Call for ideas that utilise space technology

ESA is offering funding and support to businesses from any sector who intend to use space technology to develop new commercial services

All sectors invited

The European Space Agency (ESA) is offering funding and support to businesses from any sector who intend to use space assets to develop new commercial services. These assets may include:

• satellite navigation
• Earth observation
• satellite telecommunication
• space weather
• space technologies

Applications are open all year. Businesses can submit an application to the ESA's Direct Negotiation Open call or apply to theme-based Competitive Tenders.

In both cases, you are expected to already be engaged in commercial or developmental activities within your target sectors. If you are an individual person or company, you may wish to partner with others in order to increase your ability to deliver end-to-end solutions.

Direct Negotiation Open call for proposals

When applying for the open call, you propose your ideas directly to ESA setting out the opportunity you wish to pursue. The first step is to download the seven-page activity pitch questionnaire, complete it and send it to ESA at business@esa.int.

Applications are considered on their own merit and the amount of funding varies according to the project. Find out more about the open call for proposals.

Competitive Tenders

When applying for tenders, you submit your proposal in response to one of ESA'a regular open competitions. These are directed at a specific problem or opportunity. Each application received is assessed in competition with other proposal applications. See which funding opportunities are currently open.

If you are considering applying to either the open call or the competitive tenders and need more information, get in touch with the ESA Business Applications Regional Ambassador for Scotland and Northern Ireland - kenneth.gordon@strath.ac.uk

First published 26 March 2021