On this page
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) pays up to 67% of the cost of placing a graduate in your business for one to three years, on a project a university builds with you. The EIC Accelerator, the European Innovation Council's scale-up fund, gives UK companies grant only, funded about 6% of full proposals at the last count, and stops you after three failed attempts. Here are the terms, the scoring in the funders' words, and the odds.
- A KTP is submitted by a university, college, research organisation or Catapult with one business and a Knowledge Transfer Adviser (KTA). SMEs get up to 67%; at the typical £8,500 a month your share is about £34,000 a year. 12 to 36 months, no subcontractors.1
- KTP is scored on Impact, Innovation, Challenge and Cohesiveness, 10 marks each, plus viability. Round 4 is expected to open on 19 October 2026 and close on 27 January 2027, with a changed form and cost guidance.279
- No official KTP success rate is published. Weak ideas rarely reach the panel because a partnership "often takes six to eight weeks to develop" with a KTA first.4
- EIC for UK firms: grant only, up to €2,499,999 at 70% of TRL 6 to 8 costs (TRL is technology readiness level, 1 to 9), and you must show you can fund deployment. Pass marks: 4 of 5 on each criterion, 13 of 15 overall.18
- EIC odds: 5.9% of full proposals at the October 2024 cut-off; 44% to 50% of interviewees in 2026. Five UK companies were among 38 selected in June 2026.212524
- KTP if you need a capability and can pay a third. EIC if you have validated deep tech, letters of intent and money to scale.
The reality
- 67% KTP grant for an SME, 50% for a large firm, 75% for a Welsh SME (2026-27 Round 2)1
- £8,500 a month typical KTP eligible costs, so about £34,000 a year for the SME1
- 122 of 888 North West-led Innovate UK awards for competition years 2022/23 to 2025/26 were KTPs12
- 5.9% of EIC Accelerator full proposals funded at the October 2024 cut-off (71 of 1,211)21
- 44% to 50% of EIC interviewees funded in 2026 (38 of 87 in June; 61 of 121 in February)2523
- €2,499,999 the most a UK company can get from the EIC Accelerator, grant only, at 70%18
What changed: KTP Round 4 brings "updates to the application form and revised project cost guidance" (briefing, 15 October 2026).9 The EIC's 2026 process added a one-hour interview with a technology expert who "fact-checks, verifies claims cross checking with third party sources".18
KTP: the high-odds route
What it is and what it costs
| Term | Rule, at 18 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Who leads | The knowledge base (university, college, research and technology organisation or Catapult) submits, "working with one UK-registered business and a KTA".1 |
| Who the business can be | "A UK registered business or not-for-profit organisation", with two or more full-time equivalent staff and high growth potential.61 |
| The Associate | "The placement of a highly qualified graduate, known as a KTP Associate, within the business for a period of 12-36 months."3 Associates are graduates "with the capability to lead a strategic business project".4 The scoring guidance expects the Associate to be "at the centre of managing and delivering" the project.2 |
| Two types | Classic KTPs "help build better products and services"; management KTPs "help build better businesses".3 |
| Length and cost | 12 to 36 months; typical eligible costs about £8,500 a month.1 |
| Grant | SMEs up to 67%, large companies up to 50%, Welsh SMEs 75% (via the Welsh Government). Paid to the knowledge base.15 |
| Subcontractors | Not allowed.1 |
| Priority | Projects aligned with the Industrial Strategy; outside its sectors a project "may still be eligible if it is exploiting a novel area of research".1 |
| Publications | The knowledge base must publish at least two academic papers, or two industry-focused publications, per project.1 |
| Round 2, 2026-27 | Opened 20 April, closed 24 June 2026 at 11:00am; applicants notified 28 August, feedback 3 September; budget £10 million.1 |
| Round 4, 2026-27 | "Expected to open on 19 October 2026 and close on 27 January 2027", with a revised form and cost guidance.79 |
The odds
Innovate UK publishes no KTP success rate. A Bournemouth University blog reported that a December 2014 panel approved 77 of 86 proposals (90%); the figure is old and we could not confirm it.11 Recent figures (an aggregator's 12%, a university's 87%) do not come from Innovate UK and are unverified. The filtering happens with the KTA, before submission.
