Funding competition Accelerated Knowledge Transfer 4 (AKT4) Addiction

UK registered academic institutions, RTOs or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £2 million to fund innovation projects with businesses, not for profits or public sector organisations.

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Competition sections

Description

The Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) scheme will support a Knowledge Base partner, in working with their Business Partner, to deliver a short, rapid and targeted intervention. This intervention will accelerate the evaluation or development of an innovation project or concept, with the potential for a significant impact for the Business Partner.

Projects must be focused on improving treatment, recovery, and harm reduction, prevention for people with drug or alcohol addictions.

The Knowledge Base partner must be eligible to register to participate in the KTP programme but does not have to be registered with KTP.

Each Innovate UK AKT project will establish a new partnership or consolidate an existing collaboration between the Knowledge Base and the Business Partner through knowledge exchange activity.

The application must be submitted by the Knowledge Base partner but will be developed in partnership with the Business Partner. The Knowledge Base will be the sole grant recipient.

If you are a business and do not yet have a relationship with a knowledge base partner, contact your local knowledge base to discuss this opportunity in more detail.

This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated in this Innovate UK competition brief. We cannot guarantee other government or third party sites will always show the correct competition information.

Funding type

Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)

Project size

Projects must run for 13 weeks. The maximum grant will be £35,000 per project. The Business Partner must contribute 10% (minimum) of the total project costs in cash. There is no upper limit to the cash contribution of the business.

Accessibility and Inclusion

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Who can apply

Text update 13 June: Updated non-funded partner criteria.

Projects must be focused on improving treatment, recovery, and harm reduction or prevention for people with drug and or alcohol addiction.

Each Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) project is a partnership between a:

  • UK knowledge base, acting as lead organisation and submitting the application
  • UK registered business or not for profit or eligible public sector organisation

We use the term ‘business partner’ for businesses, not for profit organisations, social enterprises, public sector organisations, charities or charitable businesses.

The definition Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) uses for not for profit organisations, charities or charitable business include:

  • a registered charity
  • a registered Community Interest Company
  • a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation
  • a charitable company
  • an exempt or excepted charity
  • a registered charitable industrial and provident society or charitable Cooperative (Bencom)

A “charitable business” refers to an organisation which is both a registered company (normally a private company limited by guarantee) and a registered charity (all charities with an income over £5,000 p.a. being required to register with the Charity Commission).

The definition of eligible public sector organisations is:

  • non-departmental public bodies and arm’s length bodies (ALBs)
  • the NHS
  • local authorities, bodies owned and controlled by local authorities
  • government owned companies, nationalised industries, most trading funds and regulators

The following public sector organisations are specifically excluded:

  • UKRI organisations and businesses owned or operated either wholly or partially by UKRI or one of its councils
  • Advanced research and invention agency (ARIA)
  • central government departments and the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
  • any organisation eligible to become a KTP knowledge base

Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian or Belarusian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian or Belarusian source.

Knowledge base partner

The knowledge base partner cannot work alone.

The knowledge base partner must lead the project and must:

  • be a UK registered higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, research technology organisation (RTO) or Catapult
  • invite one UK registered business, public sector organisation or not for profit organisation into the Innovation Funding Service (IFS) application
  • provide a minimum of 0.25 days per week of supervision to the project
  • not have ownership of 50% or more of the business partner or a controlling interest through a shareholder agreement
  • complete the application form in partnership with the business
  • submit a current full economic costing (fEC) letter with each application if you are using the full fEC costing model and support the project in accordance with its provision, or submit the non fEC declaration letter
  • provide the project secretariat
  • reach an intellectual property (IP) agreement with the business partner before the project commences, if required
  • agree to attend specified meetings
  • ensure that none of the proposed academic team are directors, consultants or otherwise engaged by the business or group

The project must start within 6-weeks from the issue date on the Grant Offer Letter (GOL), which includes the recruitment of an associate.

As part of their involvement in the project the knowledge base partner must provide a case study to Innovate UK, using the template provided, upon completion of the project. The provision of the case study is linked to the no subsidy status of this competition.

Business partner

Business partners cannot work alone. They must develop the project with a UK knowledge base who can provide the right skills to meet the knowledge gap within the business.

