Advanced agricultural monitoring and management solutions

Funding Opportunity

The European Space Agency (ESA) invites companies to participate in the Advanced Agricultural Monitoring and Management Solutions initiative. This opportunity aims to support the development of innovative services that leverage space technology to enhance agricultural monitoring and management. The Call for Proposals welcomes submissions for Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects. Please refer to the ‘Authorisation of Funding’ section below to determine your team's eligibility for funding.

The Challenge

Agricultural monitoring and management are essential for sustainable farming practices and regulatory compliance. Innovative solutions leveraging space technology can enhance crop classification, soil property mapping, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and afforestation monitoring. The growing market for these solutions is driven by increasing food demand, precision farming techniques, and technologies like AI, IoT, and big data, which enable real-time monitoring and optimised resource allocation

Topics of Relevance

The Advanced Agricultural Monitoring and Management Solutions initiative focuses on leveraging space technology to enhance various aspects of agricultural management. Key topics include:

• Crop Classification: Advanced data analysis can improve the classification of grass types and mixed crops, aiding in better agricultural management and regulatory compliance.
• Soil Property Mapping: Accurate soil property maps help manage fertilisation and understand soil health, leading to better agricultural practices and reduced environmental impact.
• Greenhouse Gas Emission Mapping: Identifying areas with high emissions of greenhouse gases from soils supports carbon emission reduction strategies.
• Peatland Delineation: Mapping carbon-rich soils accurately helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying areas that should be exempt from farming.
• Afforestation Monitoring: Monitoring afforestation projects and existing forests involves classifying tree species and assessing biomass and carbon uptake.
• Bare Soil and Plant Cover Ratio: Determining the ratio of bare soil to plant cover ensures compliance with regulations requiring sufficient plant cover.
• Catch Crop Monitoring: Monitoring catch crops is crucial for maintaining soil health and complying with agricultural regulations.
• Grazing Activity Detection: Detecting grazing activities and livestock presence helps manage land use and ensure adherence to regulations.
• Management of Buffer Zones Surrounding Water Bodies: Maintaining buffer zones around water bodies protects water quality and prevents contamination from agricultural runoff.
• Risk Assessment: Evaluating and managing risks associated with agricultural practices using advanced data analytics, weather monitoring, and historical agricultural data.

These innovative solutions aim to boost the digital transformation of the agricultural sector while meeting economic, environmental, and societal objectives required by both private and public stakeholders.

Value of Space

• Satellite Earth Observation (SatEO) provides critical data for agricultural and environmental monitoring, resource management, and policy-making. Hyperspectral and multispectral satellite data can identify crops, differentiate crop or tree types, and provide insights on crop health. SatEO can also monitor changes over time, such as crop growth, vegetation changes, or changes in land use. Additionally, SatEO data can be used to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, indicating their source and levels, and provide data on soil moisture levels and flood extents, which are crucial for managing irrigation, predicting droughts, and responding to flood events.
• Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS and Galileo, are crucial for precision agriculture. They provide accurate geolocation of agricultural parcels, facilitating precise monitoring and management of crops. Autonomous farming equipment, including self-driving tractors and harvesters, rely on satellite navigation for accurate operation, enabling tasks such as planting, weeding, and harvesting with high precision.
• Satellite communications enhance the efficiency and reliability of data transmission for agricultural monitoring. Real-time connectivity enables the seamless transfer of large datasets from remote sensing satellites to ground stations and end-users, ensuring timely access to critical information for decision-making and compliance monitoring. Satellite communications also support the integration of IoT devices in agriculture, facilitating the collection and transmission of field data for improved crop management and resource optimisation.
• Digital twins can significantly enhance agricultural monitoring and management by creating virtual replicas of physical farming environments. These digital models integrate data from satellite earth observation, satellite navigation, and satellite communications to provide a comprehensive and dynamic representation of agricultural fields. Digital twins enable real-time monitoring, simulation, and analysis of crop health, soil conditions, and farm operations, allowing for predictive insights and optimised decision-making.

What we look for

ESA invites tenders to develop and deploy innovative solutions that enhance agricultural monitoring and management. We encourage companies to conduct Feasibility Studies or Demonstration Projects to address the challenges in the agricultural sector. We are seeking business ideas that demonstrate:

• Clear market opportunities and customer needs
• Commercially viable service concepts
• Feasible technical solutions
• Effective use of space data or technology
• Teams with strong business, technical, and financial expertise

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:

• zero-equity funding*
• technical and commercial guidance
• access to our network and partners
• ESA brand credibility

*(50-80% depending on SME Status and Member State Approval)

ESA tender information

The initiative is open to the submission of proposals for Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects:

• Feasibility Studies - which provide the preparatory framework to identify, analyse and define new potentially sustainable services
• Projects - dedicated to the implementation and demonstration of pre-operational services

How to apply

Step 1: Activity Pitch Questionnaire

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.

1. Download the Activity Pitch Questionnaire. 
2. Prepare your pitch and optionally consult with an ESA Business Applications Ambassador.
3. 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

If we accept your Activity Pitch Questionnaire, we will invite you to prepare an Outline Proposal for a Feasibility Study or Demonstration Project. 

1. Download the Outline Proposal Template for a Feasibility Study or Demonstration Project from the Documents webpage.
2. Prepare your proposal, elaborating on your pitch.
3. 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

If we invite you to submit a Full Proposal:

1. 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.
2. Download the official tender documents from esa-star Publication.
3. Prepare your proposal using the official tender documents and reach out to your National Delegate to obtain a Letter of Authorisation.
4. 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.

Authorisation of funding

To qualify for funding, your team must be located in one of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Lithuania, or Slovakia. 

If your company is based in Greece, Spain, or Canada, eligibility for funding requires that your idea is related to 5G technologies or includes a significant element concerning Safety and Security. 

Teams based outside these Member States are not eligible for this funding call. 

The funding level for your team depends on authorisation from the relevant national delegations. Therefore, bidding teams must obtain Letter(s) of Authorisation from the relevant national delegation(s) before submitting a Full Proposal. If a team includes companies from different Member States, each entity must request a Letter of Authorisation from their National Delegate. 

Contact information for each national delegate is available here.