Innovate UK: Knowledge Transfer Partnerships 2025-2026

Overview

Round 2

The KTP partnership brings new skills and the latest academic thinking into the business partner (which can be a business or not-for-profit organisation) to deliver a specific, strategic innovation project. The knowledge base partner (HE or FE education institution, RTO or Catapult) 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.

Each application must be led by a knowledge base, working with a business partner and supported by a Knowledge Transfer Adviser.

Project size

Total eligible project costs are typically £8,500 per month. Projects must be between 12 and 36 months. A proportion of the knowledge base costs will be funded by Innovate UK. The remaining eligible project costs are paid by the business.

Eligibility

Each Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a partnership between the following:

• a UK knowledge base, acting as lead organisation and submitting the application
• a UK registered business, eligible public sector organisation, social enterprise, co-operative, charity or charitable business

Public sector organisations can only apply for a Management KTP. The definition KTP uses for eligible public sector organisations is:

• non-departmental public bodies and arm’s length bodies (ALBs)
• the NHS
• local authorities, bodies owned and controlled by local authorities
• government owned companies, nationalised industries, most trading funds and regulators

Notes

The knowledge base partner cannot work alone.

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
• be registered as a knowledge base with the KTP programme
• invite one UK registered business, public sector organisation, social enterprise, co-operative, charity, charitable business or eligible public sector organisation into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) application
• invite one Knowledge Transfer Adviser to support the application

See Guidance for additional criteria.

Business partners cannot work alone. 

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

• be a UK registered business, eligible public sector organisation, social enterprise, co-operative, charity or charitable business
• have two or more full time equivalent employees

See Guidance for additional criteria.

• Subcontractors are not allowed in this competition.

Funding

Find out about the cost of participating in KTP and understand which project costs are eligible for funding.

Any funding 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.

Innovate UK has allocated up to £9 million in this round of the KTP programme, which will contribute towards the total costs of the individual projects. The number of public sector management KTPs is limited to a maximum of 10 applications per competition round.

Eligible costs depend on a number of factors, including:

• the duration of the project
• where the project will be located
• the size of the business or group
• if your business operates virtually

For full details on what costs you can claim, see the KTP project costs guidance.

Successful applications are partially funded on the following basis:

• large companies and eligible public sector organisations may receive a grant contribution of up to 50% of eligible project costs, with the business paying the balance
• micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SMEs) may receive a grant contribution up to 67% of eligible project costs, with the business paying the balance
• social enterprises, co-operatives, charities or charitable business with 499 or fewer employees (FTE), may receive a grant contribution of up to 75% of eligible project costs: over 500 (FTE) will receive a grant contribution of up to 50% of eligible project costs
• as virtual businesses have no geographical location they may only receive a grant contribution of 50% or 67% depending upon the size of the business and must support additional costs as outlined in the KTP project costs guidance

All applicants should read and understand the following:

• Innovate UK General Guidance
• KTP guidance
• cost guidance for KTP
• all competition details
• Terms and Conditions

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 and must show:

• why the business needs this Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)
• what new knowledge is required by the business
• what new capabilities will be embedded as a result of the KTP

For further information visit the website