We encourage business partners to approach knowledge bases directly to discuss the suitability of AKT for their specific circumstances.

To collaborate with a knowledge base, the business partner must:

  • be a UK registered business or not for profit organisation
  • have four or more full time equivalent employees
  • complete the application form in partnership with the knowledge base partner
  • provide the knowledge base with evidence of their ability to financially support their contribution
  • be able to host the associate and provide them with supervisory support
  • if applicable, reach a written IP agreement with the knowledge base before the project commences

The AKT programme is accessible to any UK registered business. This is normally demonstrated on a public register, such as Companies House or Charity Commission.

The registered name and registration number provided must match the official public register.

UK subsidiary businesses of overseas parent companies are eligible, provided they are individually registered in the UK.

Non-funded partners

Your project can include non-UK partners, including partners based in the EU, who bring their own funding. Non-UK partners are permitted to carry out project work from within their home countries and exploit results overseas. Their costs will count towards the total eligible project costs.

Sanctions

This competition will not fund you, or provide any financial benefit to any individual or entities directly or indirectly involved with you, which would expose Innovate UK or any direct or indirect beneficiary of funding from Innovate UK to UK Sanctions. For example, through any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any entity as lead, partner or subcontractor related to these countries, administrations and terrorist groups.

Subcontractors

Subcontractors are not allowed in this competition.

Use of animals in research and innovation

Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.

Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both that in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.

Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.

International exploitation

It is expected that the project outcomes will be primarily exploited for the UK’s benefit. The AKT terms and conditions contains clauses pertaining to the exploitation of the outcomes from the project.

AKT is not a research project, but exploits research already completed. During the life of the project new knowledge may be generated. The knowledge base and the business partner, must ensure that that the application complies with UK Export controls.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/export-controls-applying-to-academic-research#how-nationality-affects-export-controls

No subsidy

No subsidy

This competition has been designed to provide funding that is not classed by Innovate UK as a subsidy.

Your eligibility to be given an award on a ‘No Subsidy’ basis will be determined by Innovate UK after you have submitted your application.

You should still seek independent legal advice on what this means for you, before applying.

Further information about the Subsidy Control Act 2022 requirements can be found within the Subsidy Control Act 2022 (legislation.gov.uk).

It is the responsibility of the lead organisation to make sure all collaborators in the project remain compliant with the ‘No Subsidy’ status they are awarded.

It is important to note that it is the activity that an organisation is engaged in as part of the project and not its intentions, that define whether any support provided could be considered a subsidy.

EU State aid rules now only apply in limited circumstances. Please see the Windsor Framework to check if these rules apply to your organisation.

In the ‘Project details’ section of your application you will be asked questions to indicate if State Aid or Subsidy applies to your organisation.

Further Information

If you are unsure about your obligations under the Subsidy Control Act 2022 regime you should take independent legal advice. We cannot advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations.

Funding

Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) is closely related to Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme and shares a number of common elements, AKT does hold it’s own Cost Guidance, please ensure you refer to the AKT4 Cost Guidance.

Find out about the cost of participating in AKT and understand which project costs are eligible for funding.

Contribution from Innovate UK

Innovate UK and their funding partner The Office for Life Sciences, have allocated up to £2 million in this round of the AKT programme, which will contribute towards the total eligible costs of the individual projects.

Eligible costs depend on a number of factors, including:

  • the duration of the project
  • where the project will be located
  • the size of the business or group
  • if your business operates virtually

For full details on what costs you can claim, see the AKT4 Cost Guidance.

Any funding is provided on a no subsidy basis. This means you must publish or make all project outputs openly available on a non-selective basis. If you decide to commercially exploit project outputs, you can only do so with no selective advantage.

There is no upper limit to project costs, but any costs over £35,000 must be met by the Business Partner, but a minimum of 10%.

Project costs allocated to travel, consumables and estates may not exceed a combined mount of £3,500. Costs exceeding this amount must be met by the business partner and listed as part fo their additional Business Partner contribution.

The Business Partner must commit to a minimum 10% cash contribution to the project in addition to resourcing its own project costs. The Knowledge Base is responsible for recovering this.

