Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)

#funding #priority/high #stream/E #stream/D

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)

One-line summary

18–36 month embedded researcher in an industry partner; Innovate UK funds 50–67% of project costs.

Why it fits RAIDT

The single most realistic near-term commercial mechanism. KTP places a graduate "Associate" full-time inside an industry partner (audit firm, NHS Trust, bank, AI vendor) to deploy RAIDT against their actual GenAI use cases. Portsmouth co-supervises. Innovate UK funds 50–67% (up to 75% in Wales). Partner pays remainder + Associate salary (~£40–55k/yr).

Key parameters

Field	Value
Amount	Project costs typically £8,500/month; total £150–500k
Funding rate	Up to 67% for SMEs (75% in Wales)
Match funding	Required; private partner contribution
Eligible applicants	UK knowledge base (Portsmouth qualifies) + UK business partner
Project length	12–36 months
Closing date	Multiple rounds per year; 2026–27 Round 1 currently open

How to apply

Identify a UK business partner willing to host
Engage Portsmouth KTP Office (they handle the paperwork)
Build joint application with partner — defines knowledge transfer aim, project plan, Associate profile
Submit via Innovation Funding Service in next round

Application content needed

Joint application with industry partner
Knowledge transfer aim
Project plan (deliverables, milestones)
Associate role description and profile
Innovation case (why this needs an Associate, not a consultant)
Capability statement of academic and partner organisations
Budget breakdown

Realistic competitiveness

Innovate UK awards roughly 70% of submitted KTPs that meet basic criteria. Quality of partner commitment and clarity of knowledge transfer aim matter more than novelty.

Action plan if pursuing

Phase 1: 6+ KTP outreach emails sent — secure first meetings
Phase 2: at least 1 partner agrees to KTP scoping
Phase 2 Week 9 (Jul 2026): KTP application v0.5 drafted
Phase 2 Week 11 (Jul 2026): KTP application submitted
Phase 3 (Aug–Oct 2026): Innovate UK assessment
Phase 3/4 (Nov 2026 onwards): Associate recruitment

Target partner segments

Tier A — Audit firms (highest commercial return)

KPMG UK, Deloitte UK, PwC UK, EY UK
Mid-tier: BDO, Grant Thornton, Mazars, RSM, Crowe

Tier B — Regulated sector

NHS Trusts with active GenAI deployment (Imperial, GOSH, UCLH, Leeds)
Challenger / mid-tier banks (Starling, Monzo, OakNorth)
UK insurers (Aviva, Direct Line, Hiscox)
Law firms (DLA Piper, Linklaters, Allen & Overy)
Defence suppliers (BAE Systems, QinetiQ, Roke)

Tier C — AI vendors

Holistic AI (UK), Trilateral Research, Logically AI, BenevolentAI

Notes

KTP is more administrative than competitive at the application stage — get partner sign-up first.
Portsmouth KTP Office is the unsung hero; engage them early and often.
Outreach templates in 01_KTP_Outreach_Template.
Multiple concurrent KTPs are possible if partners are different organisations.