Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Through the government-backed Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme, Sheffield Hallam can give you and your organisation the structure and support you need to tackle a specific business challenge. We can work with you to make a real impact on your organisation, from processes and software to product development and services.

All KTPs are partly funded by the government in a scheme that has been running for over 30 years, and more than 130 companies have already found partnering with Sheffield Hallam to be an investment well worth making. A KTP is for all businesses and organisations, no matter what your size, industry or commercial sector.

How it works

We will work with you to recruit a high calibre graduate (a KTP Associate), who will run a specific project in your organisation. The graduate will receive dedicated support from a specialist University academic for half a day a week. You will also have access to our vast range of equipment and facilities.

A KTP can run from six months to three years. It will aim to tackle the strategic needs of your organisation by transferring knowledge, technology and skills that you can’t currently access.

Projects that we can help you carry out through a KTP include

• developing new products
• creating industry leading manufacturing processes
• developing innovative software solutions
• implementing groundbreaking social policies and services

What are the benefits of a KTP?

A KTP will see you form a long-term, strategic partnership with the University. It will open up other opportunities for us to work together as we get to know the challenges you face and use our expertise to find a solution.

The expertise and knowledge that we can use to support your business will prove invaluable. A recent KTP scheme between the University and Evenort (a manufacturing company) has seen our researchers applying laser-driven technology to off-shore oil pipelines – a green project that has the potential to save the company thousands of pounds. Evenort are reducing their material costs by up to 85 per cent and working with a more environmentally friendly production process.

We will also help you recruit the right staff. We formed a KTP in HR management with Fosters Bakery, who saw significant changes throughout the business. Fewer absences and staff turnover going down by over 10 per cent led to the business gaining Investors in People accreditation

A KTP will help embed a culture of innovation in your organisation. The products and processes developed through the programme can create a lasting impression on your staff and change how you approach challenges in the future.

How does the programme work?

The process is straightforward and you will have support from the University throughout. We’ll take you through the following steps.

1. Identify a development project that is strategically important to your organisation’s future. It should need a dedicated member of staff and specialist knowledge to take it forward.
2. A KTP consultant will help you evaluate whether a KTP is suitable and identify a specialist from the University with relevant expertise.
3. Working with an academic, we will visit your organisation and work with you to draw up a project plan. This will form the basis of a KTP application.
4. Once we have an outline of the project, we will visit your organisation with a regional KTP adviser and submit a KTP application on your behalf. Submission dates run throughout the year.
5. Within three weeks, you will know if your application is successful and we will help you recruit from a pool of talented young graduates.
6. Your KTP Associate will be recruited during a six-month period and will work in your organisation for up to three years.
7. The KTP Associate will be supervised by your own staff and an academic from the University.

If a KTP is not appropriate for your organisation, we will work with you to find an alternative solution to your challenges.

Find out more

Our Research and Innovation Office has a dedicated KTP team. For more information on KTPs and to find out if a KTP is right for your business, please get in touch through our online contact form.

You can also learn more about how the University can help your organisation in many other ways.