The KnowledgeConnect scheme is a funded programme that is helping SME’s within GreaterLondon to grow by connecting them to knowledge and experts within London universities suchas London South Bank University (LSBU). The aim of the programme is to createinnovation and increase the productivity and profitability of your business.The programme achieves this by facilitating collaboration and the transfer ofknowledge between universities’ academic experts and you.

Fresh!Naturally Organic, collaborated with food system experts to improve in-houseproduction capability to cope with ever increasing sales demand and toundertake a feasibility study to implement in-house bread production. As aresult of the project the company expanded its operations creating over twentynew jobs.

There are additionalbusiness benefits of the Knowledge Connect scheme, These include: support tohelp achieve your organisations targets and aims; develop new relationships withuniversities, such as LSBU and networking opportunities

Most business sectors qualify as long as the businessitself can demonstrate an innovative approach to new opportunities orchallenges. In brief, the qualifying criteria are the following:

Trading businessemploying between 4 and 249 people in London

Enterprises that havenot collaborated with a university or received grants/funds from organisationslike the London Development Agency before

Looking to develop newproducts, services, processes or markets

Have already or candevelop a commercially viable proposition that would benefit significantly fromthe university’s expertise

Commitment to invest time and resourcesto see the collaboration through to a successful conclusion

The application process for a Knowledge Connect fundingis relatively simple, taking between six and eight weeks. The duration ofprojects accepted under the scheme usually last for two to three months. If youhave a project you think is larger than this scheme covers – and you arethinking of hiring additional staff to carry out that project - you mightconsider a larger funding scheme called Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP).  A KTP usually lasts for one to three yearsand requires some additional investment from the business itself.

If this is something you think might be of value for your company, you can speak with the business development team of the Faculty of Business at LondonSouth BankUniversity (Amaechi onokoyeac@lsbu.ac.uk – tel 020 7815 7489 and visit the KnowledgeConnect website www.knowledgeconnect.org.uk