Talent is
everywhere.
Access isn't.
Campfires across the country — rooms where ambitious young people meet AI, build with it, and find out they're not alone.
A network of innovation hubs making sure ambitious young people — wherever they're from — can walk into rooms of opportunity.
We don't do one-day buzzes. We build lasting access.
Plenty of young people have the ideas and the drive. What's missing is access — to mentors, to rooms where building is normal, to the structure that keeps a project alive after the first burst of energy fades.
Most programmes give a spark and then disappear. We exist so every ambitious young person can walk into a room of opportunity — and stay long enough to build something real.
Built for the ambitious.
Not "gifted", not "academic" — just young people with the drive to build or change something, wherever they're from.
What we run.
Build Days
Hackathons with zero barrier to entry. Come with an idea or a curiosity, build, and see what's possible in a single day.
- No experience needed
- Full creative autonomy
- Real teams, real demos
Build Different · BelfastBuild Beyond
Takes 10 teams deeper — turning a Build Day idea into something with real traction.
- Dedicated mentors
- Weekly 1:1 check-ins
- One in-person meetup a month
Teams going deeperHub Meet-ups
Regular gatherings within each hub — the connective tissue between the big days.
- Find your peers
- Showcase your work
- A community that lasts
The community between daysMentor Connections
Mentors who pass on knowledge responsively, not directively.
- Ask better questions
- See pathways forward
- Operators, founders & specialists
1:1 with people who've done itFrom a spark to something real.
No application essay, no gatekeeping — just a path you can step onto wherever you're starting from.
Walk in
Come to a Build Day with an idea, a question, or pure curiosity. No experience, no cost, no catch.
Build something
Spend the day making a real prototype with peers and mentors, all around one global challenge.
Go deeper
The ideas with legs join Build Beyond — a five-month accelerator with dedicated mentors and support.
Keep going
Hub meet-ups and the mentor network keep you building long after the day ends. You're never on your own.
We're not building a programme. We're building a movement.
A network of campfires across the country
Better together.
Each hub is a real place — somewhere young people keep coming back to. They're not islands: shared sessions, cross-hub showcases and one mentor network connect them right across the island.
A creative-tech home in the heart of the city.
Our base in the North West.
Carrying the network across the border.
So access reaches the rural west, too.
Three ways to be part of it.
Whether you're building, guiding, or opening a door — there's a place for you in the network.
Young builders
Come to a Build Day, find your people at a hub, or take an idea all the way through Build Beyond. Start wherever you are.
See events & apply →Mentors
Pass on what you know — responsively, not directively. A few hours can change where a young person's idea ends up.
Spaces & partners
Host a hub, fund a cohort, or open your doors for a day. Help access reach further across the country.
Partner with us →What's coming up.
Find a date near you, apply to take part, or sign up to mentor. Everything's free — come with an idea or just curiosity.
The calendar
Upcoming events
Tap “Apply” on any event to jump to the form with it pre-selected.
Apply to take part.
Tell us a little about you and which event you'd like to come to. We'll be in touch with the details.
You're in — thank you!
We've got your application and we'll be in touch soon with the details.
Sign up to volunteer.
A few hours can change where a young person's idea ends up. Tell us how you'd like to help.
Thank you for stepping up!
We've got your details and we'll be in touch about how you can help.
Questions, answered.
Who is it for?
Ambitious young people with the drive to build or change something — wherever they're from. Not "gifted", not "academic", no label required.
Do I need any experience?
None at all. Build Days are designed for first-timers — you can arrive with nothing more than curiosity and leave having built something real.
Does it cost anything?
No. Zero barrier to entry is the whole point — taking part is completely free.
Where do you run?
Across four hubs: Ormeau Labs in Belfast, The AMP in Derry, Creative Spark in Dundalk and The Workhouse in Enniskillen — reaching Northern Ireland and the border counties.
What's the "two generations" thing?
Some Build Days pair parents and children to build side by side — because good ideas don't have an age limit.
How do I get involved?
Email us and we'll point you to the next Build Day, a mentoring role, or a way to host. The door's open.
Find your way in.
A young builder, a mentor, or a space that wants to host a hub — wherever you fit, we'd love to hear from you.
Talk to us →Supported by the PEACEPLUS Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).