To explain the energy transfer, we employed a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) model. This yielded an estimated efficiency of energy transfer (> 20%) that is significantly higher than the quantum yield of the donor alone (5-10%). The result is unusual as simplistically FRET is assumed to be bounded by QY of the donor (at low quantum yields), however this has proved to be an oversimplification both theoretically and experimentally. In our case, this apparent mismatch prompted a more detailed study on the FRET mechanism for our specific NPL-QD system.