How a KTP is scored
| Criterion (10 marks each) | The 9-10 band, quoted2 | Where you prove it in the form (our reading)1 |
|---|---|---|
| Impact | "well defined substantial and realistic positive impact on the organisations/company's financial position (i.e. profit, turn-over, productivity and cost savings) compared to current trading", plus "other wider impact (economic and/or societal) beyond the partnership" | The commercial impacts template, business finances and wider benefits: a baseline, a forecast change, and the capability that stays after the Associate leaves |
| Innovation | "high likelihood that the organisation will become a leader in the field, best in class ... demonstrates the organisations commitment to innovate and then innovate again and again" | The scope statement's "new knowledge required", and what the business does next with it |
| Challenge | "the project challenges the practices of the company partner and the market(s) it operates in ... the academic team will be stretched in their translational thinking ... the Associate will be at the centre of managing and delivering such a project" | The work plan PDF, the supervisors' roles and the Associate's role: why this needs a university and a graduate leading it, not a consultant |
| Cohesiveness (the "Golden Thread") | "an outstanding balance between the various expectations of a KTP project ... the project will exceed its goals and the partners will gain in ways above and beyond the defined outcomes" | Every section, read against every other, and the joint commitment statement |
Assessors also judge viability, including "project affordability and commercialisation of outcomes", and the competition page warns against projects that "do not demonstrate a genuine market opportunity or viable route to market".1
What the KTP assessor sees
"There are four scoring criteria for KTP applications. Impact, Innovation, Challenge & Cohesiveness - Scored 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to create a total score out of 40." The Impact 3-4 band reads "unrealistic or ill-defined impact ... or fails to embed new capabilities".2 No pass mark is published.1 The guidance is dated 11 September 2023, so read the Round 4 brief alongside it.9
Draft the scope statement together, first
The form has 46 questions. It opens with a 300-word scope statement: need, new knowledge, capabilities embedded, Industrial Strategy fit and signs of high growth. Then come the team, finances, market, a commercial impacts template, wider benefits, a work plan PDF with risks and a Gantt chart, and a joint commitment statement.1
Several hands write those sections, and Cohesiveness is a quarter of the marks. Write the scope statement with the academic and KTA first; make every other section answer it.
Do this first
Book the KTA for your patch (below) or a university KTP office before you write anything. Allow six to eight weeks to develop the partnership before the expected 27 January 2027 close.47
Round 4 dates; the decision gap is Round 2's.791
- Changes briefingnew form and cost guidance
- Round opensstart with the KTA now
- Round closesRound 2 closed at 11:00am
- Decisionby Round 2 precedent
Show you can pay your third
For an SME the grant covers up to 67%.1
- Innovate UK grant, paid to the knowledge base 67%
- Your business 33%
At £8,500 a month, the SME's 33% is £33,660 a year, about £101,000 over 36 months (our arithmetic).1 A live example: the University of Salford's KTP with Heyside Plastics in Oldham costs £307,011 over 36 months (£8,528 a month), with £205,697 offered (67%), leaving the company £101,314, about £33,800 a year.12
Viability includes "project affordability": show the cash in the forecast, not in a sentence. "High growth potential" is an eligibility test too, so evidence it in the scope statement.1
How to start, and how long it takes
| Step | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Talk | Contact a knowledge base's KTP office or the KTA for your area; the programme's own first step is "contact your local Knowledge Base".5 | Days |
| 2. Develop | Business, academic team and KTA agree the challenge, the Associate's role, the work plan and the budget. | "Six to eight weeks"4 |
| 3. Submit | The knowledge base submits the 46-question form in a round window; Round 2 closed at 11:00am.1 | Round 4: 19 October 2026 to 27 January 2027 (expected)7 |
| 4. Decision | Round 2 notified applicants nine weeks after closing, with feedback six days later.1 | About nine weeks |
| 5. Recruit and run | The Associate is recruited and placed in the business; a Local Management Committee oversees the project.13 | 12 to 36 months |
Intellectual property: none of the official KTP pages we read says who owns what a KTP creates, so check the KTP agreement with the knowledge base and settle it before the project starts. See Intellectual property.134
- Knowledge Transfer Advisers by patch: Susan Suttle (Liverpool, Manchester, East Lancashire and Salford); Jonathan Abra (Lancashire and Cumbria); Mick Card or Chris Woods (North Wales, Merseyside and West Cheshire; both are listed).78
- Manchester Metropolitan University says it is "among the top ten UK universities for knowledge transfer partnerships".10 The examples below add Salford, Manchester, Liverpool, Central Lancashire and Liverpool John Moores.