Guidance on costing projects can be found in the Innovate UK – AKT Cost Guidance document. Applicants should follow the AKT costing model for Knowledge Base Supervisor, Associate and Additional Associate Support costs.

Budget Exclusions

The following are ineligible for grant support:

  • costs for IT equipment for example, computers, cloud storage, software
  • equipment purchases or the purchase goods used for promotional purposes, only consumable costs are eligible for support
  • payments in any form for participants in trials, focus groups or similar
  • agency fees from outside the knowledge base

Travel, Consumables and Estates costs must be claimed excluding VAT. VAT is not eligible to be recovered by the grant.

Additionally, the business partner must fund:

  • items listed in the additional costs section of the application form
  • the time spent on the project by their own staff
  • other non-eligible costs such as the purchase of capital equipment
  • commercialisation of the project outputs

Application rules

All applicants should read and understand the following:

If you have any questions regarding the rules of this competition, you should contact your Knowledge Transfer Adviser, prior to submission. By submitting your application you acknowledge that you are entering a competitive process and that you will abide by the outcome of the competition.

If you have any questions regarding the rules of this competition, you should contact the AKT team by email akt@iukbc.org.uk, prior to submission. By submitting your application you acknowledge that you are entering a competitive process and that you will abide by the outcome of the competition.

Projects must target unmet needs, including those highlighted in:

  • the UK’s Drug Strategy, from Harm to Hope (2021)
  • Dame Carol Black’s Review of Drugs
  • wider UK drug and alcohol strategies
  • specific local priorities and needs

Where possible:

  • be designed in consultation with people with lived experience of addictions
  • account for complex needs (e.g. mental health, housing, criminal justice)
  • demonstrate alignment to delivery of relevant UK Government missions

Substances in scope of this competition include those treated in typical services incuding:

  • alcohol
  • opioids (illicit and prescription)
  • stimulants (e.g. cocaine/crack, amphetamine, and ‘meth’)
  • cannabis
  • GHB
  • ketamine
  • benzodiazepines
  • gabapentinoids

Areas out of scope of this competition are:

  • tobacco or nicotine addiction
  • gambling and behavioural addictions
  • prevention of initiation of use of addictive substances
  • early intervention in substance use behaviour, prior to addiction being established as a treatment need

Further details and background to Addtion Healthcare Goals is available within the AKT4 Scope Document.

Number of applications

Each knowledge base can collaborate with any number of business partners.

Each business partner, including separate businesses within a business group, can only take part in up to four concurrent AKT funded projects.

Your project

Describe how your project fits the scope of the competition. If your project is not in scope it will not be eligible for funding.

To demonstrate how your project aligns with the scope of this competition you must:

  • read the competition brief in full
  • understand the background, challenges and scope of the competition

You must describe:

  • the chosen thematic area
  • why the business needs this Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) project
  • how the project will accelerate access to Knowledge Base expertise and evaluate or develop an innovative idea for the Business Partner
  • how it will stimulate demand within the Business Partner to deliver further innovations and accelerate delivery through partnership with the UK’s Knowledge Base

Your answer can be up to 200 words long.

Projects we will not fund

We will not fund:

  • projects that are not strategic for the business partner
  • projects that do not demonstrate a genuine market opportunity or viable route to market
  • research projects
  • projects where the business partner is an ineligible public sector organisation
  • projects which are classed as State aid under EC regulations or a subsidy under the EU-UK TCA
  • undertakings which gain a selective economic or commercial advantage from the funding

Projects that focus on:

  • tobacco or nicotine addiction
  • gambling and behavioural addictions
  • prevention of initiation of use of addictive substances
  • early intervention in substance use behaviour, prior to addiction being established as a treatment need
7 May 2025
Watch the online briefing event here.
12 May 2025
Competition opens
2 July 2025 11:00am
Competition closes
4 September 2025
Applicants notified
11 September 2025
Feedback

Before you start

Text update 22 May 2025: We have included two new questions which are Question 5 and Question 19.

You must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service, AKT4 Scope Document and AKT4 costs guidance for AKT projects before you start, along with the information provided within the competition information page. Additional guidance is given for each question on the application form.

