Knowledge Transfer Partnership

What is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)?

KTP is a world-leading programme, part-funded by government, that helps organisations succeed by connecting them to the UK's rich academic resources. It's a partnership between the organisation seeking expertise, a university or college, and a recently qualified graduate – known as an Associate.

If you apply to KTP and you're successful, an Associate (supervised by you and with university academic guidance) will work in your organisation and help bring your plans to life.

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership can involve refining or designing products, opening new markets, improving business, marketing or manufacturing systems, developing new management expertise, cutting costs and waste, and enabling lasting change and growth.

A KTP can be delivered in any sector the university has relevant expertise in and can last anything from 12-36 months, depending on the complexity of the project.

The project must be must be strategically important, have a significant impact on company performance and be dependent on the transfer of knowledge from the university. Read some examples of the range of projects we have run across a variety of sectors.

Find out more about applying for a KTP, project scoping and delivery and how our KTP team can support you through the process.

Funding for a KTP

Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)s are a part-funded government programme, awarded on the basis of a successful application. At the University of Brighton, we’re proud to hold a 100% success rate in securing funding for our partners.

Government funding via Innovate UK covers up to 67% of the total cost of a KTP project for small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, (businesses with fewer than 250 employees), with the business contributing the remaining 33%.

For larger companies (250+ employees), projects are up to 50% funded. Third sector and charity organisations can access funding of up to 75% of the total KTP, contributing just 25% themselves.

The cost to your organisation is typically lower than hiring a graduate directly, plus you gain access to the latest academic expertise and state-of-the-art facilities. Our dedicated KTP team will also manage the entire process on your behalf, including recruitment of the KTP Associate.

SMEs may also be eligible for R&D tax credits on their KTP expenditure, further reducing costs. Find out more about costs and funding.

How can a KTP benefit my organisation?

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships enable organisations to access the resources and expertise they need to innovate and grow.

The latest statistics from Innovate UK show that, on average, the KTP benefits are:

• £113k one-off increase in net profit during the programme
• Projected increase of over £1 million in annual profits before tax
• The creation of two new jobs
• Increase in skills of existing staff.

Find out more about the types of projects we have run. If you have a question, please see our FAQs or contact our team.

Is my organisation eligible?

Why Brighton?

+ One of the first KTP centres in the UK

+ One of the top providers of KTPs in the South East

+ Delivered more than 280 KTP projects to date

+ Dedicated KTP team offering comprehensive end-to-end project support

+ 100% funding success rate

+ Secured £2.4M funding between 2019-2022

+ 90% of projects exceed objectives, gaining A grades (as rated by Innovate UK).

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