What CNPq does

CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) is a Brazilian federal autarchy established in 1951 under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), serving as the country's primary federal science and technology funding agency. It disburses federal appropriations and FNDCT funds through competitive public calls for proposals, awarding approximately 107,000 active scholarships and financing roughly 16,000 ongoing research projects, with R$2.8 billion applied in research support in 2025. Its core technical infrastructure centers on two flagship platforms: Plataforma Lattes (a national registry of approximately 9 million researcher CVs integrated with the Diretório dos Grupos de Pesquisa census of research groups) and the Plataforma Integrada Carlos Chagas (the integrated grant management system for proposal submission and funded project tracking).

Beyond the platforms, CNPq administers the INCT (National Institutes of Science and Technology) program, which coordinates 100+ long-term research networks, alongside flagship scholarship programs (PIBIC for undergraduates, PIBPG for graduate students, and productivity scholarships PQ for established researchers), thematic funding calls (Chamada Universal, ProÁfrica, BRICS-STI), and science popularization programs including the annual Semana Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia and long-running awards (Prêmio Jovem Cientista, Prêmio José Reis de Divulgação Científica since 1978). The agency's revenue model is government appropriation rather than commercial: it receives direct federal budget allocations plus FNDCT financing and distributes those funds as scholarships, grants, and project financing through peer-reviewed merit evaluation, with no commercial pricing or customer billing. Service delivery is executed directly through Plataforma Carlos Chagas (online self-serve) and indirectly through partnerships with 27 state-level research foundations (FAPs) coordinated via CONFAP, plus international bilateral programs with ERC, NSF, CERN, DFG, CSIC, IRD, and various national research councils across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Name

CNPq

Legal name

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Website

https://cnpq.br

Company type

Public

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

CNPq is Brazil's federal science and technology funding agency, established in 1951 under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, awarding scholarships, research grants, and project financing to Brazilian researchers, students, and universities via competitive peer-reviewed calls and operating the Plataforma Lattes research registry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Research Funding

NAICS

Public Administration (92)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC)

Keywords

• Government research funding
• Scientific scholarships
• Research grant administration
• Federal science agency
• Research infrastructure platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Brasília

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Appropriations: CNPq receives direct appropriations from the Brazilian Federal Government through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), disbursing funds as scholarships, research grants, and program financing to Brazilian researchers and institutions.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CNPq is Brazil's primary federal science and technology funding agency, operating under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). It funds research through scholarships, productivity grants, and project financing disbursed via open public calls, and runs national research information platforms including Plataforma Lattes (9 million researcher CVs) and Plataforma Integrada Carlos Chagas for grant management.