- Live KTP and related calls: explore.
The EIC Accelerator: the hardest one
Who it is for, and the UK terms
| Term | Rule (Guide for Applicants v6.0, Work Programme 2026) |
|---|---|
| Stage | The innovation must have "completed all aspects of TRL 5" (validation in a relevant environment). The grant funds TRL 6 to 8 work; TRL 9 activities cannot be grant funded and the jury can cut the grant if it finds them.18 |
| UK eligibility | "Applicants from the United Kingdom can apply for the Accelerator, but can only request and receive funding in the form of 'grant only'."18 |
| Amount | Up to €2,499,999, a lump sum covering at most 70% of eligible costs. A full grant implies about €3.57m of eligible costs and a company share of about €1.07m (our arithmetic: €2,499,999 ÷ 0.7).18 |
| Condition | "You provide evidence that you have sufficient financial means (e.g. revenue flow, existing investors or shareholders) to finance the deployment and scaling up of your innovation."18 |
| Not eligible | Small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) cannot take grant only. One proposal at a time, and none while you hold a live EIC Accelerator project.18 |
| Need for EU support | "you will have to provide evidence that your company is not investment-ready according to current market risk appetite"; "To already have or not have investors is not a decisive element".18 |
| 2026 budget | €414m Open, €220m Challenges.20 |
The three steps
The 2026 process; the table gives the pass rules.18
- Short proposalany month; 4 experts, 3 GOs needed
- Full proposal0-5 per criterion; 4/5 each, 13/15 overall
- Technology expert1-hour fact-check; no consultants
- Juryup to 6 jurors, up to 45 minutes; GO or NO GO
| Step | What you submit and what happens | Pass rule |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Short proposal | Any time; batched at 5pm on the first Tuesday of each month. A 12-page form, a pitch deck of up to 10 slides (two to four on business model, market and growth), and a video of up to 3 minutes with up to three core team members. Results in about four to six weeks.18 | Four remote experts; at least three GOs to proceed, two or more NO GOs is a rejection. A GO brings three days of free coaching, once.18 |
| 2. Full proposal | 2026 cut-offs: 7 January, 4 March, 6 May, 8 July, 2 September, 4 November. Adds financial information, a lump-sum budget table, an implementation plan, a Freedom to Operate (FTO) analysis, Letters of Intent and CVs. About three to four weeks after the cut-off, a one-hour online interview with a technology expert who "fact-checks, verifies claims cross checking with third party sources"; at most three people, "no consultants allowed", prototypes welcome. Results about eight to nine weeks after the cut-off.18 | Scored 0 to 5 on each of three criteria (Excellence; Impact; Level of risk, implementation and need for Union support): "The minimum threshold per criterion is 4/5 and the overall minimum threshold is 13/15 to be considered for interview." Proposals "requesting approximately 2.5 times the available grant budget will be invited to interview". Above 13/15 but not invited: a Seal of Excellence.18 |
| 3. Jury interview | Up to six jurors; at most 45 minutes: up to 10 minutes of pitch and 35 of questions, "no pre-set questions", in English, up to three company representatives. The jury sees the full-proposal evaluation but not the short proposal. Results about three weeks later.18 | GO or NO GO by consensus. A NO GO gets a Seal of Excellence.18 |
Three strikes
"After three unsuccessful submissions to the EIC Accelerator, which can be at any stage of the process (Short Proposal, Full Proposal) and for any form of support... an applicant may not apply again to the EIC Accelerator under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme." Withdrawing before results does not count. A short proposal sent to test the water can use up a third of your attempts.18
The odds, round by round
October 2024, the last published full-proposal count.21
| Cut-off (announced) | Interviewed | Selected | UK companies on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2024 (17 February 2025) | 431 of 1,211 full proposals | 71 (5.9% of proposals; 16% of interviews); 330 Seals of Excellence | 5: Barocal, Sparxell, MOF Technologies, StablePharma, PrecisionLife21 |
| March 2025 (30 June 2025) | 150 | 40 (27% of interviews) | 3: Quantum Dice, RheEnergise, Mitra Bio22 |
| October 2025 (17 February 2026) | 121 | 61 (50%); 60 Seals of Excellence | 5: Adaptavate, Argo Natural Resources, Exactmer, PlantSea, Cortirio23 |
| January to March 2026 (15 June 2026) | 87 | 38 (44%); 95 above threshold; 21% women-led | 5, second only to France's 6: Fluorok, Inephany, Makesense Technology, Oxford Heartbeat, Seloxium2425 |
All 18 UK companies are listed as "Grant only"; none is identifiably North West. Each list says "Having succeeded the evaluation does not constitute a formal commitment for funding".21222324 Reaching interview is the hard filter; at the jury, roughly half now win.
