Knowledge transfer partnerships (KTP): 2021 to 2022, round 4

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme allows a UK registered business or not-for-profit organisation to partner with a UK higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, RTO or Catapult, to deliver a specific, strategic innovation project. The knowledge base partner will recruit 1 or 2 graduates (known as ‘associates’) to work on the project.

Projects costs are usually up to £75,000 per year for 12-36 month projects. Typically Innovate UK and its supporters fund projects at 67% of eligible project costs for SMEs and 50% of eligible project costs for large businesses.

Each application must be led by a knowledge base, working with a business partner. If you are from a knowledge base that has not yet developed a project, get started by reading the KTP guidance. If you are from a business, contact the Knowledge Transfer Network. (Businesses must be UK registered and have more than 2 employees.)

Visit the KTP website to find out more about the programme and the current roles available for graduates.

This award is provided on a no subsidy basis. This means you must publish or make all project outputs openly available on a non-selective basis. If you decide to commercially exploit project outputs, you can only do so with no selective advantage.

The knowledge base partner must lead the project and must:

• be a UK registered higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, RTO or Catapult
• invite one UK registered business of any size or not-for-profit organisation into the Innovation Funding Service
• invite one knowledge transfer adviser
• not act in any way to gain selective commercial or economic advantage from the outputs of the project
• recruit associate roles in a demonstrably open and fair manner
• allow associates to carry out the majority of the project at the business partner’s premises
• provide academic support for the associate

Business partners cannot work alone. They must develop the project with a knowledge base of their choice. We encourage business partners to approach knowledge bases directly.

To collaborate with the knowledge base, the business partner must:

• be a UK registered business, of any size, or a not-for-profit organisation
• have more than 2 employees
• demonstrate its ability to financially support its contribution to the project

Your project

Your application must be for a specific, strategic innovation project that tackles one or more challenges faced by the business partner.

It can be any kind of project, it must show:

• how it helps the business with a real need
• how it fits the strategic aims of the business partner
• there is a genuine market opportunity and route to market
• how the knowledge gained will be embedded within the business partner
• what makes this approach innovative

If you would like to discuss a potential project, click here to find and contact your local Knowledge Transfer Adviser.