The Research Council of Norway
The Research Council of Norway is a government agency that distributes around NOK 11 billion annually in research and innovation funding on behalf of 15 ministries, serving universities, industry and public-sector bodies through competitive grants, peer review and policy advisory.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersOslo, Norway
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Research Council of Norway does
The Research Council of Norway (Norges forskningsr\u00e5d) is the Norwegian government's central research-funding and policy-advisory body, established in its current unified form in 1993 from the merger of five predecessor councils (NTNF, NAVF, NLVF, NFFR and NORAS). It administers disbursement of approximately NOK 11.3 billion annually on behalf of all 15 Norwegian ministries, deciding allocations through 12 portfolio boards, ~200 independent board members, and a peer-review network of over 1,754 international experts. Its funding palette spans basic, applied and innovation research, including flagship instruments such as FRIPRO (ground-breaking research), SkatteFUNN (R&D tax deduction), Industrial PhD, Public Sector PhD, and Demonstration Projects, alongside support for Norwegian participation in Horizon Europe.
The Council's operating stack comprises the Prosjektbanken public project databank, a new application and project management portal ('My Page'/nytt s\u00f8knadssystem) rolling out for H2 2026 calls, a website-based AI chatbot for applicant and visitor support, and the Indikatorrapporten statistics platform. It co-funds national research infrastructure including the TRUST Norwegian Centre for Trustworthy AI in Oslo Science City, and maintains a presence in Oslo (Lysaker), Longyearbyen and Brussels. Beyond grant administration, the organisation runs public-engagement assets \u2014 Forskningsdagene (National Science Week), the Nysgjerrigper science education program, the Researcher Grand Prix, and regional science centres \u2014 that extend its remit into science communication.
Commercially the entity has no traditional revenue model or pricing: it is funded through annual parliamentary allocations and serves three primary client segments \u2014 research organisations (universities, university colleges, research institutes), Norwegian industry pursuing R&D, and the public sector (municipalities, county authorities, agencies) \u2014 none of which pay the Council in the conventional sense. The Council's leadership team is led by CEO Mari Sundli Tveit and includes five executive directors covering research system & internationalisation, industry & public-sector innovation, sustainable development, strategic advice & dialogue, and organisational operations.
The Research Council of Norway firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Research Council of Norway
- Legal name
- Norges forskningsråd
- Website
- https://forskningsradet.no
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Research Council of Norway is a government agency that distributes around NOK 11 billion annually in research and innovation funding on behalf of 15 ministries, serving universities, industry and public-sector bodies through competitive grants, peer review and policy advisory.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Research Council of Norway industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Research Funding
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK), Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO), Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)
Keywords
Where The Research Council of Norway is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oslo
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Research Council of Norway business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Research Funding Distribution: Distributes government funding to research and innovation projects on behalf of 15 Norwegian ministries. Allocates approximately NOK 11 billion annually through competitive grant processes.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The Research Council of Norway product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Research Council of Norway is a Norwegian government agency that distributes approximately NOK 11 billion annually in research and innovation funding on behalf of 15 Norwegian ministries. It manages competitive grant application processes assessed by over 1,754 international peer reviewers and provides strategic research policy advice to the Norwegian government. The organization operates digital platforms including a project databank (Prosjektbanken) and a grant application system (My page) to support research organisations, industry, and the public sector in applying for and managing research funding.
Product overview
The Research Council of Norway (Norges forskningsråd) is Norway's national research funding organization that distributes approximately NOK 11 billion annually in research and innovation funding. It does not operate commercial software products but manages internal systems for grant administration, including the Project Databank (Prosjektbanken) for exploring funded research projects and the Application System/My Page portal for submitting applications and managing funded projects. The organization also utilizes an AI chatbot for visitor assistance on its website.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Nysgjerrigper: Science Knowledge Project for children in primary and secondary school
- Forskningsdagene
- SkatteFUNN
- FRIPRO
- Horizon Europe
Products and services
- Prosjektbanken (Project Databank)
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of Norwegian grant applications for EU research funding have received support and guidance from the Research Council
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Research Council of Norway
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Research Council of Norway technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The Research Council of Norway partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), IndiacoreBilateral cooperation agreement signed during PM Modi's visit to Oslo for joint workshops, collaborative R&D projects, and scientist exchanges in climate, clean energy, oceans, and health sectors. Part of five agreements strengthening India-Norway science and innovation collaboration.
- Stiftelsen SINTEFcoreExtended collaboration through 2026-2029 focusing on circularity, bio-based processes, ocean energy including offshore wind, carbon capture, and waste valorisation. SINTEF co-leads TRUST AI centre with University of Oslo.
- NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)corePartner in India-Norway agreements during PM Modi's visit, focusing on offshore renewable energy technologies and academic collaboration.
- Emerald GeomodellingminorPartner in India-Norway geoscience collaboration agreements signed during PM Modi's Oslo visit.
- Canada (National Research Council Canada)coreReaffirmed bilateral research cooperation during ministerial meeting in Ottawa, with priority areas including Arctic research, climate studies, marine science, AI, and quantum technologies. Builds on Strategic Cooperation agreement signed March 14, 2026.
- University of OslocoreJoint lead of TRUST - The Norwegian Centre for Trustworthy AI, receiving national research centre status. Core located in Oslo Science City as part of government's billion-kroner AI investment plan.
- Norsk Regnesentral (Norwegian Computing Center)coreJoint lead of TRUST - The Norwegian Centre for Trustworthy AI with University of Oslo and SINTEF, focusing on interdisciplinary research on safe, fair, and responsible AI.
- Inspekt NorwayminorCollaboration partner in IntellScan AI-powered ultrasonic inspection project for concrete infrastructure inspection, working with Elop Technology and Norsk Regnesentral.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Research Council of Norway competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet): Sweden's national research funding body covering all academic disciplines. Highly comparable Nordic peer with similar mandate, peer-review infrastructure, and government-aligned funding flows.
- Science Foundation Ireland (SFI): Ireland's national science funding agency investing in oriented basic and applied research. Comparable as a mid-sized national research funder with industry co-funding and government advisory functions.
- Research Council of Finland (Academy of Finland): Finnish national research funding body under the Ministry of Education and Culture. Closely analogous Nordic peer with similar mandate, disciplinary coverage, and government funding dependence.
Direct peers
- National Science Foundation (NSF): U.S. independent federal agency supporting fundamental research and education across all fields. Comparable in scale, peer-review-driven distribution, and cross-disciplinary coverage; serves as the global benchmark for national research councils.
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG): Germany's central research funding organization supporting all disciplines through competitive peer-reviewed grants. Most direct European analog in mandate breadth, peer-review rigor, and government-advisory role.
- National Research Council Canada: Canada's primary national research funding agency with mandate to advance scientific R&D. Direct analog as a government-mandated research council distributing multi-billion funding across disciplines, recently reaffirmed bilateral cooperation with the Research Council of Norway.
- Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF): Switzerland's primary national research funding agency supporting basic and applied research across disciplines. Comparable in mandate, peer-review intensity, and multi-billion funding scale despite different funding model.
- UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): United Kingdom's national research and innovation funding body formed by merging multiple discipline-specific councils. Closely comparable in unified-council model, multi-billion distribution scale, and government policy advisory role.
Broad incumbents
- European Research Council (ERC): EU-level frontier research funding body operating under Horizon Europe. Comparable as a peer-review-driven grant distributor, but operates at supranational scale and is a key partner/funding source for Norwegian researchers routed through the Research Council.
Emerging players
- NordForsk: Nordic intergovernmental research funding organization coordinating cross-border Nordic research. Comparable as a regional research funder, but operating as a collaborative platform rather than a single-country distributor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Research Council of Norway social profiles
Digital presenceThe Research Council of Norway compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Research Council of Norway financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Research Council of Norway leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The Research Council of Norway funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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The Research Council of Norway M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
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Frequently asked questions about The Research Council of Norway
What does The Research Council of Norway do?
The Research Council of Norway is a Norwegian government agency that distributes approximately NOK 11 billion annually in research and innovation funding on behalf of 15 Norwegian ministries. It manages competitive grant application processes assessed by over 1,754 international peer reviewers and provides strategic research policy advice to the Norwegian government. The organization operates digital platforms including a project databank (Prosjektbanken) and a grant application system (My page) to support research organisations, industry, and the public sector in applying for and managing research funding.
Is The Research Council of Norway a public or private company?
The Research Council of Norway is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was The Research Council of Norway founded?
The Research Council of Norway was founded in 1993.
Where is The Research Council of Norway based?
The Research Council of Norway is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does The Research Council of Norway make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Research Funding Distribution.
Who are The Research Council of Norway's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and Research Council of Finland (Academy of Finland). Direct peers are National Science Foundation (NSF), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), National Research Council Canada, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). European Research Council (ERC) is listed as a broad incumbent. NordForsk is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Research Council of Norway have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Research Council of Norway.
What industry is The Research Council of Norway in?
The Research Council of Norway's product category is Government Research Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAI, Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAIAAAK, Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy). Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8700.