Icelandic Centre for Research

What Icelandic Centre for Research does

Rannís — The Icelandic Centre for Research is a government agency operating under Iceland's Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, headquartered at Borgartún 30, Reykjavík. It is the country's designated national body for administering competitive research and innovation funding and for coordinating Iceland's participation in European and Nordic cooperation programmes. The organization traces its origins to the Icelandic Research Council established in 1940 and was reorganized under its current form in 2003; it celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2015.

The agency's core activity is programme administration rather than technology production. Rannís operates an electronic application portal (sjodir.rannis.is) that processes competitive calls for roughly two dozen domestic and international funding instruments, including the Technology Development Fund, Icelandic Research Fund, Infrastructure Fund, Icelandic Language Technology Fund, Tax Deduction for R&D, and the Strategic R&D Programme for Social Challenges. It simultaneously serves as Iceland's National Agency for Erasmus+, Nordplus, European Solidarity Corps, Creative Europe, and as the National Contact Point host for Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020, plus Donor Project Partner roles for EEA/Norway Grants programs. Operating divisions cover Director General's Office, Administration, Research and Innovation, Analysis & IT, Education and Culture, and the host secretariat for the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC).

The business model is non-commercial: Rannís is funded through Icelandic state appropriations and EU programme administrative allocations, with revenue data not publicly disclosed. It does not sell products or services in the traditional sense; instead, it allocates grant capital to universities, research institutions, SMEs, individual researchers, artists, youth organizations, and sports bodies. Pricing varies materially by programme (e.g., Eurostars up to ISK 45M over three years; Infrastructure Fund minimum ISK 3M; Jules Verne grants ISK 650K–ISK 800K). Customer reach is effectively the entire Icelandic R&D and cultural ecosystem, with roughly 11–50 staff supporting operations.

Name

Icelandic Centre for Research

Legal name

The Icelandic Centre for Research

Website

https://en.rannis.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rannís — The Icelandic Centre for Research is the Icelandic government's national agency for administering competitive research, innovation, education, culture, youth, and sport funding, and for coordinating Iceland's participation in EU and Nordic programmes such as Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Research Funding

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399), Political Organizations (813940)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721), Services-Educational Services (8200), Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro primary industry

Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration (BPAIAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF), Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA), Erasmus+ and Government-Sponsored Exchange Partnerships (EDAIABAJ), International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations (EDADADAL)

Keywords

• Research funding programs
• Government research grants
• Innovation financing
• Education grants administration
• Competitive research funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Funding Administration: Rannís manages national competitive funds and Iceland's participation in EU programmes, acting as an administrative body for government-funded research, innovation, education, culture, youth, and sports programmes in Iceland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Administers Iceland's national competitive funds for research, innovation, education, culture, youth, and sports. Coordinates Iceland's participation in EU programmes including Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Creative Europe, and the European Solidarity Corps. Acts as the single national agency channelling public competitive funding and managing international research and education cooperation.

Product overview

Rannis - The Icelandic Centre for Research is a government research funding agency that administers national competitive funds and coordinates Iceland's participation in European cooperation programmes. The organisation offers a comprehensive portfolio of funding programmes including national funds (Technology Development Fund, Icelandic Research Fund, Infrastructure Fund, Language Technology Funds) and international programmes (Horizon 2020, Erasmus+, Creative Europe, NordForsk, COST, Eurostars, EEA/Norway Grants). Additional services include EURAXESS researcher support, awards programmes (Icelandic Innovation Award, Motivation Award), and events such as the Innovation Congress and European Researchers' Night. The centre manages funds across research and innovation, education and training, art and culture, youth and sport, and industry sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Competitive Research and Innovation Funds Government-administered competitive funding instruments that provide grants to researchers, research institutions, universities, and companies in Iceland across research, innovation, education, culture, youth, and sports domains.
• Horizon Europe National Coordination Coordination of Iceland's participation in the EU's Horizon Europe framework programme for research and innovation, including National Contact Point support, proposal guidance, and partner-search services for Icelandic applicants.
• Erasmus+ National Coordination National coordination of the EU's Erasmus+ programme covering education, training, youth, and sport, providing information, advisory services, and grant management for Icelandic beneficiaries.
• Creative Europe National Coordination National coordination of the EU's Creative Europe programme supporting the cultural and creative sectors, providing guidance and grant administration for Icelandic cultural organizations and creative-sector actors.
• European Solidarity Corps Coordination National coordination of the EU's European Solidarity Corps programme, supporting youth volunteering and solidarity projects involving Icelandic participants and organizations.
• Electronic Grant Application System Online portal (sjodir.rannis.is) used by applicants to submit, track, and manage competitive funding applications across Rannís-administered national and international programmes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Manages funding across multiple sectors: research and innovation, education and training, art and culture, youth and sport, and industry

