Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Partnerships 6 (AKT 6) 2026

Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Partnerships 6 (AKT 6) 2026

The Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Partnerships 6 (AKT 6) competition is a UKRI (Innovate UK) opportunity for fast, project-focused collaboration between a UK knowledge base and a UK business. UKRI’s Opportunity Finder currently lists the competition as open, and the summary notes a publication date of 21 May 2026, opening on 26 May 2026, and a competition close of 15 July 2026. The official UKRI page links to the Innovate UK Innovation Funding Service where the full application and required data are hosted.

This is not a broad, long-run grant programme; it is a short, specific intervention. The competition supports projects designed to rapidly accelerate or develop innovation for a business, and each project is expected to run for 3 months. The UKRI listing says projects can access a share of up to £2.5 million in total across the competition. The Innovation Funding Service competition guidance also states that each project has eligible grant costs of £35,000, with any additional costs above that level paid by the business partner, and that the business must contribute a minimum 10% cash contribution.

AKT 6 is particularly practical for teams that have one strong business need and one clear knowledge source but need a structured route to deliver impact fast. The structure is simple to describe and more difficult to execute well: a UK Knowledge Base leads the application and project, while a UK registered business brings the innovation challenge, internal context, and a funded contribution. The application itself is built around that partnership. The business is not just a beneficiary; it is the problem owner.

Key Details at a Glance

What this opportunity actually offers

AKT 6 is best understood as a grant-supported mechanism to de-risk a business-facing innovation project. It is designed for projects that need quick access to specialist knowledge and practical support, then need to move from concept to a tested innovation with commercial relevance. The competition explicitly aligns projects to industrial strategy priorities first and says priority will be given to projects that align with those sectors where possible.

The six priority sectors listed in the competition guidance are:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Clean Energy Industries
• Creative Industries
• Defence
• Digital and Technologies
• Life Sciences

Projects outside these sectors can still be considered if they are genuinely novel and the business partner is high-growth. This is useful for organisations that may sit between sectors or have unusual value propositions.

What this competition gives you is not a blank cheque. It gives you a route to:

1. Define a narrow problem with measurable outcomes.
2. Pair a business challenge with formal knowledge-base support.
3. Build a funded project with strict timelines.
4. Improve the chance that your innovation reaches operational use, not just report output.

Because this is explicitly a Knowledge Transfer Partnership model, there is a strong expectation that the project creates practical capability inside the business, not just external outputs. The guidance repeatedly frames the relationship as strategic to the business and asks you to demonstrate need, feasibility, and post-project continuity.

Who this is for and who should avoid it

AKT 6 is suitable if you are in one of these categories:

• A UK higher education institution, FE institution, RTO, or Catapult able to submit as the lead Knowledge Base.
• A UK business with at least four full-time employees that needs focused support to accelerate a high-value innovation challenge.
• A team able to commit to a 3-month project with clear outputs and a realistic commercial path.
• A partnership willing to manage grant compliance and evidence requirements.

This is usually a strong fit when the business partner already has urgency, some internal commitment, and enough operational capacity to support an Associate and project team. If the business side is only loosely engaged, the application will likely fail on credibility.

Who should avoid this opportunity:

• Organisations that are not UK registered in the required categories.
• Business partners that do not have the minimum employment base.
• Teams that expect grant money to cover broad, multi-year programmes without a narrow 3-month scope.
• Applicants hoping to use the scheme with subcontracting chains. Subcontractors are not allowed.
• Teams that cannot explain how outcomes continue after funding and how the business absorbs the new capability.

If your target is a longer development pipeline or a complex portfolio collaboration, a different KTP route or another Innovate UK mechanism may be more suitable.

Eligibility rules you need to treat as non-negotiable

The eligibility rules are strict and should be handled as hard gates before writing.

