€7.5 million funding available for innovative solutions to societal challenges
Businesses, researchers, and social partners can now apply for funding to tackle pressing issues like cybersecurity, climate change, and housing shortages. The Dutch government offers grants to consortia with groundbreaking ideas, aiming to turn research into real-world impact for citizens.
| Key Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding Instrument | KIC Demand-driven Research by Consortia (S 2026) |
| Total Budget | €7.5 million |
| Funding per Project | €350,000 – €1,050,000 (70% covered by NWO) |
| Co-financing Required | 30% (15% must come from private parties) |
| Consortium Requirements | At least 2 research organisations + 1 company (TO2 institutions excluded) |
| Application Deadline | 22 September 2026, 14:00 CEST |
| Focus Areas | Cybersecurity, climate change, housing, aging populations, and more |
| Information Session | 14 April 2026, 14:00 – 15:00 (online) |
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) plays a key role in driving innovation by funding collaborative research projects. Through the Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC), NWO ensures that scientific advancements address societal challenges while fostering partnerships between academia, businesses, and government.
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Funding for starting and existing consortia with innovative ideas for societal challenges
Cybersecurity, climate change, housing shortages, aging populations: our society faces enormous challenges that demand greater knowledge and groundbreaking innovations. Collaboration between researchers, social partners, and businesses is essential to address these issues. To stimulate such partnerships, the funding instrument *Vraaggedreven Onderzoek door Consortia* (Demand-driven Research by Consortia) has been established within the Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (Kennis- en Innovatieconvenant). The 2026 S round of this instrument is now open for applications.
Societal impact is not achieved solely through scientific research but, above all, through the effective application of new knowledge in practice. Key factors for a successful KIC-Vraag consortium include:
- Co-design: involvement of all relevant parties in formulating the problem statement, the impact pathway, and the research questions;
- Co-creation: collaboration during the execution of the research to jointly develop and share knowledge and insights;
- Co-production: an active role for all consortium partners in applying knowledge and implementing developed innovations.
What makes *KIC-Vraaggedreven Onderzoek door Consortia* unique is that consortia have considerable thematic freedom to determine their own research topics, provided they align with one of the seven Knowledge and Innovation Agendas (KIA’s) of the Dutch government.
Read the call for proposals
Budget and consortium requirements
The total budget for this round is €7.5 million. This call concerns a Small edition of the programme, with funding requests ranging from a minimum of €350,000 to a maximum of €1,050,000 from NWO. NWO will finance up to 70% of the total project budget; the remaining funds must be secured through mandatory co-financing. At least half of this co-financing (15%) must come from a private party. Consortia must consist of at least two different research organisations and one company, with TO2 institutions not eligible to participate as applicants.
The deadline for submitting applications is 22 September 2026, at 14:00 CEST.
Want to know more?
On 14 April 2026, NWO will host an online information session about this call. Participants will receive further clarification on the call’s scope, the application process, and impact approaches. Registration for the session is open via the link below.
Register for the information session
- Information session: KIC Demand-driven Research by Consortia – S 2026 14 April 2026, 14:00 - 15:00
- More events
NWO-KIC: Innovation programmes within the Knowledge and Innovation Covenant
NWO develops innovation programmes focused on the societal challenges facing the Netherlands, with the goal of creating impact for the economy, people, and society. These programmes emphasise collaboration between knowledge institutions, private parties, and government. The results contribute to realising economic opportunities. It is therefore essential that private parties invest in each research project.
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