Put evidence in the Impact section
The short proposal's Impact questions are "What and how big is the total market addressed? What is the realistic expectation of the share of the total market?"; business model and broader impact are "Not assessed" at that stage.1819 The full proposal scores Impact under "Market Opportunity; Business and revenue model and growth strategy; Broader impact" and asks "Are the financial projections realistic?"18
- Letters of Intent are a full-proposal document; the Physical AI Challenge wants a use case "supported by a letter of intent".1819 A letter with volume, price band and timing supports the projections; "we are interested" does not.
- Investor evidence. The short proposal asks whether you have "demonstrated early traction with investors".18 For EIC equity (closed to UK firms) the Work Programme wants a pre-commitment "from a single qualified investor" for "at least 20% of the total target funding round", "non-legally binding".19 UK firms cannot take EIC equity, but a dated, written investor commitment is the clearest proof you can finance deployment.
What the EIC evaluator sees
Prof. Dr Rebeka Kovačič Lukman, a full-proposal evaluator since 2010, in a deck from about 2023 (before the 2026 process): evaluators are "very selective and demanding"; "Shortcomings in any of the evaluation criteria should be reflected in scoring the criterion with a NO GO". Weak novelty claims: "No other innovation ever before has achieved such a result" and "X product is the first and only"; instead "you need tangible arguments... evidences". Weak broader impact: "our project will contribute to the European Green Deal's goals" or "relates to SDGs No. 3"; instead "show a direct link... use indicators, numbers". Weak risk: "the risk is reduced as we will prepare a product for all the markets". Each evaluator handles six to ten proposals, with five days per proposal.26
Both versions below are invented to show the technique.
Weak (hypothetical)
Our analyser is the first and only inline solution of its kind; no other innovation has ever achieved such a result. The global process-analytics market is worth $45bn and growing fast. The project will contribute to the European Green Deal's goals and relates to SDG 9 and SDG 12.
Strong (hypothetical)
In 14 weeks of trials at three batch-process plants (Annex 2; data audited by [named independent laboratory]), our analyser cut sampling cost from €38 to €9 a batch against the two incumbent systems, [named A] and [named B]. The addressable segment is the 1,240 EU plants that must adopt continuous release testing under [named rule] from 2028; three operators have signed letters of intent for 61 lines at €28,000 a line from 2028 (Annex 4). Each converted line avoids 2.1 tonnes of solvent waste a year, measured by [named method] against the plants' 2025 baseline.
