Funding opportunity
The Space for Monitoring Hazardous Materials opportunity focuses on supporting innovative space-enabled applications for hazardous materials management. This includes identifying contaminated sites, monitoring toxic material degradation and providing predictive insights for proactive remediation efforts. The initiative aims to address regulatory mandates and health concerns by leveraging advanced monitoring technologies. The scope covers various hazardous substances, including:
- asbestos
- heavy metals
- chemical pollutants
- radioactive waste
A particular emphasis is placed on compliance with international and national regulations.
The challenge
Hazardous materials pose significant risks to human health and the environment, necessitating systematic monitoring and safe removal strategies. International and national regulations mandate the safe handling of these substances, and companies must invest in advanced monitoring technologies to comply with these regulations and to protect workers.
Topics of relevance
Environmental and public health monitoring
Hazardous substances, such as asbestos, pose significant risks to nearby populations, especially in areas that have historical contamination or improper disposal practices. It highlights the need for systematic environmental monitoring, safe demolition practices and secure waste containment to mitigate these risks.
Regulatory compliance and risk management
Strict frameworks govern the safe handling, monitoring, and disposal of hazardous materials to protect public health and the environment. Space-based technologies have an important role in enabling large-scale monitoring and data-driven risk management to ensure regulatory compliance, and proactive mitigation strategies.
Workplace and occupational safety
Employees face health risks working in environments with hazardous materials during construction, demolition, or industrial processes. This underscores the importance of advanced tools and strategies, including space-based technologies, to monitor and manage risks in real time, ensuring compliance with workplace safety standards.
Value of space
Satellite Earth Observation (SatEO)
Large-scale, regular monitoring of air, soil, and water quality. It identifies contamination hotspots, including former industrial sites or demolition zones. It can detect asbestos fibres and other hazardous materials using hyperspectral and optical imagery, and supports regulatory compliance by verifying safety standards and reducing the need for on-site inspections.
Satellite Communications (Satcom)
Seamless data transmission from remote monitoring sensors, particularly in areas with a limited communication infrastructure. This facilitates rapid responses to risks and ensures reliable communication between monitoring teams, regulatory bodies and health agencies. It offers high-bandwidth communication for continuous environmental monitoring and data handling.
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
Accurate location data for contaminated areas, ensuring efficient targeting of high-risk zones and effective environmental assessments. It optimises the positioning of monitoring devices and supports compliance with regulatory requirements, and enhances real-time data tracking and mapping for better management of hazardous materials and legacy contamination sites.
What we look for
Kickstart Activities explore the business opportunity and the technical viability of new applications and services that make use of one or more space assets (e.g. Satellite Communications, Satellite Navigation, Earth Observation, Human Spaceflight Technology).
This call is open to companies that intend to develop space-enabled applications and services to support and evidence environmental claims and labelling for the monitoring of hazardous materials.
What we offer
We offer funding and support to companies, both for business case assessment and for the development of new, space-based services.
Our offer includes:
- Technical & commercial guidance
- Access to our network and partners
- Use of the ESA brand for your service
- Zero-equity funding
- Each selected activity will receive 75% funding by the European Space Agency of up to 75k EUR
How to apply
- Step 1: Activity Pitch Questionnaire
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The Activity Pitch Questionnaire allows you to present your business idea in a reduced, standardised pitch. It helps us to quickly assess your activity and decide on the way forward.
- Download the Activity Pitch Questionnaire.
- Prepare your pitch and optionally consult with an ESA Business Applications Ambassador.
- Submit your pitch as instructed here. You will need to sign up to the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) to submit your idea.
Upon submission of an Activity Pitch Questionnaire:
- We may share the submitted Activity Pitch Questionnaire with National Delegations for coordination purposes.
- We will assess your pitch.
- We will inform you about the results and next steps.
Note:
- Before Full Proposal submission (Step 3), you must obtain authorisation from the National Delegations of the countries in which your and your partners’ organisations reside. We recommend liaising with the National Delegations as early as possible.
- For Italian entities, it is NOT required to contact the National Delegation (ASI), because ESA has been delegated by ASI to interface with the Tenderer in the whole stage of the bidding process.
- Step 2: Outline Proposal
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If we accept your Activity Pitch Questionnaire, we will invite you to prepare an Outline Proposal for a Feasibility Study or Demonstration Project.
- Download the Outline Proposal Template for a Feasibility Study or Demonstration Project from the Documents webpage.
- Prepare your proposal, elaborating on your pitch.
- Submit your Outline Proposal to the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) for evaluation, within 2 months from APQ submission.
Upon submission of an Outline Proposal:
- We may involve external experts in the proposal evaluation to coordinate activities within ESA Member States and the European Union.
- We may ask you to address clarification points originating from the Outline Proposal evaluation.
- If all clarification points are sufficiently addressed, we will prepare a project dossier and request approval from our Steering Board, which meets quarterly.
- We will inform you about results and next steps.
- Step 3: Full Proposal
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If we invite you to submit a Full Proposal:
- Register your team on esa-star Registration today! If your team is made up of more than one organisation, each entity will need to register.
- Download the official tender documents from esa-star Publication.
- Prepare your proposal using the official tender documents and reach out to your National Delegate to obtain a Letter of Authorisation.
- Submit your proposal via esa-star Tendering within 4 months of OP submission.
Upon submission of a Full Proposal:
- An independent board will evaluate your proposal against criteria set out in the tender documentation.
- We may ask you to address clarification points identified during proposal evaluation and invite you to a negotiation meeting.
- Upon successful negotiation, we will send you a contract for signature and agree the project kick-off.
Proposals will be reviewed periodically. Therefore, tenderers are advised to submit their activity pitch questionnaires at their earliest convenience throughout 2025, rather than waiting until the final deadline.
Authorisation of funding
ESA Space Solutions can provide funding to perform Kick-Start activities to any company (economic operator) residing in the following Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.