Before submitting, it is the lead applicant’s responsibility to make sure:

  • that all the information provided in the application is correct
  • your proposal meets the eligibility and scope criteria
  • all sections of the application are marked as complete
  • that all partners have completed all assigned sections and accepted the terms and conditions (T&Cs)

You can reopen your application once submitted, up until the competition deadline. You must resubmit the application before the competition deadline.

You must complete all relevant sections of the application and upload the required documents using the templates provided. Failure to do so will result in the application being withdrawn from the competition.

You must not include any hyperlinks (URLs) in your answers. Inclusion of hyperlinks will lead to the application being withdrawn from the competition.

What we ask you

The application is split into three sections:

  1. Project details.
  2. Application questions.
  3. Finances.

If your application is in scope, the assessors will score your application holistically. They will score on:

  • impact
  • challenge
  • innovation
  • cohesiveness

Each of these areas will be scored out of 10 marks (for a maximum total of 40 marks). Assessors will also consider the viability of the overall project including consideration of project affordability and commercialisation of outcomes.

You must meet all the eligibility rules for your project to be considered for funding.

Accessibility and Inclusion

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this competition’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place. The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the competition deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

1. Project details

This section provides background for the assessors and is not scored.

Do not include any website addresses (URLs) in your answers.

Application team

Decide which organisations will work with you on the project. Invite people from those organisations to help complete the application.

The allocated Monitoring Officer for AKT 4 is Lucia Vinolo Locubiche. You must invite Lucia as the knowledge Transfer Advisor (KTA) using the email address lucia.locubiche@iukbc.org.uk

Project Delivery Team

The project delivery team should list the names and roles of the individuals who will deliver the project.

Application Details

Your applications title must follow this format “Knowledge Base and Business Partner AKT 4”.

You must use the full business name exactly as it appears on a public register, such as Companies House or Charity Commission Do not use any abbreviations.

For example: Anytown University and Shellen Ltd AKT 4

If your title is not correctly formatted, your application will be withdrawn.

Your answer can be up to 20 words long.

Project summary

Your project summary will give the assessors a useful introduction to your project. It should provide a concise overview of the whole project and clearly describe what makes it innovative. You must describe:

  • What is the identified need that is driving the innovation?
  • What solution will be developed utilising the innovation?
  • What opportunities will be realised if the solution is successfully deployed?

Your answer can be up to 200 words long.

Public description

The public description must begin with “To” and be suitable for public disclosure.

For example: To develop a novel process for picking soft fruit.

If your application is successful, Innovate UK will make use of this public description to comply with government requirements. We reserve the right to amend the description before publication.

Your answer can be up to 50 words long.

Scope

Describe how your project fits with the scope of the competition.

To demonstrate how your project aligns with the scope of this competition you must:

  • read the competition brief in full
  • understand the background, challenges and scope of the competition

You must describe:

  • the chosen thematic area
  • why the business needs this Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) project
  • how the project will accelerate access to Knowledge Base expertise and evaluate or develop an innovative idea for the Business Partner
  • how it will stimulate demand within the Business Partner to deliver further innovations and accelerate delivery through partnership with the UK’s Knowledge Base

Your answer can be up to 200 words long.

2. Application questions

You must answer all questions.

You must not name an associate in your application or include any website addresses (URLs) in your answers.

Question 1. Animal testing (not scored)

Will your project involve any trials with animals or animal testing?

You must select one option:

  • Yes
  • No

We will only support innovation projects conducted to the highest standards of animal welfare.

Further information for proposals involving animal testing is available at the UKRI Good Research Hub and NC3R’s animal welfare guidance.

Question 2. Permits and licences (not scored)

Will you have the correct permits and licences in place to carry out your project?

We are unable to fund projects which do not have the correct permits or licences in place by your project start date.

You must select one option:

  • Yes
  • No
  • In process of being applied for
  • Not applicable

Question 3. Type of AKT

Are you applying for an Addiction Healthcare Goals AKT?

Select one:

  • Yes
  • No

Question 4. Number of associates

How many associates do you need to support this project?

Up to 1 full time employee (FTE) will be funded.

Select one:

  • 1 associate
  • 2 associate

Question 5. Associate identification

Do you know who the Associate for this project will be?

You will be asked to confirm this information during project start-up.