Prepare for the two interviews
Before the technology-expert interview
Before the jury
Argue both sides of the UK condition
UK applicants must show "sufficient financial means ... to finance the deployment and scaling up" and that the company "is not investment-ready according to current market risk appetite".18 In our reading, split the two: the TRL 6 to 8 work is the risk investors will not price yet; deployment is what revenue, shareholders or a committed investor will fund once that risk is retired. If you have investors, explain whether the EIC is "playing a catalytic role".18
KTP or the EIC? Side by side
| KTP | EIC Accelerator (UK, grant only) | |
|---|---|---|
| Odds | No official rate; 90% at a 2014 panel (old, reported, unconfirmed)11 | 5.9% of full proposals, October 2024; 44% to 50% of interviewees in 20262125 |
| Money | 67% of about £8,500 a month for 12 to 36 months, paid to the knowledge base1 | Up to €2,499,999 at 70% of TRL 6 to 8 costs, lump sum18 |
| Your share | At least 33% (about £34,000 a year); 50% if large1 | At least 30% of project costs, plus the deployment and scale-up finance18 |
| Time | Six to eight weeks to develop, a round window, about nine weeks to a decision, then recruitment41 | Monthly short proposals, six full-proposal cut-offs a year; roughly five to seven months from short proposal to jury decision if each stage runs to plan (our sum of the published waits)18 |
| What you must already have | Two or more FTEs, a growth case, a market, the cash for your share, a willing academic team1 | TRL 5 complete, deep tech with "a significant improvement in cost or performance", an IP strategy and FTO analysis, letters of intent, the means to deploy, a team with its gaps named18 |
| Who leads | The knowledge base submits; you co-write1 | You, with no consultants in the room at interview18 |
| Attempts | No stated limit | Three unsuccessful submissions, lifetime18 |
| Choose it when | You need a capability embedded, not a product scaled; a university holds the knowledge; you can fund a third | You have a validated product, a European or global market, and a scale-up plan that needs about €2.5m of non-dilutive money to retire one technical risk |
When neither fits: an Innovate UK competition or Contracts for Innovation (Winning Innovate UK grants); for researchers, ICURe and spin-out money (From research to company); equity (Investors).
Examples that won, and why
Dunsters Farm and Manchester Metropolitan University (Bury; 2025 KTP Changing the World Award)
A food wholesaler supplying schools and hospitals needed measurable sustainability and social value. The KTP brought dynamic routing, carbon tracking and social-value tools. Reported outcomes: turnover £32m (2024); a £42m public-sector contract over six to nine years, 35% of turnover; 140 staff, with 20 new hires and five apprenticeships for the contract; carbon intensity down 15.2%; delivery miles down 15%; £5m of social value with targets exceeded by 176%. Why it won: the company credits the contract to "our strong social value commitments and results"; the figures match the Impact 9-10 band: change "compared to current trading" and "wider impact (economic and/or societal) beyond the partnership". The grant value is not published.13142
| Other North West KTPs with a public case study | What it did | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Recycling Lives, Preston, with the University of Central Lancashire (2021 to 2023)1512 | Converting shredder residue from about 100,000 end-of-life vehicles a year into electricity | Estimated savings of £1.5m a year; plans for a £540,000 research facility; Times Higher Education award for Most Innovative Contribution to Business-University Collaboration |
| Beverston Engineering, Knowsley, with Liverpool John Moores University (second KTP; reported 2024)16 | Industry 4.0 techniques for visibility and efficiency in precision engineering | Long-term new work from Rolls-Royce Control Systems and a Knowsley Business Award for Excellence in Manufacturing, at the project's halfway point |
| Aquacheck Engineering, Blackburn with Darwen, with Manchester Metropolitan University (2019 to 2022)1714 | An Internet of Things "Smart Standpipe" for water utilities | Best KTP award; the partnership also took a 2025 Golden KTP award, "The Art of Successful Collaboration" |
No scores are published. The common thread: a measurable change to trading (Impact) delivered by an Associate inside the business (Challenge).
| Current North West KTPs in the funded-projects dataset12 | Award offered of total costs | Purpose, in the dataset's words |
|---|---|---|
| Heyside Plastics, Oldham, with the University of Salford (July 2026 to June 2029) | £205,697 of £307,011 (67%) | Automating post-moulding, painting, cooling and sorting with control systems and computer vision |
| Equestrian Surfaces, Burnley, with the University of Central Lancashire (August 2025 to July 2027) | £132,450 of £197,686 (67%) | Measuring the impact of riding surfaces on horses' legs to reduce injury |
| Cobmore Holdings, Manchester, with The University of Manchester (May 2024 to December 2027) | £218,511 of £326,136 (67%) | Graphene-enhanced concrete; the firm also holds a £502,326 collaborative R&D grant |
| SmOp CT, with Manchester Metropolitan University (December 2023 to November 2026) | £187,762 of £280,242 (67%) | "To develop an Adaptive Multiband Metamaterial Antenna Frontend for Ultra-low Power 5G/Wi-Fi 6/6E/7/HaLow Applications" |
| Valves Instruments Plus, with the University of Salford | £113,941 of £170,061 (67%) | "To transform a Tier 1 product supplier to an advanced design service provider, by embedding a new 'Digital Design Delivery' capability" |
Large firms get 50%: Vernacare International (South Ribble) with The University of Manchester, £136,038 of £272,077; Carpenters Limited with the University of Liverpool, £163,772 of £327,543.12 These are awards offered, "subject to grant offer and conditions being met"; use the case studies, not these one-line rows, as writing models.
