Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships have been running in the UK since 1975 and are one of the most consistently funded programmes in the Innovate UK portfolio. The idea is straightforward: a business has a strategic challenge that would benefit from specialist academic knowledge, but hiring a senior expert full-time is either too expensive or not the right fit. A KTP places a recently qualified graduate - called an Associate - into your business for 1 to 3 years, supervised jointly by your team and a university academic. Innovate UK covers 50-67% of the total project cost depending on company size.

What kinds of project work well?

KTPs work best when there's a specific knowledge gap between what your business knows today and what it needs to know to achieve a defined strategic goal. Successful projects include: developing new data analytics capabilities, bringing machine learning into a product or process, creating new software systems, developing novel materials or formulations, improving manufacturing processes using engineering research, and embedding new regulatory or clinical knowledge. The common thread is a genuine transfer of specialist knowledge - not just project delivery, which could be handled by a contractor.

Projects that don't work well are those where the business already has the expertise in-house and just needs resource, or where the goal is too loosely defined to structure a 2-year research plan around. Assessors look for a clear knowledge gap, a credible university partner to fill it, and a plausible commercial outcome at the end.

What does it cost the business?

For SMEs, Innovate UK covers 67% of the total project cost. You cover the remaining 33%. Total costs depend on Associate salary (typically £30,000-£38,000 per year), academic supervisor time, and project expenses. A rough guide: an SME running a 2-year KTP should budget for around £40,000-£55,000 in business contributions over the project lifetime. That compares to the £150,000-£180,000 it would cost to hire the equivalent expertise commercially.

Large companies receive a lower grant rate - 50% rather than 67% - but the structure is otherwise identical. Some KTPs are co-funded with regional programmes or Catapult centres, which can change the funding arithmetic.

How to find a university partner

You can approach any UK university with relevant expertise. Innovate UK's KTP database lists completed and current projects by subject area, which is a useful starting point for identifying who has done similar work. Many universities have dedicated KTP offices - called Research and Innovation Services or similar - that actively look for business partners. Some also run introductory workshops and matchmaking events. Catapult centres (High Value Manufacturing, Digital, Energy Systems) also run KTP-style collaborations and are worth approaching directly.

The quality of the university partnership matters as much as the funding rate. An engaged academic supervisor who understands commercial timelines and deliverables makes the difference between a KTP that transforms a business and one that produces a report nobody reads.

The application process

Applications go through the KTP office at the university you've partnered with - the university submits on behalf of the partnership, not the business directly. The application describes the business challenge, the knowledge transfer plan, the Associate's role, and the expected commercial outcomes. Assessment panels meet quarterly. From first contact with a university to a funding decision is typically 3-6 months, depending on how quickly the application is prepared and which assessment panel it hits.

Grantscom tracks KTP competition windows and knowledge transfer funding calls alongside direct grant opportunities - so if a KTP isn't the right fit, you'll see alternatives alongside it in your matched feed.