Knowledge exchange
Knowledge exchange is a valuable mechanism that helps businesses and academia share expertise, skills, and equipment to advance research. The IBIC has several funding mechanisms specifically designed to support knowledge exchange and drive regional growth.
The schemes below support translating research into real-world applications, upskilling and re-skilling the workforce, and building relationships between businesses, academia and local government.
Further details of our schemes can be found in the IBIC handbook, which should be read before applying, and an example set of terms and conditions for the schemes.
Available funding schemes
- Proof-of-concept and feasibility projects
- Strengthen academic–industry partnerships and the wider biomanufacturing community
Note: unlike other IBIC funding schemes, this scheme is open to academic-industrial partnerships which will create impact across any part of the UK, not just in the north-west.
The rapid biomanufacturing collaboration fund will support short, academic-led, industry-informed, collaborative proof-of-concept and feasibility projects that demonstrate how biomanufacturing can address defined technical challenges across advanced manufacturing. Projects of two to three months duration will deliver useful technical or commercial evidence. The aim is to strengthen academic–industry partnerships and the wider biomanufacturing community, demonstrate industrial relevance and create a pipeline for follow-on collaboration, investment and impact. This will provide a stronger evidence base for future investment, business cases and sector strategy while demonstrating the difference biomanufacturing can make to UK competitiveness and growth.
Applications for this award will be assessed on:
- Readiness to start by early Jan 2027 and delivery of the project by 31 March 2027; this is a threshold requirement.
- Industrial relevance and a clearly defined advanced manufacturing challenge addressed by biomanufacturing.
- Strength of the academic–industry collaboration.
- Value for money.
- Potential for measurable impact.
- A credible route to follow-on development, collaboration or investment.
Get involved
If you have a project that you think may be suitable for this fund, please:
Complete the 'intention to submit' Form by Friday 13 November 2026.
Join our webinar on Wednesday 11 November at 2.30pm to find out more and ask any questions. If you'd like to attend, please complete the webinar registration form.
Closing date
23:59 Friday 27 November
Further information
If your application is successful, your project must begin in early January 2027 and be completed no later than 31 March 2027. There is no scope for an extension to the end date of projects.
- Seed funding to build relationships
- Enhancing knowledge and skills via exchange
We want to encourage long-term, beneficial collaboration between businesses and academics by establishing contact and aligning everyone's strategies at an early stage. That's why our relationship development scheme aims to foster new relationships between industry and academic researchers to create collaboration and knowledge exchange opportunities. We also look to support market discovery, patent applications by providing research evidence or creating licencing opportunities, as well as building relationships with end users of new technologies.
Applications for this award will be assessed on:
- Both partners' willingness to collaborate
- Market need
- Novelty of the technology or solution
- Scope for impact and its significance to industry/society
- Strength of the follow-on activity plan and its sustainability
Get involved
If you have a project that you think may be suitable for our relationship development scheme, contact us for more information and support on putting together your application.
If you are a business with a specific challenge or need, then get in touch with us and we can connect you with one of our academic team.
Closing dates
- 11 June 2026
- 10 September 2026
- 10 December 2026
- Flexible funded student/staff exchanges (two-way)
- Knowledge exchange
- Accelerate translation
One of the best ways to increase knowledge exchange is to encourage secondments between universities and organisations.
We can provide flexible support for secondments between our university partners and your business or organisation. The secondments will focus on developing specific commercial industrial biotechnology research outputs while also extending the culture and skills for business engagement at our university partners.
Applications for this award will be assessed on:
- The novelty of the underpinning science, engineering, or policy development
- The scope and significance for impact
- The commitment of the host organisation
- The scope for developing long-term partnership
- The strength of the investment plan following a successful secondment
Get involved
If you have a project that you think may be suitable for our relationship development scheme, contact us for more information and support on putting together your application.
If you are a business with a specific challenge or need, then get in touch with us and we can connect you with one of our academic team.
Closing dates
11 June 2026
10 September 2026
10 December 2026
- Demonstrate research or knowledge exchange
- Prototype development
- Policy scoping
We want to support the early stages of transforming research outputs into commercial opportunities. Therefore, the proof-of-concept scheme is available to support early evaluation prototypes or 'demonstrators', initial trials in a particular field, or 'scoping exercises'.
Applications for this award will be assessed on
- A project partner with a committed cash contribution
- Outcomes that will lead to a spin-out company, new IP, licensing agreements, follow-on translational funding, or advancing the collaboration (e.g. through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), or an industry-funded PhD studentship)
Get involved
If you have a project that you think may be suitable for our relationship development scheme, contact us for more information and support on putting together your application.
If you are a business with a specific challenge or need, then get in touch with us and we can connect you with one of our academic team.
Closing dates
11/06/2026, 10/09/2026, 10/12/2026
This scheme is an open call for networking activities, including scoping-exercises, workshops, showcase, demonstration, thematic specific knowledge exchange, and public engagement to support building our IBIC community and ecosystem.
Get involved
If you have a project that you think may be suitable for our relationship development scheme, contact us for more information and support on putting together your application.
If you are a business with a specific challenge or need, then get in touch with us and we can connect you with one of our academic team.
Closing dates
Open call, apply at any time
Thinking about commercialising your research?
If you’re ready to take your project to market, explore our Commercialisation opportunities and funding schemes.
Go to Commercialisation
Talk to us
Have questions or want guidance on which funding stream is right for you? Get in touch with the IBIC team.
Email the IBIC team