Barocal (Cambridge) and RheEnergise (Devon): two UK grant-only EIC winners
Barocal Ltd, a barocaloric cooling company on the October 2024 cut-off list, announced a "€2.45 Million EIC Accelerator grant".2127 RheEnergise Limited, a long-duration energy storage company with a demonstrator near Plymouth, was selected at the March 2025 cut-off and reported £2.15m (€2.5m), "one of only three UK companies to secure an EIC grant" in that round, which matches the published list.2228 Why they won: no reason is published beyond the criteria of "excellence, impact and risk-level".21 Both fit the UK pattern: deep tech past TRL 5, a named deployment step, close to the maximum grant-only award.
Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Route | Why it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Treating the KTP as a subsidised hire | KTP | Challenge 9-10 needs a project that "challenges the practices of the company partner" and stretches the academics; a routine role scores low2 |
| Letting the academic write it alone | KTP | Cohesiveness is 10 of 40 marks and is read across every section2 |
| Impact in adjectives | KTP | The 3-4 band is "unrealistic or ill-defined impact"; the 9-10 band wants profit, turnover, productivity or cost savings "compared to current trading"2 |
| No proof you can pay the third | KTP | Viability includes "project affordability", and finances are a form section1 |
| Naming a subcontractor | KTP | Subcontractors are not allowed1 |
| Applying before TRL 5 is finished | EIC | The innovation must have "completed all aspects of TRL 5"18 |
| Using a short proposal to test the water | EIC | Each NO GO counts towards the lifetime limit of three18 |
| Superlatives instead of evidence | EIC | "X product is the first and only" is the evaluator's own example of a weak claim, and the technology expert cross-checks claims with third-party sources2618 |
| Boilerplate broader impact | EIC | "our project will contribute to the European Green Deal's goals" is her example; she wants "indicators, numbers"26 |
| Consultants at the interview | EIC | "no consultants allowed" at the technology-expert interview; up to three company people at the jury18 |
| Unnamed team gaps | EIC | Gaps "including adequate gender balance" need "a credible plan to fill the gaps"18 |
| Rating every risk low | Both | The KTP work plan must carry risks; the EIC wants technological, market, financial and regulatory risks, each with a specific mitigation118 |
Checklists
KTP
EIC Accelerator
Questions
How much does a KTP cost a small business?
At least 33% of eligible costs. At the typical £8,500 a month that is £33,660 a year (£8,500 × 12 × 0.33), about £101,000 over 36 months. Large companies pay 50%; Welsh SMEs 25%.1
What is the KTP success rate?
Innovate UK does not publish one. A Bournemouth University blog reported 90% (77 of 86) at a December 2014 panel: old and unconfirmed. Newer figures are unverified.11
Can a UK company apply to the EIC Accelerator?
Yes, for grant only: up to €2,499,999 at 70% of TRL 6 to 8 costs, with evidence that you can finance deployment. No EIC equity.18
How many times can you apply to the EIC Accelerator?
After three unsuccessful submissions, at any stage, you cannot apply again under Horizon Europe. Withdrawing before results does not count.18
What score do you need to reach the EIC Accelerator interview?
At least 4 of 5 on each of three criteria and 13 of 15 overall; others above threshold get a Seal of Excellence.18
Who owns the IP in a KTP?
The official pages we read do not say. Check the KTP agreement and settle ownership before the project starts.3
When is the next KTP round?
