Accelerated Knowledge Transfer
Accelerated Knowledge Transfer
Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) is jointly delivered by Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect.
The AKT competition uses the robust framework and resources of Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect Business for a high quality competition that delivers academic expertise where it is needed.
Unlike traditional Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP), AKT is a light touch competition with a streamlined application and a short duration of only 3 months. Qualified associate(s) work with the business to address an identified challenge.
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
In addition to the Pilot phase, we have run five AKT competitions to date. Find more details for each round by clicking on the tabs.
AKT Round 6 (opening soon)
- Competition date: 26 May – 15 July 2026
- Status: Opening Soon
Register for the applicant briefing webinar on the 19 May 2026 here.
AKT Round 5 (closed)
- Competition date: 2 February – 18 March 2026
- Status: Closed
AKT round 5 (AKT 5) is a pilot competition for Further Education (FE) colleges based in Northern Ireland or Wales.
Watch the competition briefing webinar here.
Only applications from eligible knowledge bases that have been invited to apply can be considered. If you have questions about eligibility, please email akt@iukbc.org.uk. You can access guidance to help you administer your AKT grant below.
AKT Round 4 (closed)
- Competition date: 12 May – 2 July 2025
- Status: Closed
AKT round 4 (AKT 4) is now closed. A total of up to £2m was available to support this round. Please note that projects must be in the thematic area of Addiction Healthcare Goals.
Watch the competition briefing webinar here, or watch the new project workshop here. You can also access the competition documents below to help you with your application.
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 below.
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.
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.
