Frequently Asked Questions for Academics

A KTP is a relationship formed between a company and a University to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, technology and skills to a company which does not have access to those skills in its workforce. Each partnership employs one or more recent graduates (known as an Associate) to work in a company on a project of strategic importance to the business, whilst also being supervised by an academic from the University whose expertise is relevant to the project.

• To increase company profitability and create employment
• Tp provide company-based training for graduates to enhance their business and specialist skills
• To stimulate and enhance business-relevant teaching and research undertaken by the University
• To increase the interaction between businesses and academic institutions, and awareness of the contribution academia can make to business development and growth

KTPs can involve the transfer of knowledge in any discipline the University has relevant expertise in. The programme must be strategically important to your company, must have a significant positive impact on company performance and must be dependent on the transfer of knowledge from the University to facilitate that. Often a KTP will involve one of the following:

• Refining existing products, or designing new products
• Opening new markets, for new or existing products
• Improving business, marketing or manufacturing systems
• Cutting costs and waste to run the business more efficiently.

Projects vary in length between 6 and 36 months. Currently, a programme of 6-12 months is referred to as a shorter KTPs (sKTP) and a programme of 12-36 months is a classical KTP. There are some differences between classical and shorter KTPs in the application process, budget and management of the programme (see below).

A classical KTP has a duration of 12-36 months. The grant rate is 67% for SMEs and 50% for large companies. There is a two stage application process which involves a visit from one of the TSBs KTP Advisers.

A shorter KTP has a duration of 26-51 weeks. The grant rate is 60% for SMEs and 40% for large companies. There is a one-stage online application process. The budget does not cover travel, consumables or equipment and the KTP Associate does not receive a personal development budget.

SMEs are eligible for grants of up to 67% (60% for shorter KTPs) and large companies are eligible for grants of up to 50% (40% for shorter KTPs). The grant rate reduces if a company has more than one project.

Grants are administered by the Technology Strategy Board who is also the major funder however there are currently 12 additional KTP funding organisations including government departments and research councils. The source of the grant does not change the management of the programme.

There are 6 deadlines for grant proposal submissions per year. Partnerships will normally hear the outcome of their proposal within a month of the deadline.

If a KTP is of interest the KTP Manager will meet with you and describe the process in detail. The main stages are as follows:

1. Project scope is identified.
2. Company provides accounts to enable KTP Manager to assess eligibility.
3. KTP Manager identifies suitable academics and introduces them to the company.
4. Partnership agree the scope of the project and identify the benefits to all participants.
5. KTP Manager drafts Expression of Interest form and circulates to the team.
6. EOI is sent to a KTP Adviser.
7. KTP Adviser meets the team at the company premises.
8. Partnership is invited to develop a full proposal.
9. KTP Manager drafts proposal and circulates to the team for input and comment.
10. Proposal is submitted for consideration by the Programme Assessment Group (PAG).
11. If successful, a Grant Offer Letter is received and an Associate is recruited.

The length of time it takes to get a KTP varies considerably from programme to  programme. If a company has a very clear idea of the project and supporting academics can be identified and engaged immediately it is possible to get a grant approved within three months. Often, the project will benefit from the partnership spending a little more time scoping the project. Our objective is always to support the partnership to move forward at a speed they are comfortable with.  

As part of the KTP, the Associate has a supervisor from the company, who acts as their line manager and provides day-today support.

The academic team visit the company to contribute to the project on a regular basis. The academic supervisor commits, on average, half a day a week to the project over the lifetime of the partnership.

Project management meetings between the Associate and the supervisory team are held on a monthly basis. The local management committee (the Associate, managing director, company supervisors, academic supervisors and KTP adviser) will meet every four months to review the progress of the project and to monitor the finances. These are formal meetings, minuted by the local management committee secretary provided by the Centre for Collaboration and Partnership, and at which the Associate will give a formal presentation.

A final report showing how the objectives have been met, and the benefits to the university and the company is produced at the conclusion of the programme.

Confidentiality will be strictly maintained throughout the project with a non-disclosure agreement being entered into before detailed discussions take place if required. IPR is negotiable and is agreed on a project by project basis; partners enter into a written agreement over confidentiality and IPR before the KTP begins.

KTP provides academics with the opportunity to:

• Apply knowledge and expertise to important business problems
• Develop business-relevant teaching and research materials
• Identify new research themes and undergraduate and postgraduate projects
• Publish high quality research papers
• Gain a relevant and improved understanding of business requirements and operations
• Demonstrate impact and income for the Research Excellence Framework (REF)
• Lead rewarding collaborations with innovative businesses
• Assist strategic change in businesses
• Supervise and act as mentors for graduates working on company-based projects

• Income
• Higher degree registrations
• Graduate career opportunities
• IP - negotiated with the company
• Measurable input to the Research Excellence Framework (REF)
• Strategic relationship with company
• Published papers
• Teaching materials, case studies and student projects
• New research themes - commercial relevance
• Staff development - commercial awareness

Partnerships use a variety of methods to attract the right Associate. The recruitment strategy for each Knowledge Transfer Partnership, the job description and person specification are agreed jointly between the University and the company. All KTP Associate vacancies are advertised nationally in appropriate publications, on graduate job vacancy web sites, across a network of UK university careers services and on ktponline.org.uk. The company and the University both take part in Associate interviews, and appointment decisions are made jointly.

• We generally draft recruitment documents immediately after a proposal is submitted so we are ready to advertise as soon as a Grant Offer Letter is received from the funder. 
• We routinely advertise for 2-3 weeks and hold interviews 2 weeks after the closing date to give the Partnership enough time to agree a shortlist and notify candidates of the interview date.
• Associates routinely start within a month after the job offer is made.

Interviews will be held on the company premises and will include a tour giving the candidate an opportunity to see where they would be based.

Associates will usually be interviewed by a panel of 4-5 people, chaired by the KTP Manager and including the company and academic supervisors.

Typically each candidate is asked to prepare a presentation relevant to the role in advance and to deliver it to the panel.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session designed to test the applicants aptitude for all aspects of the role.

Sometimes a practical or written test will be included but notification of this will always be provided in advance.

Second interviews may be required if more than one suitable candidate is identified.