Round 4 of 2026-27 is "expected to open on 19 October 2026 and close on 27 January 2027", with a changed form. See explore.79
Sources
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Innovation Funding Service, competition 2398, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships 2026-27 Round 2 (opened 20 April, closed 24 June 2026; terms, 46-question form, scoring out of 40, viability). https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2398/overview/318a8834-930f-4577-9069-26459a0def93 ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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Innovate UK, "KTP assessor and scoring guidance", PDF published 11 September 2023 (Impact, Innovation, Challenge and Cohesiveness band wording). https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IUK-110923-KTPAssessorAndScoringGuidance.pdf ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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UKRI, "Knowledge Transfer Partnership guidance", last updated 27 October 2025, read 18 October 2026 (the Associate; classic and management KTPs; no IP wording). https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/guidance-for-applicants/guidance-for-specific-funds/knowledge-transfer-partnership-guidance/ ↩↩↩↩↩
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Innovate UK KTP, "Discover", read 18 October 2026 (67% and 50% rates; "six to eight weeks to develop a partnership"; "around 800 businesses"; £2 billion 2010-2020). https://iuk-ktp.org.uk/discover/ ↩↩↩↩↩↩
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Innovate UK KTP, "Start your journey" (grant paid to the knowledge base; first step "contact your local Knowledge Base"). https://iuk-ktp.org.uk/start-your-journey/ ↩↩
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UKRI, Innovate UK general guidance for applicants, updated 20 August 2026 ("You can apply if you are a UK registered business or not-for-profit organisation"). https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/guidance-for-applicants/general-guidance/ ↩
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Innovate UK Business Connect, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme page, read 18 October 2026 (North West advisers; Round 4 dates). https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/programme/knowledge-transfer-partnerships/ ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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Innovate UK Business Connect, experts directory, North West filter, read 18 October 2026. https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/people/?_sft_uk_regions=north-west ↩
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Innovate UK Business Connect, "KTP Round 4 changes: competition briefing webinar", 15 October 2026. https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/events/ktp-round-4-changes-competition-briefing-webinar/ ↩↩↩↩↩↩
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Manchester Metropolitan University, research pages ("among the top ten UK universities for knowledge transfer partnerships"), read 18 October 2026. https://www.mmu.ac.uk/research ↩
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Bournemouth University research blog, "KTP success rate is still sky high", 28 January 2015, reporting 77 of 86 proposals approved at the December 2014 panel. Reported figure; Bearings could not open the page. https://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2015/01/28/ktp-success-rate-is-still-sky-high ↩↩↩
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UKRI, "Innovate UK funded projects since 2004", Excel file for financial years 2016/17 to present (updated 3 September 2026; page updated 12 October 2026). KTP counts, award and cost figures are Bearings' reading of the rows; grant shares are award offered divided by total costs. https://www.ukri.org/publications/innovate-uk-funded-projects-since-2004/ ↩↩↩↩↩
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Innovate UK KTP case study, "Leading sustainable food distribution through innovation and social value" (Dunsters Farm and Manchester Metropolitan University), posted 8 December 2025. https://iuk-ktp.org.uk/case-study/leading-sustainable-food-distribution-through-innovation-and-social-value/ ↩
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Innovate UK KTP, Awards page (2025 winners, including Changing the World and the Golden KTP awards), read 18 October 2026. https://iuk-ktp.org.uk/awards/ ↩↩
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Innovate UK KTP case study, "KTP to recycle cars also creates energy, saves money and scoops top award" (Recycling Lives and the University of Central Lancashire), posted 23 August 2024. https://iuk-ktp.org.uk/case-study/ktp-to-recycle-cars-also-creates-energy-saves-money-and-scoops-top-award/ ↩
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Innovate UK KTP case study, "KTP helps embed Industry 4.0 techniques to transform business visibility and efficiency" (Beverston Engineering and Liverpool John Moores University), posted 23 August 2024. https://iuk-ktp.org.uk/case-study/ktp-helps-embed-industry-4-0-techniques-to-transform-business-visibility-and-efficiency/ ↩
