Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC)
Funds multi-sector consortium research in the Netherlands with private co-financing for innovation readiness.
The Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC) is a multi-year mission-driven research programme managed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) in partnership with knowledge institutions, businesses, and civil society organisations. The current cycle runs from 2024 to 2027 and commits over €120 million annually to collaborative research, comprising €120 million for Mission, Demand and Strategy research and €18 million for the Practice funding line.
All KIC calls require multi-stakeholder consortia that bring together academic researchers, private-sector companies, and civil society actors. Private-sector co-financing is mandatory: companies must invest directly in each funded project. Active calls in 2026 include Demand-driven Research by Consortia -S 2026, KIC AI for agriculture, horticulture, water and food 2026, and KIC Cooling needs in homes: effects, mitigation, adaptation. Calls expected to open later in the 2024–2027 cycle include Human Capital and Digital Innovation and Integrated Biorefineries.
The programme operates as an open-ended instrument throughout each four-year cycle, with individual calls announced on a rolling basis as thematic priorities are confirmed by NWO and its government and industry partners. Consortium leads are typically universities or applied-research institutions based in the Netherlands, though international partners may participate where permitted by individual call specifications.
Mission-driven research themes including AI for agriculture/horticulture, cooling needs/energy, demand-driven industry research. Individual calls are thematic; check NWO calls index for open topics.
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