Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP): 2026 – 2027 Round 2
Innovate UK
What it funds
DescriptionThe Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme allows a UK registered business (which we will refer to collectively as the ‘business partner’ from now on), to partner with a ‘knowledge base partner’. The knowledge base partner should be either a UK higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, research and technology organisation (RTO) or Catapult.The KTP partnership brings new skills and the latest academic thinking into the business partner to deliver a specific,
Who can apply
Who can applyThrough the KTP programme Innovate UK seeks to support innovative businesses with the ambition to scale and grow in the UK.Each Knowledge Transfer partnership (KTP) is a partnership between the following:a UK knowledge base, acting as lead organisation and submitting the applicationa UK registered businessAll projects should align with the six Industrial Strategy’s sectors prioritised by Innovate UK. We interpret alignment as the application of technologies, for example, a business using AI, as well as businesses developing AI tools.If your project does not align with one of the six priority sectors, it may still be eligible if it is exploiting a novel area of research and the business partner meets the criteria for a high growth potential. Priority will be given to projects that align with the Industrial strategy.The following organisations are specifically excluded from applying:UKRI, its councils and businesses owned or operated either wholly or partially by UKRIAdvanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA)central government departments and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern IrelandAny organisation eligible to become a KTP knowledge base ma
How to apply
Before you startBefore you apply you must read the guidance for KTP applicants and costs guidance for KTP projects along with the information contained within the competition information page. Additional guidance is given for each question on the application form.Before submitting, it is the lead applicant’s responsibility to make sure:that all the information provided in the application is correctyour proposal meets the eligibility and scope criteriaall sections of the application are marked as completethat all partners have completed all assigned sections and accepted the terms and conditions (T&Cs)You can reopen your application once submitted, up until the competition deadline. You must resubmit the application before the competition deadline.You must complete all relevant sections of the application and upload the required documents using the templates provided. Failure to do so wil
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Related schemes
Innovate UK Grant Competitions
Innovate UK
Rolling portfolio of themed R&D grant competitions for UK businesses, typically funding 25-70% of project costs across feasibility, industrial research and experimental development.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)
Innovate UK / UKRI
Funds a high-calibre graduate (Associate) plus academic team embedded in your business for 12-36 months to deliver a strategic innovation project. SMEs typically pay ~33% of project costs.
R&D Tax Relief (Merged Scheme & ERIS)
HMRC
Corporation tax relief on qualifying R&D expenditure. Merged scheme gives a 20% above-the-line credit (~15-16% net); loss-making R&D-intensive SMEs can claim enhanced support (ERIS) worth up to ~27p per £1 of qualifying spend.