Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) help for businesses
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership can put university expertise and a graduate associate to work on a real problem in your business. We help you decide if it suits you, and shape the project.
Who this is for
You run a business that has a hard problem and not enough specialist time to crack it. A university or research organisation might have the knowledge. You are not sure how a partnership works, who to approach or how much of your own time and money it asks.
What puts businesses off a KTP
Not knowing where to start
There are many universities and departments. Which one holds the expertise you need, and who there will answer an email from a business they have never met?
A project too vague to fund
You know you want better forecasting or a new process. Turning that into a defined project with outcomes the partnership could deliver is the hard part.
Worry about the commitment
Your contribution, the associate's supervision and the time of senior people are real. You need to know honestly whether you can carry it alongside running the business.
Culture gap with academia
Universities move to term dates and publication calendars, businesses to cash and customers. Without clear expectations on both sides, goodwill turns into frustration.
How we help you get to a good KTP
Scope &
Strategy
We help you test whether a partnership fits, describe the problem as a project with clear outcomes, and work out the kind of academic expertise to look for, so your first approach to a university is sharp.
About Scope & StrategySystems &
Solutions
We help set up how the project will actually run: milestones, a shared tracker, a contact and decision log, and the routines that keep the business, the university and the associate in step.
About Systems & SolutionsSecurity &
Support
Sharing business information with a university needs thought. We help you agree what is shared and how, keep data and IP clearly separated, and review it as the project moves and the associate learns more.
About Security & SupportQuestions people ask
What is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership?
It is a collaboration between a business, a university or research organisation and a recent graduate, called an associate, who works on a defined project for the business. Public funding supports it and the business contributes. Check current guidance on GOV.UK for the up to date rules.
How long does a KTP usually last?
Projects have typically run from several months up to a few years, depending on the type and scale. Terms can change, so confirm the current options and funding conditions with the funder before you plan around them, and ask what the commitment looks like for you.
Does my business have to pay towards a KTP?
Generally yes, the business makes a financial contribution alongside the public funding, and also commits management time. The split depends on the size of the business and the funder's rules at the time, so check the current terms directly with them.
How do I start with NYAS on a KTP?
Book a call. Describe the problem, what you have tried and what you hope a university could add. We give an honest view on fit, and whether we can help you shape and approach it. Nothing is promised and no obligation follows.
Talk to us about knowledge transfer partnerships.
You tell us what is going on. We tell you honestly whether we can help, and if we cannot, we will say so.