National Council for Science and Technology: Home

What National Council for Science and Technology: Home does

The National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) is Rwanda's statutory body for science, technology and innovation policy, established by Law No. 40/2017 of 16 August 2017 and operating under the Ministry of ICT and Innovation. Its mandate is to advise the Government of Rwanda on STI policy, coordinate national research activities, regulate research through permits, and channel grant funding toward national R&D priorities. The organisation serves a broad stakeholder base that includes individual researchers (a national pool of 7,411 R&D personnel), the University of Rwanda and CMU-Africa, line ministries, private-sector innovators, and international partners such as IDRC, AUDA-NEPAD, EASTECO, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

NCST's core product surface combines digital infrastructure with grant programmes. The Rwanda Research and Innovation Repository aggregates national research outputs, projects and personnel data; the Research Permit Application System streamlines regulatory approval for in-country research; the Grant Schemes Project and the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) administer public R&D funding; and Grand Challenges Rwanda, co-launched with the Gates Foundation, runs innovation challenge grants. Together these platforms form an end-to-end stack covering research registration, permitting, funding, and outcome tracking across Rwanda's R&D ecosystem.

The business model is non-commercial and government-funded: NCST does not earn revenue from customers but instead administers state appropriations and donor co-financing through the National Research and Innovation Fund, with Rwanda's reported gross domestic expenditure on R&D standing at 129.9 billion Frw (0.79% of GDP). Pricing for grant calls and permits is set administratively rather than on a market basis, and the value proposition to government and donors is policy advice, ecosystem coordination, and measurable national R&D outcomes rather than monetisation of users.

Name

National Council for Science and Technology: Home

Legal name

National Council for Science and Technology

Website

https://ncst.gov.rw

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) is Rwanda's statutory body, established by Law No. 40/2017 under the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, coordinating national science, technology and innovation policy, research permits, and grant administration for researchers, academia, government and the private sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Science & Technology Policy Coordination

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

Keywords

• Science technology policy
• Research innovation funding
• Government research coordination
• Research permit services
• National innovation grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Kigali

HQ country

Rwanda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NCST serves as Rwanda's statutory national coordinator for science, technology, research and innovation, advising the Government on STI policy, legislation and regulation. It provides researchers and institutions with self-service digital tools — including the Rwanda Research & Innovation Repository, an online Research Permit Application System, and the Research and Innovation Grant Management System (RIGMS) — and disburses research and innovation funding through the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) and initiatives such as Grand Challenges Rwanda.

Product overview

The National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) is a Rwandan government institution that serves as the national coordinating body for science, technology, and innovation policy. Rather than offering a unified software product, NCST provides a portfolio of research coordination services including the Rwanda Research & Innovation Repository for knowledge sharing, the Research Permit Application System for regulating research activities, and the Grant Schemes Project for funding innovation. The Grand Challenges Rwanda program, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, funds specific scientific research projects. Two key departments—the National Research & Innovation Fund (NRIF) managing research funding, and the Science Technology Development & Outreach department handling policy—underpin these service offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB)minorOthersGovernment agency partner collaborating on agricultural research and development initiatives in Rwanda
• Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-A)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with CMU-Africa for engineering education, research collaboration, and capacity building in science and technology
• University of RwandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary academic partner for research coordination, innovation programs, and human capital development in STI
• East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner for promoting science and technology cooperation across East African countries
• Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for biomedical research initiatives and health-related science and technology programs
• African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinental partner for implementing science, technology and innovation priorities aligned with STISA 2034 and AU development agenda
• Rwanda Development BoardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment partner for promoting innovation-driven economic development and technology commercialization
• National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency partner for industrial research, technology development, and innovation in Rwanda's industrial sector

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Science Foundation for Africa (SFA): African non-profit platform that coordinates and funds scientific research and innovation across the continent. Comparable to NCST as a partner in Grand Challenges Rwanda and as a peer in funding and coordinating research programs in Africa.

Broad incumbents

• Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore: Singapore's lead public agency for economic-oriented research and innovation. Comparable to NCST as a national R&D coordination and funding body, but focused on translational, industry-driven research at much larger scale.
• National Science Foundation (NSF): U.S. federal agency that funds and coordinates scientific research and innovation through grants and policy advisory. Comparable to NCST in serving as a national-level R&D funding and coordination body, though operating at vastly larger scale and budget.
• Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Philippines: Philippines' central government agency for science, technology, and innovation policy and funding. Comparable to NCST as a national STI policy and funding body in an emerging-market context.
• Department of Science and Technology (DST) India: Indian government department overseeing science, technology, and innovation policy and major research funding programs. Comparable to NCST in national policy mandate and grant-making role, though at vastly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA): Kenyan state agency responsible for coordinating and supporting the national innovation ecosystem. Closely comparable to NCST as a neighbouring East African government body focused on innovation coordination and policy implementation.
• Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST): Uganda's national body for science, technology, and innovation policy, research coordination, and research permitting. Directly comparable to NCST in mandate, function, and East African context, including research permit issuance.
• South Africa Department of Science and Innovation (DSI): National government department responsible for science, technology, and innovation policy in South Africa. Directly comparable to NCST's mandate as a national STI policy and coordination body, with a similar African emerging-market context.
• Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH): Tanzanian government commission coordinating science, technology, and innovation activities. Highly comparable to NCST as a peer East African national STI coordination body.
• National Research Foundation (NRF) South Africa: South African government agency that funds research, supports innovation, and provides research infrastructure. Directly comparable to NCST's role as a national research and innovation grant-maker and coordinator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCSTRwanda
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-council-for-science-and-technology-home

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Council for Science and Technology: Home