KTP Awards

2026 Awards

The 2026 Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) Awards application period has now closed.

Thank you to everyone who applied. Our KTP Awards assessors will now review all entries before they are considered by an expert judging panel. We will announce the finalists on Friday 2 October 2026.

Each year, the KTP Awards celebrate outstanding projects that have delivered impact through the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme. We look forward to showcasing this year’s finalists and winners.

The 2026 KTP Awards Ceremony will take place in Glasgow on 1 December 2026. All finalists will be invited to attend.

If you have any further questions, refer to the FAQs or contact us.

2025 Award Winners

This year’s winners represent the very best of KTP collaboration – transforming ideas into measurable outcomes for business, academia and society.

African Agriculture KTP Award

Taro-Agric Consulting, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of the West of England

Best KTP Award

Yeo Valley Farms (Production) Ltd and University of Reading

Changing the World Award

Dunsters Farm Limited and Manchester Metropolitan University

KTP Academic of the Year

TNEI Services Limited – Glasgow Caledonian University

Future Leader Award

• Usama Jamil – Ashtead Engineering Company Ltd / Kingston University
• Dr Simeon Skopalik – Soapworks Ltd / University of Glasgow
• Ray Holder – Smartify Holdings Limited / University of the West of Scotland
• Shay McEvoy – AB Pneumatics Ltd / Queen’s University Belfast
• Charlotte-Rose Kennedy – Renato Software Ltd / Birmingham City University

Best Knowledge Base KTP Support Team

The University of Essex

Technical Excellence Award

Soapworks Ltd – University of Glasgow

Business Transformation Award

Detoxpeople Ltd – Anglia Ruskin University

Golden KTP Awards

2025 also introduced the Golden KTP Awards – a special recognition of projects and individuals whose lasting contributions have shaped innovation practice and collaboration over the past five decades.

Here are the winners from each category:

Knowledge with Impact

Navico Group – Queen’s University Belfast

Driving Innovation for the Future

Arup – The University of Manchester

The Art of Successful Collaboration (Partnerships)

Aquacheck Engineering – Manchester Metropolitan University

The Art of Successful Collaboration (Practitioners)

Queen’s University Belfast

After more than 14,000 partnerships and £2.3 billion in value creation, KTP continues to be a cornerstone of the UK’s innovation ecosystem – connecting business ambition with academic expertise to drive productivity, resilience and sustainable growth.