Collaboration and Funding
Cardiff Metropolitan University recognises the importance of collaboration and its benefit to the University and to local, national and international communities. With experience in managing small and large-scale projects, Cardiff Met has a strong track record of collaboratively achieving innovative outcomes, and delivering social and economic benefits.
Our knowledge and expertise is supporting organisations and companies across all sectors including design, food, sport, tourism, management, education and health.
Here are a number of ways we could support you:
- Access to state of the art facilities— we can put you in contact with the relevant staff to arrange the use of our specialist facilities which include FabLab , the International Centre for Design and Research (pdr); ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre and the National Indoor Athletics Centre (NIAC). If you want to hold a conference or event here at Cardiff Met our Conference and Hospitality services team can help you book our rooms and catering.
- Entrepreneur/Start up support—The Centre of Entrepreneurship team can offers impressive Entrepreneurship and Start up support.
- Leadership and Business Development—The Creative Leadership and Enterprise Centre offers pathways for leadership excellence and sustainable growth
- Student & Graduate opportunities— benefit from work placements within your business. Our Careers Services offers further relevant information for employers.
Securing the right advice and support can make all the difference. At Cardiff Met we have expertise that can help you develop your business with tailored solutions through consultancy and development projects.
Working with Cardiff Met on a consultancy basis is an excellent way for us to develop an effective relationship whilst improving your processes, products or services. Academics from across the University's five schools are supporting businesses in all sectors by using their existing expertise to address a diverse range of challenges.
How Research & Innovation Services can help
After taking the time to understand your needs, the Research and Innovation Services (RIS) team will identify academic expertise that matches your needs. A few areas that RIS and our academics can help you with include:
- New product and/or service development
- Research and development
- Analysis, testing and validation work
- Supply of expert advice and opinion
- Feasibility and scoping studies
- Market research
- Technology road mapping
- Design, prototyping & batch manufacturing
If your business is facing a challenge that requires know-how that does not yet exist, a Cardiff Met academic could help you move forward by undertaking relevant research on your behalf.
Research & Innovation Services (RIS) can identify the academic expertise that you require and get the process started.
Funded opportunities are available, primarily through government organisations and charities but also through internal funding opportunities here at Cardiff Met. Through collaboration with businesses we can secure funding from these schemes.
Funding opportunities include:
Cardiff Capital Region Academic-Industry Partnerships Programme
The Cardiff Capital Region Academic-Industry Partnerships Programme is an exciting opportunity for high-potential businesses to unlock ambitious new growth opportunities by partnering with Academic expertise.
Led by the University of South Wales, in collaboration with Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University, the programme will facilitate the development of new or improved products, services, technologies, or processes, fostering innovation and economic growth within the region via targeted funding. For more information on the programme and its goals, click here.
If you would like to express an interest in engaging with the programme, please complete the Expression of Interest form or contact a member of the team at cdgp.aip@southwales.ac.uk.
Expertise available:
A range of expertise and intervention support is available across all three academic partner institutions. Projects will be aligned to the relevant academic centre and institution based upon the available resource and capacity to support project delivery at that time. See PDR for examples of the support Cardiff Metropolitan University can offer.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)
A KTP is a partnership between a company, university and a graduate (Associate) who work together to deliver a strategic project for the business which the company would be unable to do without the knowledge and expertise provided by the University.
Celebrating 50 years in 2025, KTPs have been driving innovation and collaboration between businesses and universities across the UK. This pioneering programme has supported thousands of organisations in developing new products, processes, and services by connecting them with academic expertise.
To mark this milestone, Cardiff Met has played a central role in developing KTPs in Wales and celebrated alongside the Welsh KTP community at the Pierhead Building on 20 March 2025. One notable example is demonstrated in the showcase film for KTP@50 created for the celebration of Cardiff Met's impactful KTPs is their collaboration with Sevenoaks Modular (SOM). This partnership enhanced the design, manufacture, and installation processes for timber frame prefabricated modular buildings.
Watch the KTP@50 showcase film and see KTPs in action
Who can apply? SME's, charities, and large companies.
For more information on KTPs, follow the links below:
Get in touch with the team to find out more and discuss your ideas at ktp@cardiffmet.ac.uk.
SMART Partnerships
SMART Partnerships offers financial support to innovative collaboration projects that require a range of expertise to help businesses grow, improve productivity and increase competitiveness. Cardiff Met has had a number of successful SMART Partnership projects some of which have led onto Knowledge Transfer Partnerships to see some case studies of our SMART Partnership projects, please click the link below:
SMART Partnership Case Studies
The aim of SMART Partnerships is to support collaborative projects, with a clear focus to increase the capacity and capabilities of Welsh businesses to develop R&D activities by linking them with Research Organisations and an associate, to work on a specific project to develop new products, processes and services in alignment with Smart Specialisation. To find more information please follow the link here:
Develop innovative ideas for organisations, products or services
European Funding for Research & Innovation
The Research and Innovation Services can work with you to identify any European funding available for collaboration. To find out how we can help you please contact business@cardiffmet.ac.uk.
Who can apply? Large and small companies depending on the funding.