National Knowledge Network for Quantum Technology
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Important dates
25 Sep 2026
Expected response to the application
Important dates
Purpose
The purpose of this call is to facilitate national and cross-sectoral collaboration in the quantum technology ecosystem in Norway.
About the call for proposals
The Research Council of Norway is announcing funding for the establishment of a national knowledge network for quantum technology.
Such a network will create meeting places for research organisations, trade and industry and other relevant actors. It will contribute to increased understanding and trust between the actors, and facilitate collaboration in early idea phases and on possible applications of quantum technology.
An open national knowledge network will strengthen the entire Norwegian quantum technology community.
We encourage Norwegian communities to join forces and prepare a joint application for a single network.
The network will:
- be open to all approved Norwegian research organisations that wish to participate
- be open to relevant actors from the business and public sectors
- have activities that will strengthen collaboration, competence building and professional development in the Norwegian quantum technology professional environment
- carry out activities that strengthen networking across research organisations, the business sector and the public sector
- carry out activities that strengthen networking with particularly Nordic, but also other international, relevant actors in quantum technology
- arrange at least one annual meeting point that gathers relevant Norwegian actors in quantum technology for professional discussion and networking
In the project description, you must describe how the network meets these requirements, and how the industrial and public sectors will be involved.
The call is available in both Norwegian and English. The text of the Norwegian call for proposals is legally binding.
Who is eligible to apply?
Only approved Norwegian research organisations are eligible to apply. See the list of approved research organisations.
Who can participate in the project?
Requirements relating to the Project Owner
The research organisation listed as the Project Owner in the application form must have approved the submission of the application.
If the application is a collaboration between several organisations, the Project Owner must submit the application on behalf of all partners.
Requirements relating to the project manager
The project manager's suitability to carry out the project will be assessed. There are no formal requirements for the project manager's qualifications.
The project manager must be employed by the Project Owner or by one of the collaborating partners.
Requirements relating to collaborating partners
Approved Norwegian research organisations may participate as collaborating partners in the project and receive funding. Companies can be collaborating partners, but they cannot receive funding under this call.
What can you seek funding for?
You can apply for funding to cover the actual costs necessary to carry out the project. The Project Owner must obtain information on costs from the collaborating partners in the project. These costs must be entered in the cost plan under the cost type to which they belong.
You can receive support for the following:
- the establishment and/or operation of a national network
The following can be financed as part of the operation:
- payroll and indirect expenses, which are costs incurred by the Project Owner and partners that are directly linked to the professional network and its activities.
- other operating expenses, which are costs for other activities that are necessary to carry out the project. Any purchases from subcontractors must be entered here. All costs entered as "other operating expenses" must be specified in the application. For example, costs for the professional network's events (meetings, seminars and/or worskhops, etc.). or completion of national PhD courses.
The cost types Procurement of R&D services and Equipment should not be used.
You will find detailed and important information about what to enter in the project budget on the website.
Scope of support
The amount of support is up to NOK 5 million over 5 years.
Conditions for funding
The projects must start between 1 October 2026 and 1 January 2027. The latest permitted project completion date is 31.12.2031.
In addition, you must be aware of the following if you should receive an award from us:
- The Research Council's conditions for funding can also be found in our general terms and conditions for R&D projects on the information page What the contract involves.
- The project manager and the Project Owner must have assessed and handled the consideration of research security in the project. Research security refers to risks associated with unwanted transfer of knowledge and technology, impact on research and innovation, or breaches of research ethics/integrity where knowledge and technology are used to undermine key societal values.
- Grant recipients in research organisations and the public sector (Project Owners and partners) must have action plans for gender equality (GEPs) available on their websites. This must be in place before the contract is signed for projects with grants from us. The requirement does not apply to the private sector, interest groups or the voluntary sector.
- For all projects that handle data, the Project Owner must prepare a data management plan in connection with the revised application, where you will find more information about the requirements for data management plans in projects that receive funding from us.
Relevant thematic areas for this call
Enabling technologies
Practical information
Requirements for this funding scheme
The application must be created and submitted via My RCN Web. This call has open-ended application reception, which means that you can create and submit an application at any time. You can edit and save a created application until you submit it. You cannot change the application after you have submitted it. If changes need to be made, you must retract the submitted application and submit a new one.
- The application and all attachments must be written in English.
- All attachments must be in PDF format.
Mandatory attachments
- Project description of a maximum of 5 pages. Use the standard template that you can download at the bottom of the page.
- CV for project manager. Use the standard template that you can download at the bottom of the page.
- Letters of Support and Letters of Intent
Applications that do not meet the requirements above will be rejected.
Optional attachments
- CV for key participants in the project, use the standard template that you download at the bottom of the page.
- You will assess which project participants are the most important, and in which cases it will be of importance for the application processing to assess the project participants' qualifications.
All attachments to the application must be submitted with the application. We do not accept attachments submitted after the application deadline unless we have requested additional documentation.
We will not consider documents and websites linked to in the application, or attachments other than those specified above.
Be careful to upload the correct attachment type, as there are no technical restrictions on what kind of templates it is possible to upload in the application form.
Administrative procedures
Applications will be processed administratively by the Research Council. Priority will be given to projects that meet the requirements set out in the call, that can demonstrate strong support from the research communities, and that cover and include the national quantum technology community as broadly as possible.
The Research Council of Norway may reject applications where the Project Owner or any partner has significantly breached its obligations in other projects funded by the Research Council within the two years prior to the submission of the application.
The application may be rejected if the project manager has been found guilty of misconduct by the Joint Integrity Committee or the Investigation Committee in the last two years prior to the submitted application.
We expect to publish which applications will be awarded on 25.09.2026.