Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

KTP is a partnership between your business and the University. If your business enters into partnership with us, we will:

• Implement an agreed business project, from between 12 to 36 months, central to the strategic development of your business
• Recruit a high calibre graduate, known as the ‘associate’, who is based at the company to deliver the project and help transfer our knowledge to your business
• Provide joint supervision to the ‘associate’ through business and academic mentors

A KTP with us will help you and your business to:

• Increase profits, knowledge and capability
• Gain a competitive advantage through new products, processes and services
• Introduce new technology through innovation
• Become more efficient and set for growth

• You will be working with University experts. The academic partner and associate bring new knowledge and skills to your company
• You’ll get assistance in recruitment and selection; good graduates are often keen to work for a university and we will work with you to recruit the best
• You’ll have access to wider University facilities and support including our flagship Engineering and Innovation Centre (EIC) which has the latest technology and specialist innovative equipment
• A broad range of independent advice
• KTPs have been around for 50 years and remain funded by the government. The scheme has a track record of initiating business growth
• The cost is the same as recruiting a graduate or skilled worker (at around £25K per annum) and you would be eligible for Research and Development tax credits

KTPs are available to UK-based businesses of any size including not-for-profit organisations such as social enterprises and charities

On average the total annual cost of a KTP is £75k. A KTP will give your business access to help with funding of between 50-67% through Innovate UK making KTPs the perfect way to improve your business

• A small to medium sized business contributes funding of around 33% of the total project costs
• A larger business contributes funding of 50% of the total project costs
• The budget covers the cost of employing a full-time ‘associate’ to work at the company on the defined project, half a day per week of academic consultancy and £6k per year for travel, consumables and training for the ‘associate’.

Need help to achieve effective management and leadership? Find out more about Management KTPs (mKTPs) and what they can do for your business.

The IP is for the University and the company to agree prior to making the application. There is no absolute rule regarding the ownership of IP to Innovate UK, so it is all about the agreement between the University and the company on who owns what. We have IP experts who can provide guidance and advice around IP-related queries.

It depends on what you require, but the University has expertise in all sorts of areas. We have a structured and supporting team and a strong existing network of relationships with academics and companies.

Applicants fill out a fact-finding form, we will provide guidance and advice on how to complete the form appropriately. The form is about outlining your area of interest or ideas and how it will benefit the business, the University and KTP associate. It is important to highlight how the KTP project will provide benefit to your business.

Developing the proposal with the KTP advisors and academics takes 4-8 weeks. Once the proposal is submitted it is assessed and scored, which takes 8-10 weeks. Once approved we’ll discuss the details of the KTP programme with you regarding a timeline and a project plan. We accept applications throughout the year.

The associate is the bridge between the business and the University, sharing and implanting the knowledge from the University into the business. We do the actual research, gather data and make sure the work is completed in the way the business wants. An associate provides flexibility in developing the research and accessing our resources so that the business can then mould the research to suit their business.

There is a standard budget of Continual Professional Development (CPD) of £2000 per annum for the associate. The University provides general management training for all associates. During the KTP process, we have a team ready to provide coaching and mentoring for the associates who can, depending on the project, get extra funding as a part-time PhD fee if they want to.

75% of the host businesses typically offer a job to the associate they worked with and about 65% of associates accept the role.

Yes, as long as there is a good working relationship with the business through a mix of in-person and online meetings, it is likely to equate to working half a day a week. There is an intensive preparation stage before the grant funding is passed, which can be time-consuming and may exceed that number. Once the project starts, the academic works closely with the company and the associate to make sure everything is on track.