Norwegian Research Council

What Norwegian Research Council does

The Norwegian Research Council (Norges forskningsråd) is Norway's national research funding agency, established in 1990 and headquartered in Oslo at Drammensveien 288. It distributes more than 11 billion NOK annually to research organisations, businesses, and public sector entities across 12 portfolio areas, operating under mandates from Norwegian ministries. The Council also administers the SkatteFUNN tax credit scheme in cooperation with the Norwegian Tax Administration, providing a 19 percent R&D tax deduction for eligible Norwegian companies, and serves as Norway's national contact point for the EU's Horizon Europe framework programme.

The Council's digital infrastructure includes the Prosjektbanken project database, a new application and project tracking system rolling out in the second half of 2026, and the KI-samtaleroboten AI chatbot for applicant inquiries on the website. Core funding instruments include FRIPRO for groundbreaking research, the Grønn plattform (Green Platform) initiative for green industry transition, and the 21-strategiene framework covering sectors such as energy, health, oceans, process industry, and maritime. The Council hosts the secretariat for seven of the 21 national strategies and provides base funding to 33 research institutes.

Commercially, the Council operates an application-based, sales-led model: eligible entities submit proposals through online portals for evaluation and funding approval. Its customer base is horizontally segmented across universities (notably UiB and NTNU), research institutes, Norwegian businesses ranging from SMBs such as Norsk Kylling, Nofence, and Kitemill to larger enterprises, and public sector agencies. Strategic partnerships include extended collaboration with SINTEF through 2026-2029, joint agreements with India's CSIR, and cooperation with CERN on the Open Research Europe publishing platform. The organisation has 251-500 employees and is led by executive director Anne Kjersti Fahlvik.

Name

Norwegian Research Council

Legal name

Norges forskningsråd

Website

https://forskningsradet.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Norwegian Research Council (Norges forskningsråd) is Norway's national research funding agency that distributes over 11 billion NOK annually across 12 portfolio areas to universities, businesses, and public sector entities, and co-administers the SkatteFUNN R&D tax credit scheme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research Funding Administration

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Research funding administration
• Government research grants
• R&D tax credits
• Innovation funding programs
• National research policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding Distribution: The Norwegian Research Council distributes funds allocated from the national government budget (statsbudsjettet) to support research and innovation projects across Norway. The council distributes over 11 billion NOK annually to research organisations, businesses, and public sector entities through various funding instruments and programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Norwegian Research Council (Norges forskningsråd) is Norway's national research funding organization that distributes over 11 billion kroner annually from the national budget to research organizations, businesses, and public sector entities across 12 portfolio areas. It administers funding instruments, the SkatteFUNN R&D tax credit scheme (19% tax deduction) jointly with the Norwegian Tax Administration, and serves as Norway's national contact point for EU programmes such as Horizon Europe. The Council also hosts the secretariat for seven of the 21-strategiene national research and innovation strategies.

Product overview

The Norwegian Research Council (Norges forskningsråd) is Norway's national research funding organization, not a traditional software product company. Its 'products' are funding programs, strategic initiatives, and digital platforms. The core offerings include SkatteFUNN (a 19% R&D tax credit scheme), FRIPRO (groundbreaking research funding), and participation in Horizon Europe. Key platforms include Prosjektbanken (project database) and a new application system launching in 2026. Strategic initiatives like Grønn plattform (Green Platform) and the 21-strategiene framework provide sector-specific research priorities. The organization also offers an AI chatbot for user assistance. The portfolio spans 12 project areas covering energy, health, climate, maritime, defense, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SkatteFUNN: A scheme providing tax deductions for research and development costs for Norwegian companies, administered by the Research Council in collaboration with the Norwegian Tax Administration.
• 21-strategiene
• SkatteFUNN
• Energi2050
• Prosess21
• HelseOmsorg21

