AKT Grants – What you need to know

Innovate UK’s AKT – Accelerated Knowledge Transfer scheme is a short, practical funding route for SMEs that need specialist university expertise to solve a defined innovation challenge.

For many small businesses, the barrier to innovation is not ambition. It is access to technical knowledge, research capability, testing expertise, data science, engineering input or academic insight. AKT is designed to close that gap quickly. It allows a UK business to work with a university, college, Catapult or research and technology organisation on a focused project that can accelerate the evaluation or development of a new product, process, service or technical concept.

Unlike a full Knowledge Transfer Partnership, AKT is deliberately short. Current AKT projects run for three months and can receive up to £35,000 of grant support for eligible Knowledge Base project costs. The business must normally contribute at least 10% of project costs in cash and provide the internal time, data, facilities and supervision required to make the project successful.

The fund is particularly useful where an SME has a clear commercial or operational opportunity but lacks the internal capability to progress it alone. Suitable projects may include proof-of-concept work, product validation, process improvement, AI and data-readiness assessment, technical feasibility, modelling, materials testing, prototype planning, operational optimisation or preparation for a larger innovation project.

A key feature of AKT is that the SME does not apply directly. The application must be led by the Knowledge Base. This means the business first needs to approach a suitable university or research organisation with a credible project proposition. The Knowledge Base then leads the Innovate UK application, with the SME acting as the Business Partner.

This makes preparation important. Before approaching a university, the SME should be able to explain the innovation challenge, the knowledge gap, why academic expertise is needed, what can be delivered in three months, what outputs are expected, and how those outputs will create commercial or operational value.

The strongest AKT projects are not vague research ideas. They are tightly scoped interventions with a clear business problem, defined academic contribution, practical workplan, credible Associate role, and a route to post-project value. Innovate UK assesses applications on the innovation, the challenges and risks, the need for a business-academic partnership, and the expected project outcomes.

For SMEs, the value of AKT is speed. It can help de-risk a technical decision, generate evidence for a new product or process, strengthen internal capability, or create the basis for a larger Innovate UK grant, investment round or full Knowledge Transfer Partnership.

Novigo helps SMEs prepare for AKT by assessing eligibility, defining the project, preparing the Knowledge Base approach brief, identifying suitable university partners and supporting the Knowledge Base-led application.

If your business has an innovation project that could move faster with specialist university expertise, contact Novigo to discuss whether AKT is the right funding route.

Call Novigo for more information 

Novigo offers a two-stage AKT support service. Our £999 Partner-Ready Pack helps SMEs prepare the project documentation needed to approach universities and other Knowledge Bases. Where a Knowledge Base agrees to proceed, we can provide full AKT application support for a further £2,000.

Call us now – 07868 748856