Phase 4 · Product / Service Development · Build What You Can Actually Deliver
University & Research Partnership Development
Universities are sitting on research that businesses need — and businesses are sitting on commercial challenges that academics want to work on. The partnership is obvious. Making it work requires a broker who understands both worlds.
University and research partnership development is the design and brokering of the collaborative relationships between businesses and academic institutions that enable businesses to access cutting-edge research, specialist expertise, and the innovation funding that academic collaboration unlocks.
The Pain We Solve
You may recognise yourself in one of these.
Three audience scenarios · because the same service produces a different transformation depending on where you are in the business journey.
Scenario 1
The business with a technical challenge that is at the frontier of commercial capability and that academic research may have already solved
The technical problem is hard. The internal team has not been able to solve it. And the possibility that a university research group has already addressed it, or is working on it now, has occurred to the business but never been systematically explored.
Scenario 2
The business that wants to access Innovate UK KTP funding through a university partnership but does not know how to structure the application
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme exists. The business has heard of it. And the combination of graduate resource, academic expertise, and grant funding it offers is exactly what the business needs — but the application has never been attempted.
Scenario 3
The business that has tried to work with a university and found the collaboration slow, unclear in its commercial expectations, and difficult to manage
The previous university engagement produced a research output that was academically interesting and commercially unusable. The business does not know whether the failure was the choice of partner, the design of the collaboration, or the absence of a framework managing commercial expectations.
The Impact It Creates
The Moment You Will Feel the Difference.
University partnership established that delivers the research capability the business needs
KTP and innovation grant funding accessed through structured academic collaboration
Academic research translated into commercially applicable outcomes
Long-term research relationship built that provides sustainable competitive advantage
What You Receive
The Specific Deliverables.
Tangible outputs · documented, dated, and yours to keep.
- University partner identification and research capability mapping
- Partnership structure design — collaboration agreement, IP ownership, and commercial terms
- KTP application development and submission
- Innovation grant application through academic collaboration
- Academic collaboration governance framework
- Research outcome commercialisation pathway
The Outcome
Where You Will Be on the Other Side.
The business has a productive, commercially oriented academic partnership that delivers research capability, innovation funding, and graduate resource — with a governance framework that manages the translation of academic output into commercial advantage.
Primary Focus
Establishing and managing university and research partnerships that deliver commercial innovation capability and access to publicly funded R&D grants.
KPI Measurement
- University partnerships established
- KTP and grant funding secured
- Research outcomes commercialised
- Graduate KTP associate performance
- Innovation capability built from academic collaboration
Investment & ROI
Pricing Engineered Around the Value You Create.
Every engagement is sized against the value we believe we can create with you · the fee is always a fraction of the outcome. Four tiers · so the investment matches your stage of business.
Tier 1
Foundations
£5,000 – £15,000
Right for
Pre-startup, startup, and micro-business founders ready to build on evidence rather than instinct.
Typical Value Created
£100K+ in product-market fit acceleration and reduced rebuild waste
Engagement
4 – 8 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 2
Acceleration
£15,000 – £50,000
Right for
Growing SMEs and established small businesses ready to scale a working model into the next revenue band.
Typical Value Created
£500K – £5M in scalable delivery capability and operational margin expansion
Engagement
8 – 16 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 3
Transformation
£50,000 – £250,000
Right for
Medium enterprises and scale-stage businesses ready to commit to a multi-quarter, organisation-wide shift.
Typical Value Created
£2M – £20M in product economics, retention, and capability advantage
Engagement
3 – 9 months
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 4
Enterprise
£250,000 – £2M+
Right for
Large enterprises, global operators, and complex organisations ready for a multi-year strategic partnership.
Typical Value Created
£10M+ in capability transformation, digital re-platforming, and operational moat
Engagement
12 months and onward
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Why We Price This Way
Every engagement is sized around the value we believe we can create with you. The fee is always a fraction of the outcome · typically 10 – 20% of the expected first-year return.
This is how we make sure pricing aligns with results. The conversation is never “what does this cost?” · it is always “what is this worth to your business?” We answer that together in the first call, transparently, and decide the right tier from there.
If we cannot articulate a credible 5–10× return for your specific situation, we will tell you in the first call. That honesty is part of why our clients trust us with the work that matters most.
Why This Conversation Matters
“The university partnership done well is one of the most cost-efficient ways a business can access world-class expertise and publicly funded innovation resource. Done poorly, it produces reports that nobody reads. We design the collaboration that produces the former.”
A 90-minute structured strategy session · produces a usable roadmap whether you engage further or not.
More in Phase 4