Products and services

• SkatteFUNN A rights-based tax credit scheme for Norwegian companies conducting research and development, offering 19% tax deduction on project costs. Administered by the Research Council in collaboration with Skatteetaten (Norwegian Tax Administration).
• FRIPRO Funding scheme for groundbreaking/basic research (fri prosjektstøtte), supporting frontier research across all disciplines.
• Prosjektbanken (Project Bank) An online database and portal for searching and browsing research projects funded by the Research Council of Norway.
• Horisont Europa (Horizon Europe) Norway's participation in the EU's research and innovation framework programme, administered in cooperation with the European Commission.
• Grønn plattform (Green Platform) A strategic initiative supporting green industry transition through research and innovation funding.
• 21-strategiene (The 21 Strategies) secretariat National strategies for various industries and themes where research, innovation, commercialization and industrialization are important for Norway's transition. The Research Council hosts the secretariat for seven of these strategies, including Energi2050, Prosess21, HelseOmsorg21, OG21, Energi21, Maritim21, and others.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 11 billion NOK distributed annually to Norwegian research and innovation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stiftelsen SINTEFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Collaboration extended through 2026-2029 focusing on circularity, bio-based processes, ocean energy including offshore wind, carbon capture, and waste valorisation. SINTEF is a leading Norwegian research organisation.
• India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Multiple agreements signed during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Oslo for joint research, technology development, and capacity building in climate, clean energy, oceans, health, and offshore wind energy sectors.
• CERNminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026CERN selected to host Open Research Europe, a major open access publishing platform backed by the European Commission and a consortium of European national funding agencies. Platform uses publish-review-curate model with open peer review.
• CCUS NorwayminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2025Led by Carbon Limits, one of two existing initiatives consolidated into the new CCUS Innovation national cluster. Includes 69 members spanning carbon capture, transport, storage and utilisation.
• CCS InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2025Driven by SINTEF Energy, one of two existing initiatives consolidated into the new CCUS Innovation national cluster for carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
• University of Bergen (UiB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2025AI LEARN centre opened at Faculty of Psychology, jointly led by UiB and NTNU. UiB is a key academic partner receiving the largest single allocation (NOK 200 million) to a research centre at UiB.
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2025AI LEARN centre jointly led by UiB and NTNU. NTNU is a key academic partner in the AI research centre focusing on hybrid intelligence over five years (2025-2030).
• Skatteetaten (Norwegian Tax Administration)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSkatteFUNN tax credit scheme administered by the Research Council in cooperation with Skatteetaten. The scheme provides 19% tax credits for R&D costs to eligible Norwegian businesses.
• Finep (Brazil)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint call for research funding between Norway and Brazil focused on clean energy, petroleum, and green shipping. Webinar organised for potential applicants.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Science Foundation (NSF): NSF is the United States' primary federal research funding agency, distributing roughly $9 billion annually across scientific and engineering disciplines via competitive grants. It is the closest large-scale structural analogue to the Norwegian Research Council in mandate, scale, and grant-based operating model.
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): UKRI is the UK's national research and innovation funding body, formed by consolidating the research councils. It operates across multiple disciplinary portfolios with government-allocated budgets and a strategic advisory role, making it a direct structural peer to the Norwegian Research Council.
• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG): DFG is Germany's central research funding organisation, supporting science across all disciplines through competitive grants administered largely via peer review. Its grantmaking mandate, portfolio breadth, and national advisory role closely parallel the Norwegian Research Council's structure.
• Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet): Vetenskapsrådet is Sweden's national research funding agency, distributing government-allocated research grants across natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and medicine. It is the most comparable Nordic peer in mandate, scale, and operating model.
• Academy of Finland: The Academy of Finland is the Finnish government's primary research funding body, awarding grants across scientific disciplines and serving as a strategic research-policy advisor. Its portfolio-based funding structure is closely comparable to the Norwegian Research Council.
• Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF): SNSF is Switzerland's federal research funding agency, awarding grants on a competitive basis across all academic disciplines. Its scope, peer-review driven model, and statutory mandate make it a direct structural analogue.
• Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO): NWO is the Dutch national research council, funding scientific research across disciplines via competitive grants and managing national participation in EU research programmes. Its mandate and operating mechanics are highly comparable.
• Innovation Fund Denmark: Innovation Fund Denmark funds research, development, and innovation projects across Danish universities, institutes, and businesses. Its mixed research-and-innovation mandate and government-budget funding mirror the Norwegian Research Council's dual remits.
• VINNOVA: VINNOVA is Sweden's innovation agency, funding research and innovation projects with a stronger applied-innovation tilt than Vetenskapsrådet. It is comparable in mandate to the Norwegian Research Council's innovation-side programming (e.g., SkatteFUNN, Grønn plattform, Innovation Clusters).

Broad incumbents

• European Research Council (ERC): ERC is an EU-level frontier research funding body awarding grants to individual researchers across Europe. It complements rather than competes with the Norwegian Research Council for top talent, and is a major destination for Norwegian researchers the Council channels applicants toward.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/norges-forskningsr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norges-forskningsrad
• Xx.com/RCN_Norway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments25 records

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Frequently asked questions about Norwegian Research Council