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Knowledge Transfer Partnership









Partner with us as a Knowledge Base to build strategic growth and drug discovery innovation 

Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a UK-wide Innovate UK funded programme designed to help businesses grow through innovation. Each KTP connects a business with a specialist ‘Knowledge Base’, such as a university, research organisation, or Catapult to embed new expertise, skills, and technologies that enable strategic growth. 

Spanning 12–36 months, the projects transfer critical knowhow to help businesses develop new products, services, or processes that would be challenging to achieve independently. Between 2010 and 2020, KTPs contributed over £2 billion to the UK economy, with hundreds of successful collaborations across sectors every year. 








Each project is a three-way partnership between: 

  1. The Business Partner – an SME, spinout, or established company with a defined innovation challenge or growth goal. 
  2. The Knowledge Base – an expert organisation such as MDC, providing the specialist knowledge, facilities, and supervision. 
  3. The KTP Associate – a qualified graduate or postgraduate, employed by the Knowledge Base but based primarily within the business. 

    Together, this team turns ideas into impact, embedding lasting knowledge within the business and driving measurable commercial success. 


























    Why partner with MDC?

    We are uniquely positioned to support Life Science innovators in translational drug discovery and commercialisation. We help companies bridge the gap between early-stage discovery and real-world impact by embedding scientific, operational, and commercial expertise directly into their organisations. 

    By collaborating with us, partners gain access to: 

    • Specialist R&D and consultancy expertise in preclinical drug discovery. 
    • Cutting-edge laboratory facilities, technology platforms and the associated scientific expertise. 
    • A dedicated KTP Associate, carefully selected to meet the project’s needs through a joint recruitment process of the knowledge base and the business. 
    • Guidance and support from our expert supervisory team, ensuring knowledge is transferred effectively and sustainably. 

    Our goal is to empower innovators to validate their ideas, accelerate their R&D, and build the internal capability to progress their assets to patients faster. Projects can focus on developing new assays, technologies, or data-driven methods, or on improving business and management processes through a “Management KTP”. 




    Who can apply?

    These partnerships are open to UK-registered businesses of all sizes and sectors, but are particularly suited to SMEs and academic spinouts with clear innovation ambitions. Ideal partners: 

    • Have at least two full-time employees (six or more is typical). 
    • Can demonstrate financial stability, a clear growth strategy and the affordability of their investment into the project costs. 
    • Have senior management buy-in and a defined innovation need that requires a Knowledge Base’s expertise. 
    • Are committed to collaboration, learning, and long-term capability building. 

    Projects are part-funded by Innovate UK, who typically funds two-thirds of the total project cost for SMEs, making them an affordable route to accessing specialist R&D support, developing internal talent, and de-risking and reducing the cost of innovation. 

    Current KTP funding rounds

























    How does the process work?

    1. Discuss your idea – Fill in the form below and speak with our team, who will explore your innovation goals and assess whether a KTP is the right fit for you. 
    2. Develop your proposal – Together, we define the project’s strategic aims, innovation challenges, and expected impact. 
    3. Engage a Knowledge Transfer Advisor – A local Innovate UK advisor helps shape the proposal and ensure eligibility. 
    4. Submit the application – The joint proposal is reviewed by Innovate UK. If successful, a KTP Associate is recruited to deliver the project. 
    5. Deliver and grow – The Associate works within your business, supported by us and Innovate UK, with regular reviews to ensure progress and impact. 

    Typical projects last 18–24 months and are designed to deliver measurable commercial outcomes, from new product launches to enhanced processes, productivity, and profitability. 




    What are the benefits?

    Embed specialist scientific and technical expertise within your business. 


    Accelerate innovation and reduce R&D risk. 


    Gain access to our world-class facilities and networks. 


    Upskill your team and develop future talent. 


    Deliver tangible business growth.


    Create meaningful societal impact. 











    See how we have helped innovators


    Partnering with the MDC has been transformative for Innate Repair. Their world-class expertise and facilities allowed us to conduct complex oncology experiments quickly, cost-effectively, and to the highest scientific standards. MDC is an exceptional partner for any biotech aiming to accelerate innovation.

    Innate Repair

    Medicines Discovery Catapult R&D consulting provided Apeikon Therapeutics with clear direction and structured guidance, helping us define a robust product development plan. Their expertise streamlined our vision into actionable steps, accelerating progress and ensuring strategic alignment.

