Marketing to schools and MATs | Free Supplier Guide
Free supplier guide

Marketing to schools and MATs

Understand how schools buy, who controls the budget and when to reach them.

Selling into education is very different from selling into most other markets. Thousands of buying decisions are made by school and trust leaders against tight budgets, procurement rules and a fixed academic calendar.

Our supplier guide brings the market together in one place, helping you plan your sales and marketing activity around how schools actually buy.

24,499 Schools in England
1,300+ Multi-Academy Trusts
£65.3bn Core schools budget
Supplier guide The market, the buyers, the tactics
Marketing
to schools
How school and trust leaders buy, who holds the budget, and how to reach them through the academic year.
24,499 Schools in England
1,300+ Multi-Academy Trusts
£65.3bn Core schools budget
Download the guide

Get your free copy

Complete the form below to access Marketing to schools and MATs and get a clearer view of the market, the buyers and the tactics that can help you reach them.

  • Understand who influences school buying decisions
  • See where budgets and supplier opportunities sit
  • Understand how schools and trusts procure
  • Build campaigns around the academic buying year
What you'll learn

A clearer route into the schools market.

From budgets and decision-makers to campaign timing, the guide covers the practical information suppliers need to build a stronger education strategy.

01

Where the money sits

Understand where supplier spending comes from, how the core schools budget works and where capital and grant funding create opportunities.

02

Who actually decides

See how Headteachers, Trust CEOs, COOs, CFOs, Business Managers, SENCOs and specialist leads influence different stages of a purchase.

03

How schools buy

Understand the difference between lower-value purchasing, formal procurement and trust-level governance.

04

When to market

Map your sales and marketing activity against the academic buying year rather than your own quarterly targets.

05

How the market differs

Compare MATs, maintained schools, primary, secondary, SEND and independent schools and understand how your approach should change.

06

How to get heard

Practical guidance covering positioning, email, content, events, referrals, evidence and campaign planning.

Timing matters

The education market doesn't buy on your sales calendar.

The same campaign can perform very differently depending on when it reaches a school. The guide maps marketing activity against the academic year so you can reach leaders when they are able to act.

Autumn

Build awareness

New budgets and improvement plans are live. Start conversations, publish useful content and get in front of decision-makers.

Spring

Build consideration

Budget setting accelerates. Proposals, pricing, tenders, pilots and reference conversations become increasingly important.

Summer

Convert and deliver

Orders for September are placed and implementation planning begins. Make the route from decision to delivery as simple as possible.

Who it's for

Built for suppliers targeting the education sector.

Whether you're entering the market or looking to strengthen an existing schools strategy, the guide can help you understand the people and processes behind buying decisions.

EdTech & digital transformation Estates & facilities Business, finance & MIS SEND & inclusion Teaching & learning HR & recruitment Professional services Curriculum & resources

Understand the market before you market to it.

Get the supplier guide and build your education campaigns around how schools and trusts actually buy.

Get the free guide