Accelerated Knowledge Transfer
Accelerated Knowledge Transfer
Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) is jointly delivered by Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect.
About AKT
Inspired by the successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) model, the AKT programme creates short-term collaborations between a Business Partner and a UK Knowledge Base* to accelerate the progress of innovation projects.
In the 2022/23 pilot competition, a total of 129 projects were funded, representing all kinds of businesses and third-sector organisations across the UK.
You can find out more about the AKT2I pilot scheme projects below.
*UK Higher Education (HE), Further Education (FE) institution, Research Organisation (RTO) or Catapult.
Context
Improving productivity and innovating quickly are central to enabling business growth, resilience and sustainability. But achieving them often requires new knowledge and fresh thinking.
Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer forms a partnership between a business and a specialist academic team to deliver a short, targeted intervention. Over a two-to-four-month period, the teams work together to accelerate the progress of an innovation project.
Accelerating innovation
Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) has been delivering positive impacts for businesses for nearly 50 years, demonstrating the value of collaboration between businesses and academia.
KTP is ideal for businesses with a clear strategic challenge. But for many, the real challenge is identifying their barriers to being truly innovative and knowing how to overcome them.
For these businesses, a shorter-term, rapid intervention can be the solution. Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer was launched to create these intensive collaborations that impart knowledge and help businesses to:
- identify innovation blockers
- evaluate an innovation concept
- find solutions to immediate and long-term challenges
- accelerate new thinking and processes
- develop new business models and expand capacity
AKT Rounds
In addition to the Pilot phase, we have run two AKT competitions to date. Find more details for each round by clicking on the tabs.
AKT Round 4
- Competition date: 12 May – 2 July 2025
- Status: pre-competition
AKT round 4 (AKT 4) is coming soon. A total of up to £2m will be available to support this round. Please note that projects must be in the thematic area of Addiction Healthcare Goals.
Are you an Academic or Organisation with an innovative idea to improve treatment, recovery, and harm prevention for those with drug and/or alcohol addiction(s)?
Watch the competition briefing webinar here. You can access the competition scope guidance below to find out more about Addiction Healthcare Goals.
AKT Round 3 (closed)
- Competition date: 20 June – 31 July 2024
- Status: Closed
The most recent competition AKT round 3 (AKT 3) is now closed. A total of £1m was available to support this round. Please note that projects must be in the thematic area of circular fashion.
Watch the competition briefing webinar here. You can also access other guidance to help you administer your AKT 3 grant below.
AKT Round 2 (closed)
- Competition date: 6 November – 13 December 2023
- Status: Closed – Post-Award
The Round 2 competition round closed on 13 December 2023. A total of £4.5m was available to support this round.
Watch the competition briefing webinar here and download the webinar Q&As here. You can access other guidance to help you administer your AKT grant.
AKT2i Pilot (closed)
- Competition date: September 2022
- Status: Closed – Complete
AKT2I (Accelerated Knowledge Transfer to Innovate) ran as an Innovate UK-funded pilot scheme delivered in 2022/23.
A total of 129 projects were funded as part of this pilot. The range of projects were diverse – from bilingual communications tools to on-farm carbon capture – representing all kinds of businesses and third sector organisations right across the UK.
Discover the benefits of KTP
Since the programme started in 1975, KTP has helped over 12,000 organisations – big and small, in all industry sectors and right across the UK – to innovate for growth.