  • Yes
  • No

Question 6. Domain alignment

Which of the Innovate UK domains does your KTP most closely align with?

Guidance on the domains can be found on pages 21 to 23 of the Innovate UK strategic delivery plan 2022 to 2025.

Select one:

  • net zero (fashion)
  • healthy living and agriculture
  • digital and technologies
  • other

Question 7. Business partner type

What is the business partner type?

This refers to the applicant business not the parent group.

Select one option:

  • limited company
  • limited liability partnership
  • partnership
  • public limited company
  • sole trader
  • unlimited company
  • charity
  • community interest company
  • charitable incorporated organisation
  • charitable company
  • charitable industrial and provident society
  • charitable cooperative
  • public sector organisation

Question 8. Number of business employees

Does the business partner have four or more FTE or equivalent?

The business partner requires a minimum of four FTE to be eligible to participate in this competition.

  • Yes
  • No

Question 9. Business partner size

Give the size of the business partner’s organisation. If the business partner is part of a group give the size of the overall group.

For more information on business sizes, please refer to the company accounts guidance.

Select one option:

  • micro
  • small
  • medium
  • large

Question 10. Business partner SIC code

What is the business partner’s Standard Industrial Code (SIC)?

If the business partner is a registered charity, use 88990.

If the business partner is a public sector organisation, use 84110

Your answer can be up to 10 words long.

Question 11. Business partner registration number

What is the business partner’s name and registration number?

This is normally demonstrated on a public register, such as Companies House or Charity Commission.

The registered name and registration number provided must match the official public register.

An incorrect name or number will result in the application being withdrawn from the competition.

If your organisation is not a registered business, but is a legal entity, please include additional information on your legal status as one of your supporting documents .

Your answer can be up to 20 words long.

Question 12. Partnership details

What is the name and the full registered address of your organisation and your business partner working on the project.

We are collecting this information to understand more about the geographical location of all participants of a project.

Provide the full registered name and address of the knowledge base partner in this order. Do not include bullet points in your response:

  • building name or number and street
  • town or city
  • county
  • postcode

Provide the full registered name and address of the business partner in this order. Do not include bullet points in your response:

  • building name or number and street
  • town or city
  • county
  • postcode

Your answer can be up to 100 words long.

Question 13. Business partner supervisor

Who is the business partner supervisor?

Give their details in this order. Do not include bullet points in your response:

Business partner supervisor

  • title
  • first name
  • surname
  • job title
  • email address

Your answer can be up to 50 words long.

Question 14. Knowledge base supervisor

Who is the Knowledge base supervisor?

Give their details in this order. Do not include bullet points in your response:

Business partner supervisor for associate 1

  • title
  • first name
  • surname
  • job title
  • email address

Your answer can be up to 50 words long.

Question 15. Knowledge base supervisor’s background

What is the knowledge base supervisor’s background?

For each knowledge base supervisor:

  • describe how their subject knowledge, academic interest and experience are relevant to the project
  • give evidence that they have the necessary skills to contribute to the successful delivery of the project

Your answer can be up to 250 words long.

Question 16. Business area

What are the businesses current activities?

Explain:

  • current revenue generating activities
  • current business objectives

If the business partner is not generating revenues, provide details of their funding sources. If part of a business group, please also indicate the broader business activities undertaken by the group.

Your answer can be up to 100 words long.

Question 17. Challenges and Risks

What are the challenges and risks associated with developing the innovation for the business?

Explain:

  • what the challenges are and risks associated with delivery
  • if the acceptance, or non-acceptance, of the innovation (either internally or externally) have been considered
  • if there are any IP related challenges or risks

Your answer can be up to 350 words long.

Question 18. Need for Business-Academic Partnership

Why is an academic and business partnership the most appropriate approach for this activity?

You must decide what:

  • skills, expertise, knowledge or capability the business needs to realise value from the innovation, and to what extent this funding will accelerate or enable the project
  • skills, expertise, knowledge or capability the academics have that will support the development of the innovation
  • options have been considered to continue the collaboration post-project

Your answer can be up to 350 words long.

Question 19. Innovation

What is the innovation and what is the potential for significant impact on the business? This may address an external market opportunity or an internal opportunity within the business.

