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
Sustainable Micro-Mobility
Invitation to Tender Opening date: 16 March 2023 Closing date: 10 May 2023
This ‘Sustainable Micro-Mobility’ opportunity provides funding to European teams who would like to develop a service related to Micro-Mobility. Funding will be provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) for 6-month projects called ‘Kick-Starts’, which can lead onto larger scale Demonstration Projects and Feasibility Studies. Kick-Starts are funded at 75% by ESA for a maximum of €60K per contract. Proposed services must use satellite data or space-based technologies.
The Future of Journalism
Intended Tender Opening date: 01 May 2023 Closing date: 30 June 2023
This ‘Future of Journalism’ opportunity provides funding to European teams who would like to develop a service related to journalism, the media and reporting. Funding will be provided by the European Space Agency for 6-month projects called ‘Kick-Starts’, which can lead onto larger scale Demonstration Projects and Feasibility Studies. Kick-Starts are funded at 75% by the European Space Agency for a maximum of €60K per contract. Proposed services must use satellite data or space-based technologies.
Feasibility Studies
Space for Green Construction
Invitation to Tender Opening date: 21-11-2022 Closing date: 31-12-2023
The European Space Agency’s “Space for Green Construction” opportunity offers support and funding to companies looking to develop services supporting sustainability in the construction lifecycle using space-based technology and/or data. This opportunity enables companies to carry out in-depth analyses on the technical feasibility and economic viability of applications across a range of themes.
Lunar Economy Applications
Intended Tender Opening date: 03-04-2023 Closing date: 31-05-2023
International teams across the world forge plans to revisit the Moon. The European Space Agency ESA is elaborating how best to help this exploration. As part of Moonlight, European space companies are investigating how to put a constellation of telecommunication and navigation satellites around the Moon and offer lunar communication and navigation services. ESA is looking for business ideas that are enabled by such lunar communication and navigation services and that address relevant needs of downstream customers on the lunar surface and down on Earth.
Sustainable Synergies: Interconnected Systems for Positive Impact
Intended Tender Opening date: 15-03-2023 Closing date: 16-05-2023
This call for Feasibility Studies aims to promote the operational and commercial roll-out of services addressing interconnected systems for positive impact where at least two systems considered “isolated”, including eco-systems, are operated in a synergistic manner so that externalities are re-used or recycled and with the use of at least one space assets. The intended contractors are businesses operating in one of the field (e.g. solar panel installers, for the example above) or system integrators. The selected studies will conduct a thorough analysis of the concept they present, the actors involved and main components of the systems and will determine the technical feasibility and viability of a commercial service that will manage the resulting synergistic service.
ICT and Electronic Devices Sustainability
Invitation to Tender Opening date: 15-12-2022 Closing date: 30-04-2023
The European Space Agency is launching a competition in collaboration with DOTT, VOI, and Material Focus to help tackle sustainability challenges relating to batteries, electrical products, electronic waste, and the ICT sector. Solutions can target any part of the product lifecycle, whether it’s improving sourcing of materials for the micromobility industry or helping to recover useful components from landfill sites. Winning teams will receive 80% funding of up to €200,000 to run a year-long feasibility study.
Finance for a Green Transition
Invitation to Tender Opening date: 01-03-2023 Closing date: 11-04-2023
The impacts of climate change on the environment and human society have led to an increased vulnerability of developing countries to extreme weather events and an increase in water and food needs, as well as a general decrease in biodiversity, human health, and ecosystem health.
Non-Competitive Thematic Calls for Proposals
Digitising Water Resilience - Acting on Water Stress in Basins
Invitation to Tender
ESA has partnered with the CEO Water Mandate and 25+ members of the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC) to address the global water crisis in its three dimensions: availability, quality, and accessibility. This ‘Call for Proposals’ offers an exciting opportunity for your team to tackle water-related challenges alongside companies such as AB InBev, Colgate-Palmolive, the Coca Cola Company, Diageo, and Microsoft.
Satellite Connectivity for Autonomous Land Vehicles Safety
Invitation to Tender
The call “Connectivity for Autonomous land vehicles safety” aims to foster the development and showcase of innovative applications for the safe and secure deployment and management of autonomous and connected land vehicles by integrating satellite communications and other space assets with terrestrial and digital technologies.
NHS Future Hospital Initiative
Following a well-established collaboration among the UK National Health Service (NHS), the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA), we are promoting innovative solutions exploiting space technologies for the benefit of the NHS ecosystem. This Open Call for Proposals is aimed at fostering activities bringing space technology that contributes towards shaping the NHS Future Hospital project initiative, recently kicked off by the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Space for Olympic Games
Invitation to Tender
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.
CASE: Commercial Applications Enabled by Space Environments
Direct Negotiation (Call for Proposals)
The Commercial Applications enabled by Space Environments (CASE) Open Call for Proposals supports the development of commercial services that benefit from microgravity and other space environments.