Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are a UK-wide part grant-funded scheme helping businesses of all sizes to innovate using the knowledge and expertise of UK universities. 

KTPs are a three-way collaboration between:

  • A UK-based business of any size or a not-for-profit organisation
  • An academic or research organisation i.e. the University of Nottingham 
  • A suitably qualified graduate, with the capability to lead a strategic business project.
 

Projects are designed collaboratively to address your specific needs and challenges by transferring knowledge and expertise and embedding it within your organisation.  Each project can last between 12 months and 3 years.

Grant funding is available to cover up to 67% of your project costs.

Typically, the costs per annum for a small business start at £34,000 and £52,000 for a larger business.

Entering into a KTP massively accelerated our understanding of a complex technology.

Dr Mark Gardiner
Technical Director, Sprint Electric Ltd

 

What are the benefits to your business? 

  • Gain access to world-leading expertise from the University to help expand your capabilities and drive innovative ideas and solutions. You’ll receive full support from an academic team who will spend, on average, half a day per week at your business.
  • Attract and retain a high-calibre graduate. During your project, the graduate will be seconded to your business, delivering your project with full support, supervision and backing from the University.
  • Generate a significant increase in profitability.
  • Boost productivity through improved operations.
  • Increase revenue through access to new markets and new product development.

 

The KTP has provided a valuable platform for collaborative working with academic institutions, allowing us to innovate in a disruptive way that is not possible by

internal research. We now have a new approach to innovation which will enable us to achieve significant growth through the development of highly novel products. 

Dr Sam Birtwell
Technical Project Lead, Gill R&D Limited

 
Improve management practices through
Management KTPs

Management KTPs are very similar to a standard KTP but with a focus on driving effectiveness and productivity through improved management practices. They aim to enable transformational improvement by identifying key, strategic management-based initiatives to increase business effectiveness. This can be achieved by partnering with academics from a Business School and/or a multidisciplinary academic team according to your aims and needs.

Management KTPs take a wide view, incorporating a range of leadership and management skills and requirements to build a strategy that drives change and improves business performance. Spanning all key business functions – from marketing to IT; creativity to strategic management; HR to employment relations; finance to logistics – Management KTPs seek to support strategic management projects across core activities including:

  • Monitoring and target setting
  • Communication and motivation
  • Organisation, resource planning and strategic thinking
  • Problem-solving and decision-making
  • Commercial awareness and risk management
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Options evaluations, horizon scanning and foresighting.
 
Why partner with the University of Nottingham?

With more than 200 projects delivered to date, we’re consistently ranked in the top five universities nationally for KTPs. Our team have a combined experience of over 50 years in KTP and commercial backgrounds that allow us to help businesses develop their KTP projects.

We will support you throughout the lifetime of your project, from early stage, exploratory enquiries and developing your proposal for submission, through to helping you recruit the right graduate and project close.

  • We’re the leading university in the Midlands for number of KTP projects.
  • Over £13m of grant funding secured for businesses across the UK including over 60 SMEs.
  • A portfolio of 30 active projects across a range of industries including food science, technology and engineering.
 

 

Advanex Europe

New engineering capabilities for Advanex Europe

View case study >

Pipers Crisps

Creating the perfect crisp with Pipers Crisps

View case study >

 

How to apply 

We’ll discuss what you need and talk you through the process. And we’ll help develop your proposal to give you the best chance of securing funding.

Contact our KTP team via ktp@nottingham.ac.uk