Research Connect 2026 – Access to Research Expertise for Companies
Research Connect 2026 – Access to Research Expertise for Companies supports businesses in buying research expertise to explore challenges and opportunities for innovation, value creation and competitiveness.
Funder: Research Council of Norway
Due Dates: December 15, 2026, at 13:00 CET (Call closes, or earlier if funds are allocated) | October 15, 2026 (Earliest project start) | February 1, 2027 (Latest project start) | July 31, 2027 (Latest completion)
Funding Amounts: Up to NOK 100,000 per application for 1–6 months; NOK 10,000,000 presumed available
Summary: Supports companies purchasing research expertise to explore challenges, opportunities, innovation and value creation.
Key Information: Companies must establish contact and agree on the collaboration with an approved Norwegian research organisation before applying.
Description
Research Connect is a low-threshold scheme run by the Research Council of Norway to help companies explore how research can contribute to innovation, value creation and competitiveness. It finances the purchase of expertise from approved Norwegian research organisations, helping businesses investigate challenges, develop opportunities and build further collaboration with research communities.
The call covers all subjects, industries and research areas rather than targeting a particular discipline or sector. Funded service purchases must be linked to research and development work and confirmed by an approved research organisation. The company and research community must clarify their planned collaboration before submission, including their roles, capacity and activities.
