ESA Business Applications offers funding and support to businesses from any sector who intend to use space (satellite navigation, earth observation, satellite telecommunication, space weather, space technologies) to develop new commercial services.
Applications are open all year. Businesses can submit a proposal at any time through the Call for Proposals for Downstream Applications or can apply to a Competitive Tender or a non-competitive Thematic Call for Proposals.
Kick-start Activities
Space supporting Environmental Claims
Call for Proposals (Competitive) Opening date: 03 February 2025 Closing date: 14 March 2025
This ‘Space supporting Environmental Claims’ opportunity offers funding to European teams interested in developing services that provide support and evidence for environmental claims and labelling. The European Space Agency (ESA) will provide funding for 6-month feasibility studies known as ‘Kick-Starts’, which can lead to larger-scale projects and pilots. Kick-Starts are funded at 75% by ESA, up to a maximum of €75K per contract. Proposed services must use satellite data or space-based technologies.
Space for Insurance Technology
Call for Proposals (Competitive) Opening date: 28 April 2025 Closing date: 06 June 2025
This ‘Space for Insurance Technology’ opportunity offers funding to European teams interested in developing services integrating technology solutions to the insurance sector. The European Space Agency (ESA) will provide funding for six-month feasibility studies known as ‘Kick-Starts’, which can lead to larger-scale projects and pilots. Kick-Starts are funded at 75% by ESA, up to a maximum of €75K per contract. Proposed services must use satellite data or space-based technologies. Please see the ‘authorisation of funding’ section below to verify your team’s eligibility.
Open Call for Proposals - Kick-Starts
Closing date: 31 December 2025
ESA’s OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS - KICK-STARTS (BASS ARTES 4.0) is always open. This means that businesses from any sector can apply for Kick-Starts throughout the year.
Competitive Calls
Space for Insurance Technology
Call for Proposals (Competitive) Opening date: 28-04-2025 Closing date: 06-06-2025
This ‘Space for Insurance Technology’ opportunity offers funding to European teams interested in developing services integrating technology solutions to the insurance sector. The European Space Agency (ESA) will provide funding for six-month feasibility studies known as ‘Kick-Starts’, which can lead to larger-scale projects and pilots. Kick-Starts are funded at 75% by ESA, up to a maximum of €75K per contract. Proposed services must use satellite data or space-based technologies. Please see the ‘authorisation of funding’ section below to verify your team’s eligibility.
Green Hydrogen as a Sustainable Energy Source
Open Competition Opening date: 27-03-2025 Closing date: 30-05-2025
This Invitation to Tender invites proposals for feasibility studies for services that explore innovative uses of space technology to advance green hydrogen as a sustainable energy source. This study aims to leverage satellite communication (SatCom), satellite Earth observation (SatEO), and satellite navigation (SatNav) to support green hydrogen production, storage, and distribution. The focus is on evaluating practical applications of green hydrogen across multiple sectors.
Commercial Applications of Space Weather Data
Open Competition Opening date: 19-02-2025 Closing date: 05-05-2025
Space weather is defined as the physical and phenomenological state of natural space environments. Observation, monitoring, analysis and modelling of the state of the Sun and interplanetary and planetary environments (both via space- and ground-based observations) help us to understand its state and the possible impacts on Earth. The purpose of this Invitation to Tender is to support industry in assessing the technical and economic viability of commercial services that leverage space weather data across a number of stated domains (and/or alternatives adequately justified by industry).
Space for a Sustainable Textile Industry
Open Competition Opening date: 27-01-2025 Closing date: 23-03-2025
This call invites proposals for feasibility studies for space-based solutions and services to enhance transparency, sustainability and resilience across the cotton value chain and wider textile industry. Solutions should address environmental costs of current agricultural practices, identify opportunities to improve livelihoods of farmers and support the creation or restoration of protected areas.
Space supporting Environmental Claims
Call for Proposals (Competitive) Opening date: 03-02-2025 Closing date: 14-03-2025
This ‘Space supporting Environmental Claims’ opportunity offers funding to European teams interested in developing services that provide support and evidence for environmental claims and labelling. The European Space Agency (ESA) will provide funding for 6-month feasibility studies known as ‘Kick-Starts’, which can lead to larger-scale projects and pilots. Kick-Starts are funded at 75% by ESA, up to a maximum of €75K per contract. Proposed services must use satellite data or space-based technologies.
