Collaborate with our students

Practical projects, fresh ideas, no cost.

From business strategy to branding concepts, charity campaigns to community initiatives. Work with us through a Live Brief – a short-term collaboration where you present a real organisational challenge and our students respond with creative, actionable ideas.

Read case studies of previous Live Briefs.



Send us a Live Brief proposal

What is a Live Brief?

A short-term collaboration, where you present our students with a practical organisational challenge. For example, you might be looking for fresh ideas for your business.

Our students respond with creative, research-informed solutions that support your organisation’s goals. In turn, you give them feedback on their work, supporting their learning.

An ARU Live Brief gives you the opportunity to engage directly with emerging graduate talent, while our students gain practical experience that supports their development and employability skills.

✓ No cost

✓ No need to host students onsite

✓ Just 5-15 hours of your time over 12-20 weeks

Live Briefs:

  • Market research and user experience studies
  • Social media strategy and brand awareness campaigns
  • Product or solution design and usability testing
  • Statistical analysis and data visualisation
  • Educational resources and public engagement materials

Live Briefs have been running since 2020 and now feature in over 200 undergraduate and postgraduate modules across ARU.

Read case studies of previous Live Briefs.

We welcome proposals for Live Briefs from:

  • small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups
  • charities and non-profits
  • public sector organisations
  • large businesses and corporations.

Please note the following.

  • Expressions of Interest (EoIs): our ability to turn your idea into a Live Brief depends on the availability of relevant academic modules.
  • We particularly welcome EoIs in priority areas, but demand may exceed capacity in some subjects.
  • Areas where partner demand often exceeds our capacity: marketing strategy and campaigns; digital content creation; social media strategy; reviews of business systems and processes.
  • Priority areas where we often need more partners: accounting; animal care and behaviour; engineering; psychology.

For your organisation

  • Fresh thinking and innovative ideas
  • Increased brand visibility
  • Stronger community and stakeholder links
  • Early access to graduate talent
  • No financial cost
  • Contributing to university students’ learning

For students

  • Practical experience
  • Professional feedback
  • Enhanced employability
  • Applied learning linked to assessment

Live Briefs are available across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate subjects, including:

  • creative arts
  • law and finance
  • computing and technology
  • construction and engineering
  • psychology, sports and life sciences
  • business and marketing
Five smiling students gathered around a laptop

Case studies

Explore how organisations have worked with our students.

View case studies Student experience: Working on a Live Brief

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