KTP Awards
The Annual KTP Awards
The annual Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Awards celebrate the exceptional achievements of graduates, universities, and businesses driving innovation across the UK.
The 2025 Awards Competition
The Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Awards 2025 competition is now closed.
Thank you to everyone who submitted an application. Entries will now be reviewed by our internal Knowledge Transfer Advisors, followed by our Judging Panel. .
We’re excited to celebrate the innovative impact of your Knowledge Transfer Partnership projects. Thank you for sharing your successes and helping to showcase the power of collaboration and positive change.
The 2025 Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership Awards are fast approaching – and the standard of submissions has once again been exceptional.
After a detailed review by our expert judging panel, we are proud to announce the finalists for this year’s awards:
Changing the World Award
- Check4Cancer Ltd – University of Essex
- Dunsters Farm – Manchester Metropolitan University
- Routes to Work – University of the West of Scotland
Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership Award
- Aggregate Industries (Holcim UK Limited)/ Leeds Beckett University
- Routes to Work/ University of the West of Scotland
- Yeo Valley Farms (Production) Ltd/ University of Reading
Academic of the Year Award
- Dr David Hughes – Jackson Lees Group Limited/The University of Manchester
- Dr Firdous Nazir – TNEI Services Limited/Glasgow Caledonian University
- Professor Chris Sangwin – IDEMS International/University of Edinburgh
Technical Excellence Award
- Datatecnics Corporation Ltd – University of Exeter
- Saraco Industries Limited – The University of Manchester
- Soapworks Limited – University of Glasgow
Business Transformation Award
- Detoxpeople Ltd – Anglia Ruskin University Higher Education Corporation
- Dunsters Farm Limited – Manchester Metropolitan University
- 3Dental Manufacturing Ltd – University of Northumbria
Best Knowledge Base KTP Support Team
- Aston University
- The University of Essex
- West of Scotland KTP Centre
Future Leader Award
- Ali Maysara Mohammed – Vision Surgery & Research Centre Ltd/University of Bradford)
- Ansu Mary Alex – Moore Concrete/Queen’s University Belfast
- Charlotte-Rose Kennedy – Renato Software Ltd/Birmingham City University
- Daniel Niepsch – UBU Environmental Limited/Manchester Metropolitan University
- Dr Simeon Skopalik – Soapworks Limited/University of Glasgow
- Hang Xu – IST Power Limited/The University of Manchester
- Ray Holder – Smartify Holdings Limited/University of the West of Scotland
- Shay McEvoy – AB Pneumatics Ltd/Queen’s University Belfast
- Thomas McKinney – MOPO (Mobile Power)/University of Sheffield
- Usama Jamil – Ashtead Engineering Company Limited/Kingston University
Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership Awards 2025
All finalists are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony, where the winners of this year’s KTP Awards will be revealed.
Join us in Manchester on Tuesday, 28 October 2025 at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, from 16:00 to 21:00, as we recognise the outstanding partnerships driving UK innovation forward.
Spaces are limited – register now to secure your place at this year’s celebration of innovation.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership Award
Partnerships should demonstrate excellent achievements across all three Partners: Business; Academic; Associate. Partnerships must be able to demonstrate how they have gone beyond the aims and objectives stated in the original proposal.
Technical Excellence Award
Partnerships should demonstrate excellence in the application of science, technology, engineering, or maths. The application of STEM expertise to the business innovation must be clear: contribution to the evolution of the field and the research interests of the academic team must also be showcased.
The Business Transformation Award
This award recognises KTP and MKTP partnerships that demonstrate significant organisational change impact, cultural transformation, and evidence of exceptional leadership in driving innovation. Applications should showcase how the partnership has addressed significant challenges, enabled operational and cultural advancements, and delivered benefits to all stakeholders while tackling strategic issues.
Future Leader Award
The application must showcase a KTP Associate who has shown exceptional skills, above and beyond normal expectations. Nominees must demonstrate excellence in delivery of their innovation project, in contributing to corporate strategy, and in project management and leadership.
Changing the World Award
Partnerships should demonstrate the impact of their KTP for the benefit of people and/ or the planet, including projects that have delivered a significant societal, social, or environmental impact. Applications should showcase how they have contributed to making our world a fairer or better place. Demonstrating a positive impact on inclusion and diversity is expected. Applications in this category are likely to have drawn from some element of Net Zero activity, alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or the application of SHAPE disciplines (Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts for People and the Economy).
KTP Academic of the Year Award
The application must showcase an academic who has demonstrated exceptional skills and commitment in knowledge translation, leadership, team building and mentoring. There must be demonstrable excellence in supporting the tasks, in the development of new capability in the business, and in supporting and inspiring the personal development and skills of the KTP Associate.
Knowledge Base KTP Support Team Award
The application must demonstrate how the work of your KTP support team has led to developing, sustaining, and growing their KTP portfolio. It should showcase a high-performing KTP support team that has been proactive and innovative in engaging and capitalising on the opportunities offered by participation in the Programme. Activities highlighted may be internally focused on delivering high-quality support services to project Partners or externally focused on business engagement or a combination of both.
African Agriculture KTP Award
Partnerships should demonstrate excellent achievements across all four Partners: African Business; UK Academic; African Academic; Associate. Partnerships must be able to demonstrate how they have gone beyond the aims and objectives stated in the original proposal. Specify the African nation location and region of the business partner.
See the impact of KTP
Browse our case studies and see how we can help deliver real innovation across all economic sectors for any UK business, big or small.