Explain:

·the needs that are driving the innovation

·how the project aligns to an internal need or external ‘market’

·what opportunities will be realised if the solution is successfully deployed

Your answer can be up to 350 words long.

Question 20. Project Outcomes

If the development of the innovation is successful, what is the potential business impact?

Explain:

  • what the potential for additional environmental and societal impacts or benefits are
  • what the post-project actions and investments that may be necessary by the business to extract optimum value from the innovation are what the potential internal or external and direct or indirect commercial impacts are

Your answer can be up to 350 words long.

Question 21. Project Management

How will the project be managed and monitored to ensure an effective three-way partnership?

It is expected that the project team will meet at least once every two weeks either virtually or in person, and meet at least once in person during the project.

Describe the regularity and frequency of meetings:

  • at the Knowledge base
  • at the business

Your answer can be up to 250 words long.

Question 22. Project plan

Please give a high level summary of the plan to deliver the AKT project with a maximum of three project stages and a maximum of three tasks per project stage.

You must give an indication of the number of weeks to be spent on each task. An additional work plan is not required. You should use this section only to outline your plans for delivery.

Your answer can be up to 350 words long.

Question 23. Associates Skills and Attributes

In order to deliver your project successfully, what are you looking for from your associates?

Briefly describe the essential and desirable:

  • qualifications
  • skills
  • attributes
  • experience

Your answer can be up to 200 words long.

Question 24. Knowledge Base Declaration

You must confirm that as the Knowledge Base applicant, you will recover the Business Partner cash contribution in full.

You must select one:

  • Yes
  • No

If your answer is no, your application will be rejected and not progressed any further.

Question 25. Declaration of accuracy

You must agree to the following declaration.

The partnership confirms that the proposal meets the overarching criteria for AKT and, to the best of their knowledge, the information provided in this grant application form is accurate and complete. Select ‘Yes’ if you agree. If you select ‘No’ your application will not be considered for funding.

Question 26. Supporting documents (optional)

You can use this question to upload up to three other supporting documents as appendices. For example, you can use this question to upload documents providing supporting evidence of the business partner’s finance position.

You must not upload photographs, excerpts from websites, electronic reports or documents that contain hyperlinks.

Appendices must be in PDF format with a file size up to 10MB. The font must be legible at 100% zoom.

3. Finances

Please refer to the Innovate UK - Accelerated Knowledge Transfer 4 Competition Guidance, FAQ and Cost Guidance documents when completing this section.

All applications must be made using the full economic costing (FEC) model table in ‘Your project finances’. Knowledge bases that are not eligible for FEC funding, must upload the FEC exemption certificate.

The grant rate for all applicants is 90%.

Knowledge Bases must complete the ‘Your Project Costs table’, and where required list items for which funding is requested. It will support your application if you include additional explanation for the costs requested by responding ‘Yes’ to the question ‘Do your project costs exceed the allowed limits?’

The figure in the Finance Summary table ‘Funding sought’ by the knowledge base should not exceed £35,000, the maximum grant payable. Additional business contributions must be listed in the ‘Additional Costs section’ of the Knowledge Base project costs.

Business partners must register on the application system to complete their contribution to the ‘Your project finance’ section.

The minimum 10% Business Partner contribution will be applied evenly across all cost categories.

The total travel and subsistence (T&S), Estates or Consumables costs must not exceed £3,500.

In this section, where a justification is required, please provide a breakdown of each cost, evidencing how this has been calculated. Provide a breakdown of items for which funding is requested and explain why the costs are needed for this project.

Please provide the total costs for the Knowledge Base. Please do not make any deductions for the Business Partner cash contribution.

Any applications which do not meet the competition cost rules will not progress to assessment and applications may be rejected if competition rules are not met.

Please note that the minimum 10% Business Partner contribution will be applied evenly across all cost categories. If the total T&S, estates and or consumables costs exceed the maximum project cost amount of £3,500 this must be added to the Additional Business Partner contribution.

Using the tables provided the business partner must provide details of the business’:

  • financial position for the current financial year, if the latest filed accounts are more than nine months old at the date of the competitions funders panel
  • financial position over the preceding two financial years
  • financial contribution to support its own costs associated with its participation in the proposed project
  • total number of staff within the business and group

The applicant knowledge base must undertake their own due diligence on the finances of the business to assess their ability to support their financial commitments to the project funding.

