STEPS Engineers Ireland
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What STEPS Engineers Ireland does
STEPS Engineers Ireland is a national STEM outreach programme operated under Engineers Ireland, a nonprofit professional membership body headquartered in Dublin at 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge. Established around 2000–2001, the programme delivers structured engineering outreach to primary and post-primary students across the island of Ireland, with the stated objective of inspiring future generations of engineers. It serves children and young people aged approximately 4–18, their teachers, volunteer professional engineers, and corporate sponsors, and is operationally led by STEPS Team Leader Roseanne O'Leary. Funding is anchored by the Department of Education and supplemented by corporate sponsorship from Arup, ESB, Intel, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII); the programme holds accreditations including Investors in Diversity Silver, Investing in Volunteers, and Excellence in People Platinum.
The programme's product portfolio comprises five interconnected initiatives: Engineers Week (an annual national awareness campaign reaching primary schools, secondary schools, early years settings, and libraries); the Young Engineers Award (a primary-school competition in which pupils solve real-world engineering problems in teams); Engineering Your Future (combining a Transition Year work experience programme with virtual work experience delivered via Springpod for students aged 13+); Girl Guides engineering badge activities delivered through Scouting Ireland; and Nature Engineers, a newly launched 2025 flagship initiative bringing nature-based engineering challenges (sustainability, rain-garden design) to 10–12-year-olds. Supporting content assets include the "An Engineer Like Me" personal-stories series, the "STEPS into Engineering" interactive career guide, and a recurring email newsletter. STEPS does not develop proprietary technology products; its primary digital distribution is the Springpod virtual work experience platform.
Revenue is generated through three streams: a Department of Education grant, corporate sponsorship (packages starting at €5,000 for initiatives such as Nature Engineers, with custom packages for headline sponsors), and the broader Engineers Ireland professional membership programme, with student membership offered free of charge. The go-to-market model is community-led and event-driven, relying on volunteer engineers visiting schools, direct outreach through 12 regional Engineers Ireland networks, and partner organisations (Girl Guides Ireland, Springpod) to deliver programming. Headcount is reported at 101–250 at the Engineers Ireland parent level; STEPS itself operates with a small dedicated team.
STEPS Engineers Ireland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STEPS Engineers Ireland
- Legal name
- Engineers Ireland
- Website
- https://steps.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STEPS Engineers Ireland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- STEM Education Outreach
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Engineering Design & Project-Based Learning Programs (EDAMADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD), First-Year Experience & Transition Programs (EDALABAE)
Keywords
Where STEPS Engineers Ireland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
STEPS Engineers Ireland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Government Funding: STEPS is funded by the Department of Education. This represents the primary funding source for the programme's operations and school outreach activities.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship from industry partners including Arup, ESB, Intel, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). Sponsorship opportunities start from €5,000 for initiatives like Nature Engineers. Sponsors gain brand awareness in STEM areas and deliver corporate social responsibility.
- Membership Fees: Student membership is offered free of charge. Professional membership fees support Engineers Ireland's broader operations, with student members receiving benefits including community access, international opportunities, and awards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free Student Membership |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Corporate Sponsorship - Nature Engineers |
| Other | Multi-year contract | General Sponsorship Opportunities |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
STEPS Engineers Ireland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STEPS is an outreach programme under Engineers Ireland that inspires primary, post-primary, and Transition Year students across Ireland to explore careers in science and engineering. It delivers national campaigns (Engineers Week), classroom competitions (Young Engineers Award), work-experience programmes (Engineering Your Future, Transition Year Experience, Virtual Work Experience via Springpod), youth organisation activities (Girl Guides), and a new nature-based engineering initiative (Nature Engineers), all funded by the Department of Education and corporate sponsors.
Product overview
STEPS Engineers Ireland is a comprehensive outreach programme operated by Engineers Ireland, funded by the Department of Education and supported by industry sponsors (ARUP, ESB, Intel, Transport Infrastructure Ireland). The programme delivers a suite of interconnected products designed to inspire future generations of STEM talent: Engineers Week provides a national awareness campaign; the Young Engineers Award offers competitive challenges for students; Engineering Your Future encompasses Transition Year Experience and Virtual Work Experience programmes; Girl Guides provides engineering activities for youth organisations; and Nature Engineers is a new flagship initiative bringing nature-based engineering challenges to classrooms. Supporting these core products are An Engineer Like Me (personal stories), STEPS into Engineering (career pathway guide), and the STEPS Newsletter for ongoing engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Engineers Week: Annual celebration of engineering for primary schools, secondary schools, early years, and libraries
- Young Engineers Award
- Engineering Your Future
- Girl Guides
- Nature Engineers
- An Engineer Like Me
- STEPS into Engineering
Products and services
- Engineers Week A national campaign promoting engineering to children, running volunteer-led activities across primary schools, secondary schools, early years, and libraries throughout Ireland.
- Young Engineers Award A classroom competition that encourages primary school pupils to think like engineers and solve real-world problems through team-based projects.
- Engineering Your Future A comprehensive programme providing Transition Year students with practical insights into engineering careers through work experience placements and a virtual work experience delivered in association with Springpod.
