Accelerating Innovation
Do you need support to quickly identify innovation opportunities or challenges? Perhaps you need a proof of concept before embarking on larger scale projects, or want a data set assessed for AI readiness? An Accelerated Knowledge Transfer with Essex could be your answer.
Introducing Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT)
Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) is a programme from Innovate UK that sees funds distributed to businesses and organisations looking to innovate or develop new and disruptive capabilities.
The programme is designed to create short-term collaborations between a business and a UK Knowledge Base, such as the University of Essex, to rapidly inject innovation capacity with grant funding of up to £35,000 per project.
AKT's are inspired by the highly successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) model and aims to deliver a targeted collaboration lasting between two to three months that accelerates the evaluation or development of an innovation project or concept, which has the potential for significant impact for a business or organisation.
AKT Round 6 | Open May 2026 - July 2026
Competition opens: Tuesday 26 May 2026
Competition closes: Wednesday 15 July 2026, 11:00am
Innovate UK’s AKT Round 6 will accelerate the evaluation or development of an innovation project or concept, with the potential for a significant impact for the Business Partner.
Projects can be open in scope, but you must first consider how it will align with the Industrial Strategy’s six prioritised sectors by Innovate UK. These are:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Clean Energy Industries
- Creative Industries
- Defence
- Digital and Technologies
- Life Sciences
If your project does not align with one of the six priority sectors, it may still be eligible if it is exploiting a novel area of research and your business meets the criteria for a high growth potential. Innovate UK has indicated that priority will be given to projects that align with the Industrial Strategy.
If you are a business or organisation with an innovative idea, get in touch today to find out how we can partner with you on this new funding opportunity: innovation@essex.ac.uk
See the full AKT Round 6 scope here on the Innovate UK website.
Is an AKT project right for your business or organisation?
For many businesses, it can be a challenge to fully identify the barriers and solutions that can open the door for innovation, greater productivity, and growth. Here, a short term AKT with Essex can be the ideal solution.
It offers a more intensive collaboration that quickly transfers new knowledge and creates a framework to help business teams to:
- Identify innovation blockers
- Evaluate an innovation concept
- Find solutions to immediate as well as prepare the foundations for longer term challenges
- Accelerate new thinking and processes
- Develop new business models and expand capacity
- The programme is open to UK registered businesses with a minimum of 4 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs).
- Grant will be up to £35,000 per project and they must run for between two and three months.
- The business partner must contribute 10% minimum of the total project costs in cash.
Talk to us about AKTs today
Our ambitions match yours. We’re business-led and hands on. From scoping through to funding wins, from recruitment of talent through to project completion.
Speak to us today to find out how we can help you with an AKT or alternative funding opportunity today.
