Commission research that helps you move faster
Grant-funded collaboration, or commission work directly.
Commission research that helps you move faster
Grant-funded collaboration, or commission work directly.
At a glance
Who it's for
Businesses with a research, development or technical challenge they can’t answer in-house.
Cost
Collaborative projects may attract government funding. Contract R&D is quoted and paid directly by the client, with costs agreed before work begins.
Timescales
From short projects lasting a few weeks to larger collaborative programmes delivered over months or years.
Best suited to
Organisations seeking new knowledge, evidence, technical expertise, product development, process innovation.
What's involved
Sometimes your organisation needs more than advice. You need new evidence, new data or new knowledge to help you make better decisions, develop a product or solve a difficult challenge.
Our academics, researchers and technical specialists work with organisations of all sizes on projects ranging from focused technical investigations to large-scale collaborative research programmes. Depending on your needs, we can help identify funding opportunities, build a project team, develop a research plan and deliver the work.
Businesses work with us to:
- Explore whether a new product, service or technology is technically viable.
- Generate evidence before making a major investment decision.
- Develop and test new processes, materials or digital tools.
- Access specialist facilities, equipment and research expertise.
- Solve complex technical or operational challenges.
- Collaborate on externally funded innovation projects.
How it works
1. Tell us about your challenge
Start by explaining the problem, opportunity or idea you want to explore.
2. We identify the right expertise
We'll connect you with the researchers, facilities and support teams best placed to help.
3. Agree the project
Together we'll define the scope, costs, timescales, outputs and any intellectual property arrangements before work begins.
4. We deliver the project
Research, testing, analysis or development work is carried out by our academic and technical teams. You're updated throughout.
5. You receive the outcomes
Depending on the project, this could include data, reports, recommendations, prototypes, software, methods, intellectual property or follow-on funding opportunities.
Before you enquire
FAQs
Ownership and usage rights are agreed before work starts. Existing background intellectual property owned by either organisation remains protected, and any arrangements relating to new intellectual property are set out in the project agreement.
If you're unsure whether your project is better suited to consultancy, collaborative R&D or contract research, get in touch. We'll help you choose the most appropriate route.
Tell us what you're trying to achieve
Whether you have a specific technical question, a product idea or a challenge you need help solving, we'd like to hear from you.
Where next?
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Considering a Knowledge Transfer Partnership? A KTP combines academic expertise, structure, and government funding to turn ideas into real commercial results. Find out more.
Commercialisation, IP and licensing
Intellectual property, licensing and commercialisation, explained plainly.
Our innovation priorities to benefit your business
Explore our Innovation Priority Areas and find the expertise that fits your challenge.
