Home>Business>Collaborate with us

Collaborate with us

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Cardiff Metropolitan University recognises the importance of collaboration and encourages its staff to engage in projects that are of benefit to local, national and international communities. With experience in managing both small and large-scale projects, Cardiff Met has a strong track record of achieving innovative outcomes, which deliver social and economic benefits. 

Our knowledge and expertise extends across many diverse industries from manufacturing to services encompassing design, sport, tourism, management, education and health.

Here are a number of ways you could work with us:

Business Services

There are a number of services on offer to businesses through Cardiff Met, these include:

The team can also liaise with you to identify the academic or team that can work with your company on the following areas:

  • Marketing and business services
  • New product development
  • Research & development
  • Design, prototyping & batch manufacturing
  • Knowledge transfer

Consultancy ​

Getting the right advice can make all the difference between success or failure. Here at Cardiff Metropolitan University we have expertise that encompasses a multitude of industries 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 to develop a relationship and improve your processes, products and services. Our academics from across the University's five schools and our commercial units can support businesses by using their existing expertise to address a diverse range of challenges. Consultancy is just one of the principle routes for knowledge transfer, providing real business benefits which originate from our research strengths.

How Research & Innovation Services can help

The Research and Enterprise Services (RIS) team can identify the academic expertise that you require. Below are a few areas that RES and our academics can help you with:

  • ​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

Contract Research

If your business is facing a challenge that requires know-how that does not yet exist, a Cardiff Met academic may be able to help you move forward by carrying out relevant research on your behalf. Our team in Research & Innovation Services can identify the academic expertise that you require and get the process started.

Funding opportunities to collaborate ​

There are a number of funded opportunities available ranging from national to international funded projects, from pure research to research engaging business. These schemes are primarily funded 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.

Here are a number of funding opportunities for you to consider:

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 here, 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.​

Academic Industry Partnerships Logo 


​​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. For more information on KTPs please follow the link below:

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships​

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Case Studies

Who can apply? Large and small companies. ​


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:

Rolling Call for applications for SMART Partnerships


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 Rae DePaul.​

Who can apply? Large and small companies depending on the funding. ​


SME Support ​

We recognise that the financial cost for SMEs of generating new ideas, technologies and processes to achieve competitive advantage can be high. Cardiff Met offers SMEs a range of schemes to drive their business forward. We understand you may have plans for growth but find it a challenge to find the right type of business support, or people with the right skills. Below are some ways we can help:

Consultancy

The Research and Innovation Services (RIS) team can identify the academic expertise that you

specifically require as an SME. Get in touch with the team to discuss how we can help:

Contact the Business Team

Training for your staff

The Centre for Work Based Learning can work with you to identify training for you and your staff. They

focus on developing the workforce through applied and practical learning solutions which can be

bespoke to your needs.

Innovate UK funding

There are a number of funding opportunities available for SMEs through innovate UK with some schemes specifically targeted to SMEs. The schemes available include Innovation vouchers, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Competitions and more, a full list of their funding opportunities can be viewed here:

- Innovate UK funding page

Work with our students

Get benefit from the training and ideas of our undergraduates, postgraduates and recent graduates through a number of schemes here at Cardiff Met. Further information is available on our Careers Services pages.​

Use our facilities​

SMEs can make use of our conference and hospitality services; use our commercial units and hire our laboratories.