Background and further information

About the Accelerated Knowledge Transfer programme

To find out more about AKT, visit the AKT webpage.

About Addiction Healthcare Goals AKT

Addiction Healthcare Goals AKT projects will explore questions linked to treatment of, and recovery from addiction/dependence such as alcohol, opiates (illicit including abuse of prescription medication and/or where it requires opiate substitution medication), stimulants (cocaine/crack, amphetamine, methamphetamine etc), cannabis, GHB, ketamine etc.

Applications should explore areas of established unmet need in addiction treatment, linked to key government priorities, such as those described in the 2021 strategy From Harm to Hope.

It is expected that the most highly scoring projects will account for the often-complex circumstances of Individuals presenting to an addiction service. Individuals may have a range of needs such as mental and physical health challenges, housing, education and childcare and some are likely to be involved with criminal justice system.

Projects focused on earlier use (before dependence is established), or on prevention of substance use are not eligible. Addictions to tobacco or behaviour addictions such as gambling are not in scope.

Further details about Addiction Healthcare Goals AKTs is available within the AKT4 Scope document.

About academic associate supervision

All academic supervision must be delivered weekly. Supervision can be delivered in one of two ways, either face-to-face or virtually. You must deliver academic supervision in the chosen format for the duration of the project.

You must clearly state in the “Project Management” question which option you are choosing.

Not for Profit

Any business may call itself a ‘not for profit’ but unless there are legal structures in place, there is no way to assess whether the businesses operates in this way, and little to prevent the business changing the way it distributes its profits.

Social enterprises, co-operatives, charities and charitable businesses do have recognisable legal structures.

Our goal in supporting social enterprises, co-operatives, charities and charitable businesses, is to help them develop new income streams that can support their work and help them transform how they operate.

Where a social enterprises, co-operative, charity and charitable businesse is not registered at companies’ house, the business must provide evidence of the legal status and ownership of the business. This must be done via adding appropriate attachments at the end of the application form.

Social enterprises, co-operatives, charities and charitable businesses that operate a fully virtual business model, may receive up to 75% funding (depending on number of employees), but are required to fund to the additional costs outlined for virtual business in the KTP project costs guidance

About employing the associate

AKTs are typically advertised on a full-time basis The Associate role will be supported through project costs of up to 1 Full Time Equivalent (FTE), for the duration of the project. The Associate role can be delivered by a maximum of 2 people. The Associate role can be delivered virtually; however, applications should

demonstrate how the project team will work and communicate effectively as a team.

Data sharing

This competition is jointly operated by Innovate UK’s partner organisations (each an ‘agency’).

Any relevant information submitted and produced during the application process concerning your application can be shared by one agency with the other, for its individual storage, processing and use.

This means that any information given to or generated by Innovate UK in respect of your application may be passed on to Innovate UK, Innovate UK Business Connect, Innovate UK Business Growth, the Catapult Network, and any KTP financial supporters and vice versa. This would include, but is not restricted to:

  1. the information stated on the application, including the personal details of all applicants
  2. scoring and feedback on the application
  3. information received during the management and administration of the grant, such as Monitoring Service Provider reports and Independent Accountant Reports

Innovate UK and our partner organisations are directly accountable to you for their holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information. Data is held in accordance with their own policies. Accordingly, Innovate UK, and our partner organisations will be data controllers for personal data submitted during the application.

Innovate UK’s Privacy Policy

Innovate UK Business Connect Privacy Policy

Catapult Network Privacy Policy

Business Growth Privacy Policy

Welsh Government Privacy Policy

Invest Northern Ireland Privacy Policy

Innovate UK complies with the requirements of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and is committed to upholding data protection legislation, and protecting your information in accordance with data protection principles.

The Information Commissioner’s Office also has a useful guide for organisations, which outlines the data protection principles.

Contact us

If you need more information about how to apply or you want to submit your application in Welsh, email support@iuk.ukri.org or call 0300 321 4357.

Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Innovate UK or any of our partners will not tolerate abusive language in any written or verbal correspondence, applications, social media or any other form that might affect staff.

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