Invitation to Host and Sponsor IEEC 2026

International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference 2026
Enterprise Educators UK is inviting members to apply to host the 20^th anniversary International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference in September 2026 – IEEC2026.

IEEC is a critical part of the international enterprise and entrepreneurship education landscape providing the major annual forum for educators and practitioners within Higher and Further Education to come together, share and learn. The conference is outward-looking, engaging delegates from across the world with the opportunities and challenges of putting enterprise and entrepreneurship education on a global stage. It draws upon both policy and practice to enable delegates to contribute to informing international, national, and institutional practice and strategy. The conference is practical in tone and provides a real opportunity for open debate and frank discussion between educators, practitioners, and stakeholders in this sector.
The 2026 conference will be a conventional event where delegates attend in-person. We welcome proposals that incorporate elements of blended delivery to enable some delegates to participate online with some, or all of, the event.

IEEC2026 represents a fantastic opportunity for an organisation to raise its profile on the international stage through its association with this well established and highly regarded enterprise and entrepreneurship education conference.

Conference Aims:

To extend and strengthen the enterprise and entrepreneurship educator and practitioner community
To build a development agenda for change across the sector and to inform the policy debate for shaping the future for enterprise and entrepreneurship education

Conference Objectives:

Raise awareness and profile of enterprise and entrepreneurship education and practice as a key economic and social benefit
Increase levels of exchange between educators, practitioners and key stakeholders
Impact on the development of national and international policy and strategy that will lead to greater, more sustainable global enterprise
Promote the embedding of entrepreneurial activity into the fabric of HE and FE institutions
Identify the challenges of developing entrepreneurial HE and FE provision and transcend traditional ‘silos’ of experience
Highlight multidisciplinary approaches that inform and enhance entrepreneurship education
Provide excellent networking opportunities to enable delegates to connect constructively

Conference Dates

Our preferred dates for IEEC2026 are Wednesday 2^nd to Friday 4^th September 2026.

Opportunities for the host and platinum sponsor

Annually, IEEC brings together around 300 delegates from countries across the globe for specialised keynotes and a wide range of practice-based workshops. This provides:

A national and international platform to showcase the host organisation, its best practice in enterprise and entrepreneurship education and support for young/graduate entrepreneurs
Opportunities to contribute to the design and ongoing development of the conference programme
Engagement with key national and international stakeholder organisations
Platinum Sponsor status on social media, website, marketing materials and all other correspondence relating directly to IEEC
Logo on conference publicity materials
Provision of exhibition space to promote the sponsor’s services and / or achievements
Speaker opportunity during the conference welcome
Free full conference attendance for six named representatives, plus a 25% discount on subsequent registrations for the host organisation (minimum 10 delegates). N.B. this does not include the Conference Gala Dinner.

“We were very pleased to win the bid to host IEEC2023 at the University of Surrey. It gave us an ideal opportunity to showcase the University’s commitment to enterprise and entrepreneurship education. We were especially delighted to welcome enterprise students to the conference, working with Enactus UK to run a hackathon alongside the main event. Delegates had an opportunity to learn from expert keynote speakers from the Surrey ecosystem, and to see something of the local region too. I would encourage other EEUK members to put themselves forward as IEEC hosts and to play such an active role in celebrating enterprise and entrepreneurship education amongst our community. It was lovely to work with Rob, Lynn and the EEUK team to organise the event and we had great fun delivering 3 packed days on our lovely campus”.

Kat Mack, University of Surrey, IEEC2023 host

What the organisers are looking for from the host

When reviewing bids, we will be looking for:

A host organisation that reflects the ethos of EEUK and demonstrates their commitment to enterprise education.
Conference venue that meets the stipulated requirements and reflects the quality and style of IEEC.
Gala dinner venue which reflects the prestige of our National Enterprise Educator Awards and is within easy reach of the main conference venue and hotels.
Geographic location with good transport links and a range of hotel options within easy reach of the venues. We prefer the conference to move to different regions of the UK from year to year so recent locations may influence our choice.
Clear explanation of the likely costs and financial contribution from the institution.
Clear indication of the staff from the institution who will be supporting the development and running of the conference.
Letter of support from a senior member of the organisation, for example the Vice Chancellor.

Venues:

A tiered lecture theatre for around 300 delegates for main plenary sessions.
A large informal breakout/networking/refreshments/exhibition space, ideally within the same building as the lecture theatre but at most 5 minutes’ walk away. This area must be suitable for 300+ delegates and around 10 exhibitors to be together for lunch and refreshment breaks.
At least 6 flat rooms suitable for interactive sessions for 40 – 45 delegates, ideally within the same building as the lecture theatre but at most 5 minutes’ walk away. These rooms will be used in parallel and would ideally be clustered together.
Suitable local venues for the first evening’s reception and the second evening’s gala dinner and National Enterprise Educator Award ceremony. Ideally these would be within walking distance of the main venue, although venues further afield would be considered if appropriate transport is available.
High quality AV equipment in all daytime and evening locations with technical support available throughout the event.
WiFi available throughout all daytime locations.

Location:

Easily reached from national and international locations by public transport.
A city or region that will appeal to international guests. Please include information about things to do in the local area that may appeal to delegates wishing to extend their stay.

Accommodation:

Reasonably-priced hotel accommodation available nearby.

Host support for IEEC:

Small team to contribute to the development of the programme and to provide local logistical support – the overall event management is managed by EEUK.
A team of around 6 students to act as ambassadors and to provide local logistical support during the conference.

Financial arrangements

To reflect the prestige of hosting the IEEC conference, and the status of platinum sponsor EEUK are seeking a suitable financial package of support from the host institution. Previous proposals have included the following elements.

Cash contribution
In kind contribution, such as the provision of daytime facilities at no charge
Securing additional external sponsorship from regional partners
Support to secure additional commercial sponsorship

In light of the current financial situation within Higher Education we are looking for a best value option with a total sponsorship package to the value of £7k – £15k.

All other costs and income related to IEEC will remain the responsibility of EEUK.

Joint bids

Applications to host jointly by two or more members are welcome as long as the package meets the requirements set out above. Ultimately all of the above is flexible and will be judged upon the overall package offered.

Applications to host:

To apply to host IEEC2026, please provide a proposal, using the application form, to include:

Details of all proposed daytime facilities, demonstrating how they meet the requirements set out above and confirming that they will be provided free of charge to the organisers.
Details of your proposed financial (cash and in-kind) contribution to IEEC2026.
Details of how you would work with the organisers to attract additional sponsorship.
An estimate of any on-site costs that will need to be met by the organisers, for example daytime catering costs.
Suggestions of venues for the first evening’s networking buffet and the second evening’s gala dinner including approximate venue and catering costs.
Confirmation that all the requirements listed above are met.
Any appropriate documents and illustrations to support your claim to meet the requirements.
An indication of how the host organisation is aligned to the ethos and goals of IEEC.
Written agreement /confirmation from the Vice Chancellor or other member of the senior management team.

Applications should be submitted on the application form and emailed to Rob Edwards at rob@eeuk-menu.instawp.xyz by Tuesday 10^th Dec 2024. Additional supporting documents may be attached.

Applications will be reviewed by representatives of the EEUK Board. We hope to make a final decision by the beginning of January in readiness to announce IEEC2026 in the New Year.