Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)

Get the edge over your competition and inject new knowledge into your company with a Knowledge Transfer Partnership.

What is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)? 

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are a leading European scheme designed to help all businesses improve their productivity, performance and competitive edge through the transfer of knowledge, technology and expertise.

The main objectives of a KTP are to:

• Facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology
• Stimulate business and university collaborations
• Help businesses access university knowledge at a reasonable cost
• Contribute to the development of the local, regional and national economy 

Why choose Staffordshire University? 

• We have a proven track record for over 30 years
• We’ve worked with over 70 companies on over 100 KTPs
• We’ve secured £6 million of Government funding
• A KTP with us gives you access to a university expert once a week and gives you a qualified graduate to work in your business
• It’s flexible, it can be anything from 6 months to 36 months
• You won’t want our graduates to leave – 97% are employed full-time at the end of the project

Part Goverment funded 

Part of the cost of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership is funded by a grant from Innovate UK or other government co-funders that you apply for in a competitive bid for submissions (there is a success rate for applications of around 90%). The remainder of the project cost is met through a cash payment by your company.

Project costs are variable, but can typically be around £75,000 – £90,000 per project year. For SMEs the grant rate is 67% of the project cost and for large companies 50%.

Business benefits

KTPs have a genuine, tangible impact on businesses. The average project with us yields an increase in annual pre-tax profits of £260k (based on an average SME contribution of £51k towards project costs). 

As well as profit, a project generally sees the creation of two more jobs (not including the recruited graduate) and the training of around 20 staff. It also helps you develop innovative solutions to problems and access experts who can help propel your business forward.