagship event
  • Branded presence and speaking opportunities
  • Direct introductions to attending schools
Discuss this opportunity
Back an Innovator NI category

Sector leaders who want to identify future talent early.

  • Named category in the national competition
  • Industry judging and student showcase access
  • Visibility across schools and media
Discuss this opportunity
Reach students as an Education Partner

Universities, colleges and apprenticeship providers.

  • Open-day and pathway promotion into schools
  • Applicant lead generation with consent
  • Year-round visibility through Connect
Discuss this opportunity
Tell your story through BellTime

Organisations that want media presence with credibility.

  • Editorial features in BellTime Magazine
  • Aligned content across School Summit channels
  • Reach into staffrooms and school communities
Discuss this opportunity
Become a Founding Partner

Sector-leading organisations backing the mission long-term.

  • Strategic involvement across initiatives
  • Visibility on every School Summit surface
  • Multi-year partnership and dedicated team
Discuss this opportunity
Who we work with

Built for organisations who need access to future talent.

School Summit is the partnership platform for organisations that take early careers, apprenticeships and skills seriously.

EmployersSponsorsUniversities & collegesApprenticeship providersDefence forcesPublic sector organisationsIndustry partnersProfessional bodiesGovernment agencies

Founding partners — announcing soon

Let's talk

Let's build the future together.

One conversation is all it takes to see whether School Summit is the right partner for your organisation. We'll share what's possible — you decide the route in.

Book a partnership meetingDownload the partnership pack
Partnership pack

Download the School Summit Partnership Pack

A short, sharable PDF you can bring into an internal conversation. Sent instantly to your inbox the moment you submit the form.

  • What an annual School Summit Connect licence includes
  • Audience reach across Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
  • How events and the year-round hub work together
  • Examples of live employer and public-sector hubs
  • Onboarding timeline and what your organisation provides

By submitting the form you'll be sent the Partnership Pack PDF and added to occasional partnership updates. No spam — unsubscribe any time.

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