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Commission - Horizon EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRannís coordinates and promotes Icelandic participation in Horizon Europe, the EU's research and innovation programme. Rannís hosts National Contact Points (NCPs) for Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe in Iceland to assist researchers and organizations with applications.
• European Commission - Erasmus+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRannís is the National Agency for Erasmus+ in Iceland, helping Icelandic organizations make the most of opportunities in education, training, youth and sport programmes. Erasmus+ has a budget of €14.7 billion.
• Nordic Council of Ministers - NordpluscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRannís is the National Agency for Nordplus in Iceland, funding educational activities within the Nordic and Baltic area. Nordplus objectives include strengthening Nordic educational cooperation and promoting Nordic languages and culture.
• Nordic Council of Ministers - NordForskcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRannís provides information and facilitates participation of the Icelandic research community in Nordic cooperation under NordForsk's initiatives, including NOS-HS, NOS-M, NOS-N, and health research programmes.
• EEA/Norway GrantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRannís is the Donor Project Partner (DPP) for four programmes under EEA/Norway Grants: Portugal (innovation), Poland (education), Romania (research), and Czech Republic (culture). The grants contribute to reducing social and economic disparities in Europe.
• Carlsberg FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Carlsberg Foundation contributed approximately ISK 500 million (DKK 25 million) for the establishment of ROCS (HM Queen Margrethe II's and Vigdís Finnbogadóttir's Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Ocean, Climate and Society), in collaboration with Icelandic authorities contributing ISK 240 million.
• French Ministry of Higher Education and Research - Jules Verne ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral scientific cooperation programme between Iceland and France. Grants range from ISK 650,000 to ISK 800,000 for travel and subsistence to facilitate high-quality scientific cooperation between research organizations of both countries.
• Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRannís cooperates with HK-dir for administration of the Arctic Research and Studies programme, which encourages scientific cooperation between higher education institutions and research organizations in Norway and Iceland in Arctic science.
• UK Space AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe UK Space Agency provides funding for the UK-Iceland Explorer Scholarship fund, which strengthens links between UK and Iceland in education, research, innovation, and space science. Priority given to STEM and space science applications.
• COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOST creates scientific networks and enables scientists to collaborate across a wide spectrum of research activities. Iceland has been a member for over 30 years. COST involves nearly 30,000 scientists across 41 member countries.
• Eureka Secretariat - EurostarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurostars is the largest international funding programme for SMEs wishing to collaborate on R&D projects. Rannís serves as National Project Coordinator, with Icelandic participation funded by the Technology Development Fund. Up to ISK 45 million available over three years.
• European Commission - Horizon 2020coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon 2020 was the EU's biggest research and innovation programme with nearly €80 billion of funding (2014-2020). Rannís hosted National Contact Points to assist Icelandic participation.
• European Commission - Creative EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRannís coordinates Icelandic participation in Creative Europe (Culture and MEDIA sub-programmes), supporting cultural and creative organizations and the film/audiovisual industries.
• Geothermica ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeothermica is a transnational cooperation action to accelerate geothermal energy deployment, combining resources from 20 programme owners/managers across 16 countries to enhance coordination of public research and innovation programmes.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icelandic-centre-for-research---rannis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Icelandic Centre for Research