Building upon the standard KTP model, this opportunity provides funding for a UK Knowledge Base (e.g. university) to work with a UK registered business (the ‘Business Partner’) to deliver a short, rapid and targeted intervention.
The intervention in question should accelerate the evaluation or development of an innovation project or concept, with the potential for significant impact for the Business Partner.
Projects can be open in scope but you must first consider how it will align with the Industrial Strategy’s six prioritised sectors by Innovate UK. These are:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Clean Energy Industries
- Creative Industries
- Defence
- Digital and Technologies
- Life Sciences
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. However, priority will be given to projects that align with the Industrial Strategy.
ELIGIBILITY
Knowledge Base
The Knowledge Base partner must lead the project and must:
- be a UK registered higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, research technology organisation (RTO) or Catapult
- be eligible to register to participate in the KTP programme, but does not have to be registered with KTP
- invite one UK registered business into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) application
- invite the AKT Monitoring Officer to support the application
- not have ownership of 50% or more of the Business Partner or a controlling interest via a shareholder agreement
- recruit Associate roles in a demonstrably fair manner
- recruit an Associate of either 0.5 or 1 FTE
- agree to provide at least 0.25 day per week of academic support for the Associate
- complete the application form in partnership with the business
- if applicable, reach an intellectual property (IP) agreement with the Business Partner before the project commences
Business Partner
To collaborate with a Knowledge Base, the Business Partner must:
- be a UK registered business and have four or more full time equivalent employees
- complete the application form in partnership with the Knowledge Base partner
- provide the Knowledge Base with evidence of their ability to financially support their contribution
- be able to host the Associate and provide them with supervisory support
- if appliable, reach a written IP agreement with the Knowledge Base before the project commences
Exclusions
The following organisations are specifically excluded:
- UKRI organisations and businesses owned or operated either wholly or partially by UKRI or one of its councils
- Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA)
- central government departments and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
- charitable and third sector organisations
Any organisation eligible to become a KTP Knowledge Base may not apply as a Business Partner.
VALUE AND DURATION
A project’s total eligible grant costs are £35,000 and projects must be for a duration of three months only. A proportion of the Knowledge Base partners’ costs will be funded by Innovate UK.
There is no upper limit to project costs, but any costs over £35,000 must be met by the Business Partner.
Project costs allocated to travel, subsistence, consumables and estates must not exceed a combined amount of £3,500. Costs exceeding this amount must be met by the Business Partner and listed as part of their additional Business Partner contribution.
Any funding is provided on a no subsidy basis. This means you must publish or make all project outputs openly available on a non-selective basis. If you decide to commercially exploit project outputs, you can only do so with no selective advantage.
KEY DATES
Call opens: 26 May 2026
Deadline: 15 July 2026
Applicants notified: 24 September 2026
More information can be found on the opportunity webpage, the AKT webpage, and in the applicant webinar recording and slides below.