At a minimum, your application needs to satisfy:

• Lead role by a UK registered HE, FE institution, RTO, or Catapult.
• Business partner must be UK registered with at least four FTE.
• The lead must not be owned by or have a controlling interest in the business partner.
• A UK registered business partner must be involved; the lead cannot act alone.
• The minimum business contribution must be at least 10% of project costs.
• No subcontractors are allowed.

There are also exclusion rules for certain organisations. UKRI guidance excludes certain bodies such as ARIA, some central government departments, and specific administrations in the devolved context. This means you should explicitly confirm whether any partner falls under those exclusions before preparing a full submission.

You also need to watch for legal and compliance checks that appear straightforward but can derail applications:

• Ensure correct legal registration details match public register records.
• Confirm any required permits, licences, or regulatory approvals are in place or on track.
• Confirm export-control obligations where relevant.
• Confirm your approach is consistent with no-subsidy and state-aid contexts where applicable.

One frequently missed point is that project details, especially business names and registration numbers, must match official records. A mismatch can lead to withdrawal even before scoring.

Funding, costs, and what is and is not funded

This is where many applications fail in late revision, because teams overestimate support and underestimate responsibility. The competition guidance gives concrete cost framing:

• Competition level funding available: up to £2,500,000 for the full round.
• Per-project eligible grant costs: £35,000.
• Business must fund any costs above the eligible grant-supported limit.
• Business must contribute minimum 10% cash.
• Business partner cannot just provide “in principle”; they must show contribution capacity.

Budget exclusions are also explicit. For example:

• IT equipment and software are not eligible as funded grant support in this context.
• Promotional goods costs are generally excluded.
• Some participant payment items and non-eligible costs must be borne by the business.

For teams that are new to KTP-style budgeting, this structure can look counterintuitive. It is not designed to fully finance everything. It is designed to co-fund focused intervention while forcing commercial commitment. A useful planning rule is:

• Put only the right-cost items into the grant side.
• Keep the business-side costs realistic and documented.
• Link every expense to the 3-month scope.

You should not overbuild your budget narrative. The clearer your scope, the more convincing your cost split will be.

How to apply: practical walkthrough

The official application path is the UKRI opportunity page, then the linked Innovation Funding Service competition where the online form is managed. The form is structured and not a free-form narrative submission. The guidance divides the application into sections and gives explicit requirements around team, scope, summary, and project outcomes.

Typical flow:

1. Open the UKRI opportunity page and follow the linked competition to the Innovation Funding Service.
2. Choose “start new application” if you are eligible and ready to build your team.
3. Invite all required contributors from lead and business teams.
4. Complete the project details section and application questions.
5. Complete the finances section with clear grant/business split.
6. Upload all required documents and submit before the deadline.

Important details from the guidance:

• Application title format is rigid: “Knowledge Base and Business Partner AKT6”.
• Titles or legal names that do not exactly match registered names can trigger withdrawal.
• You should not include external web links or URLs in answers.
• All sections must be marked complete.
• You can reopen and resubmit up to the deadline if needed, but there is no advantage to leaving this to the last minute.

Support is available through Innovate UK by email and phone during business hours on weekdays, and they advise contacting support at least 15 working days before the close date if possible.

What reviewers score and what they reject

The scoring framework is concise and practical. Reviewers score your submission on:

• Innovation
• Challenges and risks
• Need for business-academic partnership
• Project outcomes

Each is scored out of 10 marks, for a total of 40. This means every section should show evidence against all four areas, not just a compelling story.

Common reasons reviewers set projects aside (based on the published scope logic) include:

• Strategic mismatch with business priorities.
• Projects that do not show commercial relevance.
• Research-only framing with no realistic route to implementation in the business.
• Incomplete or incorrect partner documentation.

The “portfolio approach” language also matters: a strong score helps, but not every strong score converts into funding if the round’s funding profile prioritises spread, sector balance, or strategic fit. That is exactly why clarity of strategic alignment matters as much as originality.

