University of Essex KTP team recognised as Best Knowledge Base KTP Support Team 2025

The University of Essex KTP team provides end-to-end support for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, from scoping projects and writing applications to Associate recruitment and delivery with academic colleagues. Over the past five years, the team has supported more than 100 academics across diverse disciplines.

Amid increased competition and a changing HE landscape, the team sought to expand and diversify the KTP portfolio while maintaining high success rates and quality. Capitalising on the reintroduction of charities as fundable KTP partners, the team launched campaigns and events to attract new collaborations and ensure long-term growth and impact.

The team’s efforts led to significant achievements across the portfolio. Since 2022, Essex has submitted nine charity-led projects with a 100% success rate and expanded into underrepresented departments including Psychology, Sociology & Criminology, Health & Social Care, and the Edge Hotel School. Their current portfolio includes over 80 academics from 12 schools and departments.

In 2025, the University of Essex became the first English university to hold 50 live KTPs at once, a milestone achieved by only one other UK university. That year, the team submitted 24 projects, with 23 funded (96% success rate), achieving a record total award value of £5.56m and an average application score of 71.5%.

Beyond project submissions, the team also led bespoke initiatives such as the Innovate To Elevate programme supporting SMEs and internal R&D projects funded by local NHS and regional partners. These initiatives generated new KTP applications and strengthened long-term collaboration between the University and industry partners.

The University of Essex KTP team’s proactive and innovative approach has delivered:

• Diversified and expanded KTP partnerships across faculties and disciplines.
• Record-high funding and sustained success rates.
• New programmes supporting SMEs and internal R&D.
• Stronger academic-industry collaboration and knowledge transfer.
• High-quality research outputs and impact case studies for REF2029.

Their work has set benchmarks for excellence in KTP delivery, demonstrating the value of knowledge transfer and the transformative impact of effective support teams in higher education.