The National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDI Office) has set up a single funding system for the use of EU development funds for research, development and innovation (RDI) and domestic funds from the National Research, Development and Innovation (NRDI) Fund.

The NRDI Fund, managed by the NRDI Office, is a separate public fund under the Public Finance Act that provides public support for research, development and innovation from domestic sources and is used exclusively for this purpose. The innovation contribution paid by businesses and the complementary contribution from the central budget provide a significant part of the NRDI Fund’s resources.

Pursuant to Act LXXVI of 2014 on scientific research, development and innovation (hereinafter: “RDI Act”), the annual detailed programme strategy of the NRDI Fund, including both incentive and support programmes, is endorsed by the National Science Policy Council and subsequently approved by the Minister responsible for science policy coordination. The NRDI Fund, set up in 2015, provides predictable funding for RDI every year.

In 2020, the NRDI Fund was split into two parts. The Research Sub-fund finances socially useful research projects, programmes to support excellence in higher education and research institutions and individual researchers. The Innovation Sub-fund supports business innovation and market-oriented R&D activities, partly carried out in business-academia cooperation, through programmes with an investor approach.

In 2022, the National Laboratories Sub-fund was also included in the programme strategy: the NRDI Office, with the policy support of the then Ministry for Innovation and Technology and now the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, has established knowledge centres and National Laboratories in perspective areas of the national economy.

The NRDI Fund has a role to play in complementing and balancing EU funding based on the specificities of the domestic RDI system, and the coordinated and effective use of its resources contributes greatly to Hungary’s scientific and economic competitiveness and the effective integration of the research community into the European Research Area.

Disbursements from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund

In 2023, researchers, research centres and businesses applying for calls for proposals under the NRDI Fund won HUF 106 billion in funding. This is more than two-and-a-half times the amount paid in 2015 and significantly higher (36%) than the average over the last ten years.

RDI funds disbursed from the National Development and Innovation Fund*

One of the criteria for the peer review of several proposals is the existence of project designs that fit with the priorities set out in the National Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) as a policy instrument, and the applicant’s commitment to the practical (business) usability of the product, technology or service that will result from the project.