Preparation strategy that improves your odds

A disciplined preparation plan helps avoid the late-stage crisis where teams scramble for legal names and budgets.

Weeks 12-10 before close: partnership validation

Write and sign an internal partnership agreement before drafting. Confirm:

• Lead and business roles.
• Who is committing to project inputs.
• Confirm business registration details from public records.
• Confirm minimum contribution and willingness to fund beyond grant-supported cap.

Weeks 10-8: scope and scoring alignment

Draft a one-page project logic with:

• The business pain point in measurable terms.
• Why this specific business needs support now.
• What knowledge source solves the issue.
• What measurable outcomes exist at month 1, 2, and 3.

Use exactly the scoring categories as section headings in your internal plan.

Weeks 8-4: evidence and narrative

Develop narrative drafts for application questions. This competition asks detailed answers on innovation, risk, partnership rationale, partner readiness, and outcomes. Build these with evidence attached:

• Prior work examples relevant to the business challenge.
• Evidence the project team can execute.
• Clear outcomes that are internal or commercial, not hypothetical.

Final 4 weeks: hardening and compliance pass

Checklist:

• Confirm all organization names match public records.
• Confirm role and scope of business and knowledge-base personnel.
• Confirm no prohibited org types are involved.
• Confirm required contact and supervisory details are complete.
• Confirm all mandatory fields and document uploads are complete.

Avoid the final-hour trap. If your application uses the right framework but poor execution, small errors become major risks right at the end.

FAQ for first-time AKT applicants

Is the competition still open?

The opportunity listing indicates the status as open with the deadline on 15 July 2026, 11:00 UK time.

Can I apply as the business partner only?

No. The lead applicant in this model is the Knowledge Base (HE/FE/RTO/Catapult).

What is the business minimum size?

The official criteria requires a UK registered business with four or more full-time employees.

Can there be multiple business partners?

Each Knowledge Base can collaborate with multiple business partners, and applications are assessed as submitted for specific projects.

Is this for long-term or multi-year delivery?

No. The published project duration is 3 months.

Is the business expected to pay everything above £35,000?

The guidance says the business covers required additional costs above certain thresholds and contributes at least 10% in cash; check budget sections in the official competition page for exact calculations.

Are there accepted links/URLs in the application answers?

No. The application guidance states that web addresses should not be included in answers.

Can I use previous applications?

No, previously submitted application material is not transferable as a direct replacement.

Common mistakes you can prevent

1) Treating this as a generic grant

This is not a generic call. It is a KTP-style collaboration with strict partner roles and a tight duration. If your draft sounds broad, the reviewer will treat it as weakly designed.

2) Ignoring business contribution mechanics

Many teams plan the innovation but not the cost structure. A convincing business contribution is essential for both eligibility and delivery viability.

3) Missing legal naming precision

Using informal company names or missing registration details can result in automatic withdrawal. Use exact legal names and official registration information.

4) Under-explaining how the business will embed the outputs

Applications that focus only on concept often fail to show post-project continuation. Reviewers want evidence that capability remains in the business.

5) Poorly planned supervision and roles

The partnership is people-driven. If supervisors and team responsibilities are weakly defined, execution risk becomes obvious before budget is judged.

6) Assuming “open” means “easy”

Open status only means applications are currently being accepted. It does not reduce scoring discipline, documentation requirements, or strict exclusion rules.

Official links and next steps

Use these official links in sequence:

• UKRI opportunity page: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/accelerated-knowledge-transfer-partnerships-6-akt-6/
• Competition details and application in the Innovation Funding Service: https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2473/overview/d9a164dd-2094-4590-baa7-a057279d80a3

Next immediate step: open the Innovation Funding Service page and map your draft into its exact three-section application format (Project details, Application questions, Finances). The guidance is highly structural, so teams that align content to that structure early are materially more likely to produce coherent submissions.

This opportunity is specifically about speed with structure, not speed with vagueness. Build for that format from the first draft and the application process becomes manageable.