Knowledge transfer partnerships (KTP): 2023 to 2024 Round 1
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) link forward thinking businesses with the UK’s world class knowledge bases to deliver innovation projects led by inspired graduates.
Opportunity Details
When
Registration Opens
30/01/2023
Registration Closes
30/03/2023
Award
Typically, a project’s total costs are £8500 per month. Projects must be between 12 and 36 months. A proportion of the costs (usually 50-75% depending on business size) will be funded by Innovate UK. The remainder of the project costs are paid by the business partner.
Organisation
Innovate UK
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme allows a UK registered business or not for profit organisation (which we will refer to collectively as the ‘business partner’ from now on) to partner with a ‘knowledge base partner’ (either a UK higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, research and technology organisation (RTO) or Catapult).
The KTP partnership brings new skills and the latest academic thinking into the business partner to deliver a specific, strategic innovation project. The knowledge base partner recruits the ‘associate’ to work on the project. The associate has the opportunity to lead a strategic development within the business developing new skills and gaining valuable experience.
Guidance on how to apply for a KTP is available.
Each application must be led by a knowledge base, working with a business partner and supported by a knowledge transfer adviser.
If you are a business and do not yet have a relationship with a knowledge base partner, the knowledge transfer adviser can help you to identify one.
Eligibility
Each KTP is a partnership between the following:
- a UK knowledge base, acting as lead organisation and submitting the application
- a UK registered business, not for profit organisation or eligible public sector organisation
We use the term ‘business partner’ for businesses, public sector organisations, not for profit organisations charities or charitable businesses. Public sector organisations can only apply for a Management KTP. The business partner must be a UK registered business, not for profit organisation or eligible public sector organisation, with 2 or more full time equivalent employees.
The knowledge base partner must lead the project, and must be a UK registered higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, Research Technology Organisation (RTO) or Catapult. Academic knowledge base partners must also seek to publish a minimum of 2 academic papers for publication per completed project; Catapults must create at least 2 industry focused publications per project.
(See the eligibility guidelines for a full definition of each category, and exclusions.)
Each knowledge base can collaborate with any number of business partners. Each business partner (including separate businesses within a business group) can only take part in up to 4 concurrent KTP funded projects.
Scope
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 and must show:
- why the business needs this KTP
- what new knowledge is required by the business
- what new capabilities will be embedded as a result of the KTP
To find out more about KTP, read the KTP guidance, contact Innovate UK KTN’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships team, or visit the KTP website.