Funding and costs

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme is part funded by a number of sponsors including all of the UK Research Councils, Welsh Government and Innovate UK, who are responsible for managing the scheme.

The sponsors provide a 67% grant for SMEs and a 50% grant for large organisations. Third-sector businesses of any size may receive a grant contribution of up to 75% of eligible project costs from Innovate UK, subject to a cap, with the business paying the balance. This is a long-term commitment from KTP to help increase the number of projects from 3rd Sector businesses.

Each KTP grant application is assessed against a list of criteria to ensure that the proposal fits within the agreed mission and objectives of the programme.

Costs

The net cost to you varies depending on the project but as a guide:

• £25,000 per year for an SME
• £35,000 per year for a large organisation

This investment, only slightly more than a starting wage for a high-level graduate, gives you:

• an Associate working full-time on the project
• the time of the lead academic
• a travel and equipment budget
• access to the University’ facilities and equipment that the Associate may require to do their job
• an Associate Training and Development budget which gives the Associate new skills to enhance the project further
• a range of administrative and logistical support from the University and the central KTP team

Welsh Government funding

In the current difficult economic environment, Welsh Government has announced they will contribute 75% towards the total costs of KTP projects that meet eligibility criteria and are approved for participation in the KTP programme.

SME businesses are usually expected to contribute 33% of the total project costs, but eligible businesses in Wales will now only have to contribute 25%.

Partnerships jointly develop proposal to address a specific business need and must submit their proposal for assessment between 1 September 2020 and 29 March 2025. Only applications received during this time will be eligible for this funding.

For more information, visit the Welsh Government KTP funding pages.

How to apply

• a KTP grant application is completed jointly by you and the academic partner, with support from our KTP team
• the regional KTN Adviser will visit you to confirm the project’s viability at an early stage of the process
• the KTP team coordinate the whole application process, to ensure that the appropriate deadline is met

Submission deadlines

The programme is open to any high-quality innovative ideas from all businesses. You can apply from any technology base or sector. Your project may also be at any research and development stage.

The upcoming submission dates are:

• 25 September 2024
• 4 December 2024
• 5 February 2025
• 9 April 2025

Find out more

For further assistance, please contact our Business Engagement and Partnerships Team: