Grant success
Grant application support
Our specialists will help align your research with targeted, industry-led funding calls and provide support throughout the application process. With deep expertise in business-focussed grants - and a 100% success rate in Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) applications over the past 12 years - we're here to maximise your chances of success and impact.
Find your funding
50 years of innovation excellence
For half a century, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships have been driving innovation through dynamic collaborations between forward-thinking businesses and leading academics. These partnerships go beyond theory to deliver tangible results that drive growth and transform businesses.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)
KTPs are three-way collaborations between:
- A research organisation such as a University
- A company or non-profit organisation
- A talented graduate or postgraduate who is recruited by the University but based within the business. They’re also supervised by the academic team.
A KTP is part-funded by a grant from UKRI through Innovate UK. The remainder of the project cost is funded by the business partner. A KTP project can last anywhere between 12 to 36 months and includes expertise from at least two academics as well as access to world class facilities of the University. Benefits to the academic team include:
- Generating research income
- Creating business-relevant teaching and research materials
- Developing potential REF impact case-studies
- Publishing outcomes in high-impact journals and conference proceedings
- Applying expert knowledge to solve real-world issues
- Identifying new research projects and themes
- On average, initiating three new research projects and two research papers per project
- Research commercialisation opportunities (e.g. IP, patents, licensing, royalties)
- Providing opportunities for student projects and work-based activities.
To kick-start your KTP collaboration, contact the University of Surrey’s Innovation & Enterprise Hub KTP expert, Dan Bance, at ktp@surrey.ac.uk.
Our innovation experts are committed to excellence in delivery and provide comprehensive support, ensuring a smooth journey from project inception to successful completion.
Read our top tips guide on how to write a successful KTP project application.
Other Innovate UK funding
Innovate UK is the UK's innovation agency and part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by grant-in-aid from the UK Government. Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas, including those from the UK’s world-class research base. View information on the latest Innovate UK funding competitions.
Connect with our experts at the Surrey Innovation & Enterprise Hub if you’re interested in applying for Innovate UK or other business-led funding opportunities. We can help you review the calls and discuss the support we offer to develop a high-quality application for you and your business partner.
Contact us as early as possible to maximise the support we can provide. Early engagement allows us to offer comprehensive assistance, from scoping and developing your application to refining and reviewing it, ensuring the best possible outcome for your funding opportunity.
Business-led collaboration toolkit
Our business-led collaboration toolkit is a collection of documents, templates and videos, which are designed to give our academics and businesses an advantage in the highly competitive field of public funding for business innovation.
Top tips for a successful business-led application
- Read the call guidance notes: Address every bullet point logically. The key words are often found in the questions and guidance notes.
- Plan your time: Completing a funding application can take 100-200 hours, so plan accordingly.
- Show the wow factor: Captivate reviewers from the start of the application with your project summary.
- Craft a compelling narrative: Ensure a cohesive thread throughout your application. Be enthusiastic and highlight how your project is innovative.
- Be concise: Each question usually has a word limit. Use clear, specific language and avoid technical jargon (unless requested). Remember, this is a business-led innovation application, not a research grant application.
- Provide evidence: Support your points with references and quantifiable data.
- Present a strong business case and value proposition: Ensure the business clearly articulates who they are, what the big problem is that they are trying to solve, where the innovation is and how it will accelerate their business.
- Know your competition: Demonstrate your awareness of similar products of services in the market and highlight what sets you apart.
- Build the right team, including users and customers: Assemble a strong team and, where possible, demonstrate engagement with end users and customers. The lead business must show evidence that their target customers/end users are likely to buy or accept the product.
- Clearly define the route to market: The lead business must demonstrate knowledge of their market, its size, growth potential, and their route to market.
- Demonstrate value for money: Ensure your budget and costs are realistic, justified, and appropriate to achieve your project’s aims and methods.
- Utilise appendices: Use appendices to present additional information, including diagrams, graphs, tables and schematics. These elements make your proposal more tangible and should not be considered optional.
Our innovation experts are committed to excellence in delivery and provide comprehensive support, ensuring a smooth journey from project inception to successful completion. Read our top tips guide on how to answer Innovate UK application questions.