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Innovate UK KTP case study, "Re-imagining the humble standpipe" (Aquacheck Engineering and Manchester Metropolitan University). https://iuk-ktp.org.uk/case-study/re-imagining-the-humble-standpipe/ ↩
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European Innovation Council, "EIC Accelerator guide for applicants", v6.0, 19 November 2025 (Work Programme 2026): UK grant-only terms, the three steps, thresholds, interviews, the three-submission limit. https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/9d96fbf3-4d85-4ad0-9483-c77ce348111d_en?filename=EIC%20Accelerator%20guide%20for%20applicants_WP26.pdf ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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European Innovation Council, "EIC Work Programme 2026" (short-stage criteria not assessed; Challenge letters of intent; the 20% investor pre-commitment). https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/52598755-1351-4b54-b46b-e2682d0a3aec_en?filename=EIC-Work-Programme-2026.pdf ↩↩↩
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European Innovation Council, EIC Accelerator programme page (2026 budgets of €414m Open and €220m Challenges; cut-off dates), read 18 October 2026. https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-accelerator_en ↩
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European Innovation Council, "EIC Accelerator: 71 companies selected in most competitive funding round so far", 17 February 2025 (1,211 applications, 431 interviews, 71 selected, 330 Seals of Excellence), and the October 2024 cut-off list of selected companies (PDF). https://eic.ec.europa.eu/news/eic-accelerator-71-companies-selected-most-competitive-funding-round-so-far-2025-02-17_en and https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/42dd9322-867f-48c4-b384-e338ea777dca_en?filename=EIC%20Accelerator-Oct%202024%20Cut%20Off.pdf ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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European Innovation Council, "Health, space ... 40 start-ups secure EIC support in latest round of EIC Accelerator", 30 June 2025 (150 interviews, 40 selected), and the March 2025 cut-off list (PDF). https://eic.ec.europa.eu/news/health-space-40-start-ups-secure-eic-support-latest-round-eic-accelerator-2025-06-30_en and https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/5b597bf5-d3aa-4547-a631-73e51615f009_en?filename=Accelerator%20results%20-%20June%2724_Cut-off.pdf ↩↩↩
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European Innovation Council, "61 start-ups and SMEs secure EIC support in latest round of EIC Accelerator", 17 February 2026 (61 of 121 interviewed; 60 Seals of Excellence), and the "EIC Accelerator 2025 - selected companies" list (PDF). https://eic.ec.europa.eu/news/61-start-ups-and-smes-secure-eic-support-latest-round-eic-accelerator-2026-02-17_en and https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/72c506b7-8351-4889-8577-af9883a4e880_en?filename=EIC%20Accelerator%202025%20-%20selected%20comapnies.pdf ↩↩↩
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European Innovation Council, "38 start-ups and SMEs secure EIC support in latest round of EIC Accelerator", 15 June 2026 (38 of 87 interviewed; €90m grants), and the January to March 2026 cut-off list (PDF, with the line "Having succeeded the evaluation does not constitute a formal commitment for funding"). https://eic.ec.europa.eu/news/38-start-ups-and-smes-secure-eic-support-latest-round-eic-accelerator-2026-06-15_en and https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7c260c17-e708-43bc-988d-77cf6c408092_en?filename=EIC%20Accelerator-Jan-Mar%202026%20Cut%20Off.pdf ↩↩↩
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ERA Portal Austria, "EIC selects 38 start-ups and SMEs for funding under latest round of EIC Accelerator", 16 June 2026, citing EIC News of 15 June 2026 (United Kingdom 5 companies, France 6; 95 above threshold; 21% women-led). https://era.gv.at/news-items/eic-selects-38-start-ups-and-smes-for-funding-under-latest-round-of-eic-accelerator/ ↩↩↩↩
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Rebeka Kovačič Lukman, "The Evaluator's Perspective: Full proposal", EIC Accelerator evaluator deck for the Slovenian Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, about 2023 (before Work Programme 2026). https://gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MVZI/Znanost/EIC/Rebeka-Kovacic-Lukman-The-Evaluators-Perspective-Full-proposal.pdf ↩↩↩
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Barocal Ltd, "Barocal awarded €2.45 Million EIC Accelerator grant", company page, read 18 October 2026. https://barocal.com/eic-accelerator/ ↩
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RheEnergise Limited, news page, release dated 23 October 2025 (£2.15m, €2.5m, from the EIC Accelerator; "one of only three UK companies to secure an EIC grant"), read 18 October 2026. https://www.rheenergise.com/news ↩
Written for businesses, founders and researchers in the North West of England and checked against the sources listed above on 18 October 2026. Funders change their rules, so always read the current call before you apply. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.