Product overview

CNPq operates as Brazil's primary federal research funding agency offering a platform-based portfolio of products and services. The core infrastructure consists of the Plataforma Lattes (housing 9 million researcher CVs and the Diretório de Grupos de Pesquisa) and the Plataforma Integrada Carlos Chagas (managing funding proposals and scholarships). These are complemented by the INCT (National Institutes of Science and Technology) program funding large research networks, and multiple award programs including the Prêmio Jovem Cientista, Prêmio José Reis de Divulgação Científica (oldest in Brazil, established 1978), and Prêmio Destaque na Iniciação Científica e Tecnológica. Funding mechanisms include productivity scholarships (PQ), undergraduate research scholarships (PIBIC, PIBITI), postgraduate scholarships (PIBPG with R$ 430.9 million), and thematic calls like Chamada Universal (R$ 300 million). Science popularization is delivered through SNCT events and international cooperation programs including PROAFRICA (R$ 25 million Brazil-Africa research networks) and BRICS-STI collaborations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• R$ 2.8 billion in annual research funding (2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• State Research Foundations (FAPs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 27 state-level Foundations for Research Support (FAPs) including FAPESP, FAPEMIG, FAPERJ, FAPESC, FAPEAM, FAPEG, FAPEMA, FAPEMI, FAPESB, FAPESI, FAPEPS, FAPEP, FAPET, FAPES, FAPESQ, FAPESPA, FAPIT, FAPRO, FAPRO, FUNDECT, FAPEG, and others. Together they coordinate the CONFAP network implementing joint programs including Profix-CB for biotechnology, AI, and renewable energy research.
• Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal ministry overseeing CNPq as its principal funding arm. MCTI sets policy direction and CNPq executes funding programs including R$ 300 million science popularization initiative and BRICS-STI cooperation.
• CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazil's higher education enhancement agency collaborating with CNPq on postgraduate scholarship programs and joint initiatives including CNPq/CAPES/IRD biodiversity research with France.
• Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic agricultural research partnership investing R$ 50 million in agricultural training and capacity building programs for African countries, representing South-South cooperation in agricultural science.
• CONFAP (Conselho Nacional das Fundações de Amparo à Pesquisa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational council coordinating 27 state FAPs, working with CNPq on joint programs, co-funding mechanisms, and the Profix-CB initiative for Northeast Brazil biotechnology, AI, and renewable energy research.
• Instituto AlanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit institute contributing R$ 10 million to joint endometriosis and menstrual health research initiative alongside CNPq's R$ 50 million investment for SUS applications.
• Ministry of CultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for creative economy incubator support investing R$ 2.55 million in up to R$ 170 thousand grants per creative industry incubator project.
• Brazilian Space Agency (AEB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational space agency collaborating on space science and technology programs.
• INCT (National Institutes of Science and Technology)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship CNPq program managing 100+ national institute networks integrating researchers from diverse institutions nationally and internationally, covering areas from biological sciences to social sciences, engineering, energy, environment, and health.
• ERC (European Research Council)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Research Council partnership through CHAMADA ERC-CNPQ enabling Brazilian researchers to participate in European research excellence programs.
• National Science Foundation (NSF) - USAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral cooperation between CNPq and NSF supporting joint research projects and researcher mobility between Brazil and the United States.
• European Institutions (CERN, EU Framework Programmes)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing participation in CERN and European Union research framework programmes facilitating Brazilian scientist involvement in particle physics and other major international research initiatives.
• DFG (German Research Foundation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazil-Germany joint research program MCTI/CNPq/DFG supporting up to 10 collaborative projects in Agricultural Sciences, Forestry Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine.
• CSIC (Spanish National Research Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazil-Spain joint research program MCTI/CNPq/CSIC supporting up to 4 collaborative research projects between Brazilian and Spanish research groups.
• PROSUL (Programa de Cooperação Latino-Americana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatin American cooperation program covering environment and sustainability, food and agriculture, energy and mining, health, information technology, and human sciences across South American nations.
• PROÁFRICA (Programa de Cooperação Afro-Brasileira)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazil-Africa cooperation program investing R$ 25 million in thematic research networks, researcher mobility, and joint projects between Brazilian and African institutions.
• IBAS (India, Brazil, South Africa Forum)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrilateral South-South cooperation forum connecting researchers from India, Brazil, and South Africa.
• British CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish Council TNE Exploratory Grants 2026 supporting international research partnerships with UK institutions.
• TUBITAK (Turkey)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNPq-TUBITAK joint cooperation supporting up to 10 collaborative research projects in Environment, Food and Agriculture, Health, ICTs, and Physics.
• Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Brazilian biomedical research institution collaborating through INCT-CPCT on COVID-19 scientific communication and multiple health research initiatives.
• SBPC (Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian Society for the Progress of Science holding annual meetings where CNPq presents awards including Prêmio Jovem Cientista and Prêmio Destaque na ICT.
• OeAD (Austria)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research (OeAD) partnership for bilateral research cooperation.
• IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement) - FranceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench development research institute partnering in CNPq/CAPES/IRD program for Franco-Brazilian Amazon Biodiversity research across five thematic areas.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG): Germany's central research funding organization supports collaborative research across all disciplines. CNPq runs a flagship MCTI/CNPq/DFG program funding up to 10 joint projects in agricultural and veterinary sciences, making DFG a direct functional peer.
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS): JSPS is Japan's core funding agency for scientific research and academic exchange. It mirrors CNPq's role in providing scholarships, research grants, and bilateral researcher mobility, particularly with BRICS partners.
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC): NSERC funds natural sciences and engineering research in Canada through grants, scholarships, and discovery programs. Its portfolio of postgraduate scholarships, discovery grants, and international partnerships closely parallels CNPq's PIBPG, Chamada Universal, and bilateral programs.
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): UKRI is the UK's main public research and innovation funding body. CNPq maintains bilateral cooperation with the British Council and UK institutions, with overlapping mandates in postgraduate training, research grants, and international mobility.
• U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF): NSF is the U.S. federal agency that funds basic research and education across non-medical fields. It is the most direct international analogue to CNPq, with comparable mandate, scholarship/grant programs, and bilateral cooperation footprint.
• Australian Research Council (ARC): ARC is Australia's national research funding body, distributing competitive grants across disciplines. It is a direct peer to CNPq in mandate, with comparable national competitive grant and fellowship programs.
• European Research Council (ERC): ERC funds frontier investigator-driven research across Europe. CNPq maintains an active ERC-CNPq bilateral cooperation channel (Chamada ERC-CNPq), positioning it as a natural peer for cross-border research funding programs.

Others

• Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES): CAPES is Brazil's higher education enhancement agency and CNPq's domestic counterpart. CAPES focuses on postgraduate evaluation and scholarships while CNPq focuses on research funding, and the two coordinate on joint programs (CNPq/CAPES/IRD).

Regional players

• Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT): CONAHCYT (formerly CONACYT) is Mexico's national S&T and humanities council. It funds scholarships, research, and innovation across Mexico, operating a closely comparable model to CNPq within Latin America.
• Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII): ANII is Uruguay's national S&T funding agency. It operates with a similar Latin American federal/regional model and is a natural regional peer, though it serves a single smaller country rather than Brazil's continental footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• Facebookfacebook.com/cnpqoficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/cnpq_oficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cnpq---mct

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments5 records

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Frequently asked questions about CNPq