- Girl Guides Engineering Programme An engineering badge programme delivered through Girl Guides Ireland, providing age-appropriate engineering activities for young female members aged 5-16.
- Nature Engineers A flagship initiative bringing nature-based engineering into classrooms for 10-12-year-olds, exploring sustainability, rain-garden design and real-world problem solving through practical engineering challenges.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free student membership available to all engineering students in Ireland
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use STEPS Engineers Ireland
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
STEPS Engineers Ireland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
STEPS Engineers Ireland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Department of EducationcorePrimary government funder of the STEPS Programme. Provides funding that enables all school outreach activities, volunteer coordination, and programme delivery across Ireland.
- SpringpodTechnology platform partner providing Virtual Engineering Work Experience programme for students aged 13+ on the island of Ireland. STEPS partners with Springpod to deliver self-service digital work experience.
- Girl Guides Ireland (Scouting Ireland)coreNational Girl Guide organisation delivering STEPS engineering badge programme to young female members aged 5-16. Provides network of leaders and venues for engineering activities.
- Partner OrganisationssupportingVarious organisations that support the Engineering Your Future Challenge programme. Includes companies that offer work experience placements and resource support for Transition Year students.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
STEPS Engineers Ireland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Project Lead The Way: US-based nonprofit providing STEM curriculum and teacher training for K-12 schools, including engineering pathways. Larger and more curriculum-focused than STEPS, but directly comparable as a structured K-12 engineering-education provider.
- Science Foundation Ireland: Irish government agency funding STEM research and public engagement, including the Smart Futures outreach programme. Operates at a much larger scale and broader scope than STEPS, but overlaps as a national STEM-awareness channel.
- The Royal Academy of Engineering: UK national academy for engineering, running engineering-outreach programmes (e.g., This is Engineering) targeting young people. Broader and better resourced than STEPS but directly comparable as a professional-body-led K-12 engineering-awareness initiative.
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): US-based youth robotics and STEM organisation running FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition. Comparable K-12 engineering-competition format (analogous to Young Engineers Award) at much greater international scale.
Direct peers
- I Wish: Irish initiative promoting STEM and STEAM careers to female secondary students through conferences, school programmes, and industry partnerships. Directly comparable audience (girls in STEM) and Irish single-market focus.
- Smart Futures: Ireland-based STEM careers outreach programme coordinated by Science Foundation Ireland, targeting secondary students and teachers with industry engagement. Directly comparable in mission, Irish geography, and K-12 STEM-pipeline focus.
- Primary Science Teaching Trust: UK charity funding primary-school science teaching through grants, resources, and teacher CPD. Comparable K-12 STEM education focus and nonprofit funding model, though science rather than engineering specific.
- EngineeringUK: UK-based organisation promoting engineering careers to young people through programmes like Tomorrow's Engineers and the Big Bang Fair. Closest international structural analogue to STEPS — national engineering-outreach body funded by government, industry, and sponsors.
- CoderDojo: Ireland-origin global volunteer-led movement teaching young people coding and tech skills through free local clubs. Comparable volunteer-driven, K-12 tech-outreach model with Irish roots and a not-for-profit funding structure.
Emerging players
- WISE Campaign: UK campaign encouraging women and girls into STEM careers through employer engagement and school programmes. Comparable mission on the diversity-in-engineering angle that STEPS addresses via Girl Guides and An Engineer Like Me.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
STEPS Engineers Ireland social profiles
Digital presenceSTEPS Engineers Ireland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STEPS Engineers Ireland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
STEPS Engineers Ireland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
STEPS Engineers Ireland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about STEPS Engineers Ireland
What does STEPS Engineers Ireland do?
STEPS is an outreach programme under Engineers Ireland that inspires primary, post-primary, and Transition Year students across Ireland to explore careers in science and engineering. It delivers national campaigns (Engineers Week), classroom competitions (Young Engineers Award), work-experience programmes (Engineering Your Future, Transition Year Experience, Virtual Work Experience via Springpod), youth organisation activities (Girl Guides), and a new nature-based engineering initiative (Nature Engineers), all funded by the Department of Education and corporate sponsors.
Is STEPS Engineers Ireland a public or private company?
STEPS Engineers Ireland is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was STEPS Engineers Ireland founded?
STEPS Engineers Ireland was founded in 2001. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is STEPS Engineers Ireland based?
STEPS Engineers Ireland is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does STEPS Engineers Ireland make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorship and membership Fees.
Who are STEPS Engineers Ireland's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Project Lead The Way, Science Foundation Ireland, The Royal Academy of Engineering and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Direct peers are I Wish, Smart Futures, Primary Science Teaching Trust, EngineeringUK and CoderDojo. WISE Campaign is listed as an emerging player.
Does STEPS Engineers Ireland have an API?
No public API is recorded for STEPS Engineers Ireland.
What industry is STEPS Engineers Ireland in?
STEPS Engineers Ireland's product category is STEM Education Outreach. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAB, Engineering Design & Project-Based Learning Programs, with a secondary code of EDAMAHAD, Innovation & Design Thinking Programs. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8700.