Institute of Government and Public Policy (IGOP)

What Institute of Government and Public Policy (IGOP) does

The Institute of Government and Public Policy (IGOP, Institut de Govern i Polítiques Públiques) is an academic research institute embedded within the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), located in Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain. Founded in the mid-2000s, IGOP produces peer-reviewed research, policy reports, and graduate-level educational programs focused on governance, public policy, social policy, urban governance, and democratic innovation. Its affiliated research groups (AGAPP, URGOCIS) operate as the operational units executing specific project lines.

IGOP does not operate a commercial technology platform. Its underlying "products" are research outputs and educational programs delivered through two channels: the institute itself and its sub-brand Escola de l'IGOP, which houses master's, doctoral, and postgraduate programs (including the Postgrau DLAe) as well as MOOC courses distributed via Coursera. Notable technical outputs include coordinated EU framework projects (B-MINCOME, GROW, GPOL, TEDIS, REFINA, SOLIVID, rEUsilience at €2.3 million, VulnYouth), two of which have received European Commission Success Story designations.

The institute's business model is grant-driven rather than transactional. Revenue is sourced from EU framework programmes (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe), Spanish and Catalan public institutional funding channeled through UAB, and private foundation grants (notably La Caixa). Customer segments are correspondingly heterogeneous: public administrations, European Commission bodies, foundations, peer researchers, and graduate learners. Governance transitioned in July 2025 when Margarita León, previously of LSE, was elected as director.

Name

Institute of Government and Public Policy (IGOP)

Legal name

Institut de Govern i Polítiques Públiques (IGOP)

Website

https://igop.uab.cat

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute of Government and Public Policy (IGOP) is a publicly funded academic research institute within Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona that produces peer-reviewed research and graduate programs in governance, public policy, and urban studies for public administrations, EU bodies, foundations, and graduate learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADADAI

Higher Education Governance & Quality Policy Research

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Policy, Research & Think Tanks

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Governance studies
• Social policy analysis
• Urban governance
• Academic research institute

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès)

HQ country

Spain

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. Institutional public funding: IGOP operates as a research institute within the public Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), receiving institutional funding from the university and Spanish public research bodies.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IGOP is a university research institute conducting interdisciplinary academic research on governance, public policy, and social policy. It offers master's, doctoral, and postgraduate academic programs in social policies and community action, delivers MOOCs on Coursera, and operates the Escola de l'IGOP for community training and participatory action research. The institute produces publications, case studies, and annual reports; manages EU-funded research projects on welfare, youth, urban governance, and social innovation; and engages with civil society organizations and municipal governments in Barcelona.

Product overview

IGOP (Institut de Govern i Polítiques Públiques) is a research institute at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona offering a structured portfolio of academic programs and research services. The core offerings include the Master in Social Policies and Community Action, doctoral research support, specialization diplomas (Postgrau DLAe), and Coursera MOOCs. The Escola de l'IGOP provides vocational training and workshops on participatory methodologies. Research activities are organized through thematic groups (AGAPP, URGOCIS), the Social Services Laboratory, open seminars, and case studies. The institute also produces annual reports and manages various European research projects on welfare, youth, urban governance, and social innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Escola de l'IGOP: The training school of IGOP offering courses, workshops, summer schools, and educational programs including the Master in Social Policies and Community Action.

Products and services

• Màster en Polítiques Socials i Acció Comunitària (Master in Social Policies and Community Action)

Quantifiable outcome

• rEUsilience project (€2.3M budget, 6 European countries) selected as European Commission Success Story for its impact on family resilience policy in Europe
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGOP is formally established as a research institute within the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). The institute operates from UAB's Campus in Bellaterra and leverages UAB's administrative, academic, and research infrastructure. All IGOP programs and researchers are affiliated with UAB departments including the Departament de Ciència Política i Dret Público. The UAB provides institutional hosting, PhD program coordination (Geography, PPIR), and access to university facilities and libraries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• RISE - Research Institutes of Sweden: Swedish state-owned research institute consortium conducting applied research across multiple disciplines. Comparable as a publicly-funded research organization, though broader in scope than IGOP's social science focus.

Broad incumbents

• Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Department of Political and Social Sciences: Catalan public university with a political science department producing comparable governance and public policy research. Comparable through Catalan academic ecosystem and similar policy research output.
• CSIC - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas: Spain's largest public research body covering all scientific disciplines. Comparable as a parent-level Spanish public research entity, though much broader in scope than IGOP.

Direct peers

• CEPS - Centre for European Policy Studies: Leading Brussels-based think tank conducting EU policy research across governance, social policy, and welfare state reform. Comparable to IGOP through EU-funded consortium leadership and similar thematic focus.
• European University Institute (EUI): Intergovernmental postgraduate research university focused on social sciences, including governance and public policy. Comparable through EU consortium participation and researcher pipeline (IGOP's director did Marie Curie fellowship at EUI).
• IPPR - Institute for Public Policy Research: UK-based progressive think tank producing research on social policy, governance, and welfare. Direct peer in the social policy research and government advisory category.
• Blavatnik School of Government (University of Oxford): Oxford's graduate school of government combining policy research, master's education, and active engagement with policymakers. Comparable to IGOP's integrated teaching, research, and policy engagement model.
• CIDOB - Barcelona Centre for International Affairs: Barcelona-based think tank producing policy analysis and research on international affairs, governance, and social policy. Direct peer given shared Barcelona base and policy research mandate.
• Institute for Government (UK): UK think tank focused on governance and public policy research with active engagement with practitioners. Comparable mission and research-practice bridge model.
• IBEI - Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals: Academic research institute in Barcelona focused on international affairs and public policy, affiliated with Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Closely comparable to IGOP in city, scale, and academic policy research focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/igopbcn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI-4wvUPdr69tMZGmaBBj5Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/escolaIGOP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/igopbcn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute of Government and Public Policy (IGOP)