Space for Electromobility
Open Competition Opening date: 27-09-2024 Closing date: 31-01-2025
Electromobility has a crucial role to play in decarbonising the planet. Transport is responsible for around 25% of the EU’s total CO2 emissions, with road transport representing the greatest share of this (72% in 2019). The electrification of transport is playing a key role in the ongoing transformation of the mobility landscape, offering significant opportunities across the mobility ecosystem. There are also rigorous efforts underway to reduce average CO2 emissions from new vans and heavy-duty vehicles. The ‘Space for Electromobility’ invitation to tender (ITT) offers funding for teams who would like to develop sustainable space-based services and applications that address challenges related to the electromobility ecosystem.
Non-Competitive Thematic Calls for Proposals
Space for Intermodal Transport
Call for Proposals (Non-Competitive)
This opportunity offers funding to European teams interested in developing sustainable space-based services and applications for intermodal transport, covering both freight and passenger transportation. The Call will accept proposals for Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects. Proposed services must utilise satellite data or space-based technologies.
Maritime Decarbonisation: Ports Decarbonisation
Call for Proposals (Non-Competitive)
Ports play a pivotal role in maritime decarbonisation, serving as hubs for enabling the transition to cleaner and more sustainable shipping practices. They are more than just logistical centres — they are strategic agents of change in the decarbonisation of the maritime sector. The objective of this call’s sub-theme is to develop new services that support the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, with a focus on ports ecosystems.
Space for Construction Monitoring
Call for Proposals (Non-Competitive)
Construction progress monitoring involves tracking and assessing the development of a construction project over time to ensure that it aligns with planned schedules, quality standards, and budgetary constraints. It uses various tools and techniques, including on-site inspections, drone surveys, and digital solutions such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and remote sensing technologies, to capture real-time data and provide stakeholders with a clear overview of the project's status. This helps identify delays, issues, and risks early, facilitating timely interventions and ensuring efficient resource allocation and project completion.
Maritime Decarbonisation
Call for Proposals (Non-Competitive)
Maritime decarbonisation is a central element of maritime sustainability. Shipping is recognised as the most efficient form of commercial transport in terms of CO2 emissions per tonne of cargo transported in one mile. However, due to the scale of the industry, maritime transport is still a significant contributor to the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions (around 3% of total global CO2 emissions).
This call for proposals, issued under the ARTES BASS programme line, is aimed at supporting the development of sustainable space-based services and applications that address challenges related to the decarbonisation of the maritime industry. Additionally, the call seeks to assist the maritime sector in adapting to and complying with new European and international regulatory frameworks.
Space for Infrastructure: Digital Infrastructure
Call for Proposals (Non-Competitive)
This is the sixth thematic area under the “Space for Infrastructure” thematic call. Digital infrastructure refers to technologies that provide the foundation for an organisation's information technology and operations by bringing together physical and virtual technologies such as computer, storage, network, applications, and IaaS, PaaS and SaaS platforms. Examples of digital infrastructure include telecom networks, cloud computing and data centres.
Integrated Digital Solutions for the Energy Sector
Call for Proposals (Non-Competitive)
This Call for Proposals invites proposals for feasibility studies and demonstration projects for services that leverage space-based technologies to advance resilience and sustainability in the energy sector. With a focus on digital transformation, the call encourages innovative solutions that integrate digital tools such as IoT, AI, blockchain, AR/VR, and digital twins. These solutions aim to optimise electricity grid management, enable predictive maintenance, support energy storage, improve construction logistics, and streamline renewable energy management.
Space for Olympic Games
Call for Proposals (Non-Competitive)
The intended call for proposals aims at supporting new space-based services for the digital transformation and sustainability of the sport sector, specifically in the organisation, management, and further exploitation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It primarily targets the next Games in Europe - Paris 2024 and Milano-Cortina 2026, with the ambition of providing services for the future Games, ensuring continuity of the sustainability model.