    Apeikon Therapeutics

    CPSA is an ingenious extension of the target engagement toolbox. It is easier to upscale and control in high throughput screening applications than currently available methods. With exemplary support from MDC we have smoothly incorporated it into our Drug Discovery pipeline.

    Selvita

    MDC’s R&D consulting has been transformative, refining our HT8457S strategy with scientific rigour, identifying and mitigating risks, and strengthening our business model, significantly enhancing Haiku’s credibility.

    Haiku Therapeutics

    The partnership with MDC has allowed us to secure multiple Innovate UK grants and utilise capabilities such as state-of-the-art PET, which aren’t available elsewhere.

    Alchemab Therapeutics

    For the first time, we have been able to generate a map of lung fibrosis in 3D at the tissue scale. Collaborating with MDC has been key to its success. Their expertise has supported the successful integration of state-of-the-art technologies, establishing a valuable new resource for the lung fibrosis community.

    University of Southampton

    Working with MDC allowed us to visualise drug distribution in the brain with a level of clarity we hadn’t achieved before. Their expertise in DESI-MS and willingness to design a project that met our demands provided powerful insights into diffusion patterns, giving us confidence in our compound’s delivery.

    TargTex

    We worked with the Mass Spectrometry team at MDC to help set up and run a complex biochemical assay. The project was technically demanding, but the deep expertise, knowledge and collaborative approach allowed the team to troubleshoot the many challenges and successfully deliver a viable approach.

    Oppilotech

    The team at MDC shares our passion for bringing forward innovative medicines, pioneering new technologies, and operating with data-driven flexibility. They have been integral to our project success and possess unique capabilities to support later-stage candidate selection. A truly valued collaborator and dependable partner.

    Artbio

    Elasmogen was impressed by the quality and rapid delivery timelines for our radiopharmaceutical dosimetry data. There was good interactivity in this project, and we are happy to recommend this service.

    Elasmogen

    Our collaboration with Medicines Discovery Catapult will not only enable us to engage with the wider scientific community but will also allow us to unlock the potential of Acoustic Mass Spectrometry within drug discovery.

    Innovative Medicines and Early Development (IMED) Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca

    It’s been absolutely amazing working with MDC and the team.

    LUNAC Therapeutics

    MDC supported us in developing a therapeutic for Huntington’s Disease through antibody characterisation, iPSC model development, biodistribution studies, imaging and neurodegenerative expertise.

    Alchemab Therapeutics

    We worked together with MDC on a very challenging and demanding project. The MDC team’s expertise in MSI, commitment and flexibility were key to a successful collaboration and reaching our objectives.

    TargTex

    MDC are as involved in our project as the founding team, going above and beyond what I expected. I recommend them to new ventures starting out; even if you don’t know exactly what you need, the team can work with you to achieve some phenomenal results.

    KLAS Therapeutics

    Working with MDC has provided expertise and intellectual input. It has also enabled access to a wider network of companies providing specialist services.

    N4 Pharma

    By tapping into MDC’s unique drug development expertise and facilities, we are confident we will accelerate the preclinical development of our drug delivery system and its commercialisation.

    Sixfold Bioscience

    It has been a pleasure working with MDC as their scientists are pleasant and have a broad range of talents.
    Importantly for projects like ours, they openly and professionally exchange ideas with SMi’s scientific team and keep us abreast of their research developments.

    SMi Systems

    It has been great to access the Artificial Intelligence expertise at Medicines Discovery Catapult.
    The team has taken an innovative approach that adds value to our product and will benefit our customers.

    BioAscent

    As an SME, working with MDC allows us access to scientific know-how and in vivo imaging techniques that would be impossible through any other route. The closeness, timeliness and flexibility of the collaboration significantly accelerated our ability to develop the product.

    Xerion Healthcare

    We have collaborated with MDC for three years, and it continues to provide valuable and high-quality data on our molecules. MDC’s input has directly impacted operational and strategic decisions for our projects and allowed us to move forward with our clinical studies.

    Revolo Biotherapeutics

    For early-stage SMEs in this space, I thoroughly recommend engaging with MDC, who have the end-to-end knowledge in complex medicines, can support your in-house team and provide access to key equipment that start-ups may not have.

    pHion Therapeutics








    Ready to unlock innovation through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership?

    Fill in the form to speak with one of our experts to explore how a collaboration with MDC can help turn your ideas into impact. 




    Medicines Discovery Catapult