KTP FAQs

Small and medium-sized businesses 

Government funding accounts for 67% of the budget overview of a KTP for an SME, with the company funding the remaining 33%.

SMEs are eligible for R&D tax credits through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, potentially reducing costs further.

The annual organisation cost for a KTP depends on a few variables including the graduate's academic level and the Travel and Consumables budgets.

The cost to a company is less than recruiting a graduate directly, plus the company will benefit from academic expertise, and state-of-the-art facilities.

Annual Knowledge Transfer Partnership cost for an SME is £30-35,000 p/a

Please contact the team to discuss the variable costs. Company expenditure is eligible for R&D tax relief.

Large company 

Government funding accounts for 50% of the total cost of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership for a large business, with the company funding the remaining 50%.

The company should also facilitate the involvement of UK SMEs within their supply chain as part of the project.

The annual organisation cost for a KTP depends on a few variables including the graduate's academic level and the Travel and Consumables budgets.

The cost to a company is less than recruiting a graduate directly, plus the company will benefit from academic expertise, and state-of-the-art facilities.

Annual Knowledge Transfer Partnership cost for a large company is £45,000 p/a.

Please contact the team to discuss the variable costs. Company expenditure is eligible for R&D tax relief.

Third sector and charities

Government funding accounts for 75% of the total cost of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership for third sector and charity organisations.

The annual organisation cost for a KTP depends on a few variables including the graduate's academic level and the Travel and Consumables budgets.

The cost to the organisation is less than recruiting a graduate directly, plus the company will benefit from academic expertise, and state-of-the-art facilities.

Annual Knowledge Transfer Partnership cost for third sector and charity organisations is £25,500 p/a.

Please contact the team to discuss the variable costs. Organisational expenditure is eligible for R&D tax relief.

Total costs 

The government funding for a KTP (between 67% and 50%), plus the company contributions, pay for:

• KTP Associate salary (in some instances, companies may need to top up the salary budget to secure a high calibre graduate).

• 0.5 days a week of university academic staff directly involved in the KTP.

• Travel costs for the KTP Associate and academic team.

• Contribution to equipment/consumables costs.

• University indirect and administrative costs.

• Personal and professional development of the KTP Associate.

More information on the eligible costs of a KTP programme can be found on the UKRI website. If you would like to discuss project costs and funding in more detail, please contact the team at ktp@brighton.ac.uk. 

Am I eligible?

Companies and organisations from a range of sectors (including the third sector) are eligible.

Applications from SMEs* are particularly encouraged; large companies should demonstrate that knowledge will be transferred to SMEs in their supply chain.

To be eligible, the company should have:

• The infrastructure to support the KTP Associate and the project

• At least five employees

• Been running for at least two years

The company will need to supply the last two year’s audited accounts and latest period management accounts. These form part of the funding application, demonstrating that the company can afford their contribution to a KTP.

*An SME is a company with not more than 250 employees. Turnover and balance sheet total may also be assessed. Where a company is part of a group, the total number of employees will be calculated to assess SME status.

Types of KTP projects 

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships 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 programme must be strategically important, have a significant impact on company performance and be dependent on the transfer of knowledge from the university.

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership project can involve:

• 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.

How are KTPs run?

The KTP Associate has a supervisor from the company, who acts as their line manager and the academic team visit the company regularly to contribute to the project.

The academic team commits, on average, half a day per week to the project during the KTP and project management meetings between the KTP Associate and the supervisory team are held monthly.

The local management committee (the KTP Associate, managing director, company supervisors, academic supervisors and KTP adviser) meet every four months to review the project and finances. These are formal meetings where the KTP Associate is expected to give a presentation.

Where are vacancies advertised?

All KTP Associate vacancies are advertised nationally on graduate job vacancy websites, across UK university careers services, including our university vacancies page, and on the national KTP website.

The company and the university both take part in KTP Associate interviews, and appointment decisions are made jointly.

Who are KTP Associates employed by?

The KTP Associate is employed by the university. They are based at the company premises throughout the project, but can access university facilities for the duration of the project. This includes the science labs, engineering rigs, library's and software. 

The employment contract includes conditions from the university and the company partner, where some conditions such as annual leave  and hours of work are inline with the companies policies. 

What is the interview format?

KTP Associates will usually be interviewed by a panel of four to five people at the company premises. The interview panel can decide on he format, however typically each candidate will prepare a presentation to deliver to the panel, followed by a Q+A session.

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

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