Part funded by UK Government, a KTP is a three-way collaborative partnership between a business, a university (the Knowledge Base) and a suitably qualified graduate (the Associate). The business has a knowledge gap, and the university has the expertise to fill the gap via the Associate that acts as a conduit between the two, transferring knowledge. This highly skilled, highly motivated partnership delivers a strategic project – sharing expertise, experience and resources to bring about change, embed knowledge and deliver growth.

Each participating partner can benefit from the KTP as follows:

The Business:

• Opportunity to turn business ideas into reality
• Government funding for business development
• It can generate new knowledge and expand capability
• It can increase revenue, improve profits and drive competitive advantage, with the possibility of creating Intellectual Property
• Improved financial performance
• A KTP stimulates business growth and powers innovation excellence, providing cost-effective access to cutting-edge technology and equipment at the Knowledge Base (if applicable to the project)
• The partnership embeds vital new expertise that may not be possible to access through recruitment alone
• Partnerships lead to an average of £600k per annum in pre-tax profit for the three years following the project, along with £460k investment in machinery and R&D and the creation of two new jobs

The Associate:

• Extensive professional and management training
• Opportunity to make a valuable contribution to a business improvement
• Professional accreditation
• Career development: 64% of KTP Associates end up working permanently for the business partner

The Knowledge Base (academic staff):

• Opportunity to work on a ‘real-world’ problem that enhances teaching, research and the student experience
• On average, three research projects and two research papers are produced for each KTP
• Professional and personal development
• Increased business engagement that can lead to other opportunities, such as graduate recruitment, student projects, consultancy or commissioned research

We can help you unlock funding through the KTP programme for a partnership between Canterbury Christ Church University (the Knowledge Base), your organisation (the business), and a recent graduate (the Associate) to deliver a project that will have a tangible impact on the growth of your organisation.

Scoping out a project idea and submitting an application for funding is fully supported by our academics, the Department of Enterprise and Engagement and the Research and Innovation Funding Unit at Christ Church.

We have supported KTPs in the travel and gaming industries, healthcare and children’s services, IT and communication technology. The scheme is open across all sectors and for businesses and organisations of all sizes.

There are 3 main objectives for a KTP:

1. To facilitate the transfer of knowledge and the distribution of technical and business skills to enable business transformation and acceleration.
2. To stimulate and enhance business relevant research and training undertaken by the Knowledge Base.
3. To provide company-based training for Associates to enhance their strategic management, business and specialist skills, enabling career progression.

Each KTP should benefit all participants and:

• Be of strategic importance to the company
• Require expertise from the Knowledge Base partner
• Be a challenge for the associate

A KTP project will last between 1-3 years.

This is determined by the length of the project and the size of the company. On average, projects cost between £75,000 – 90,000 per year. Funding is provided by Innovate UK and other government co-funders, but a cash contribution is provided by the business:

Not-for-profit – 25% of costs

Fewer than 250 employees (SME) – 33% of costs

More than 250 employees - 50% of costs

Example:

• A KTP project for an SME is costed at £75,000 per year
• Innovate UK awards £50,000 of the project costs and the business contributes just £25,000 per year
• This can work out cheaper than a new hire
• …with so much more included: academic expertise, access to cutting-edge technology and facilities and the input of a highly experienced Knowledge Transfer Adviser

There are a number of stages involved in setting up a KTP but you will be supported every step of the way by the Knowledge Transfer Adviser and the Enterprise & Engagement team at CCCU:

1. Scoping out an idea and matching expertise
2. Forming a Knowledge Transfer Partnership
3. Completing a grant application and proposal form
4. Submitting the proposal
5. Consideration of the proposal
6. Issue of a grant offer letter (GOL)
7. Recruitment of a KTP associate
8. Project commences

Management KTPs (mKTPs) also create a dynamic three-way partnership between your company, a team of academic experts and a skilled graduate, but the focus is specifically on driving effectiveness through better management practices.

More people focused and designed to trigger culture change, the mKTP scheme aims to deliver transformational productivity improvement, identifying key strategic management-based projects to increase business effectiveness via novel and innovative partnerships with the UK’s world class business schools. 

More information on mKTPs and how they can benefit your business can be found here.

For further information regarding Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, visit the Innovate UK website.

If you would like to book an appointment to find out about how you can engage with the University regarding Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, please contact the Enterprise & Engagement Team to discuss your partnership ideas.