The European Space Agency’s Social Inclusion Kick-Start Activity offers support and funding to companies looking to develop space empowered services to support social inclusion activities anywhere on Earth.
We’re looking for teams that have identified a market opportunity that’s attractive and has real potential for engaging customers. Motivation, business experience and domain expertise are key.
But most importantly of all, we want to hear business ideas that are commercially viable, technically possible and involve either space tech or data; such as satellite Earth observation, satellite navigation, satellite communications, spaceflight technologies.
KEY FOCUS AREA
Social exclusion, or social marginalization, is the process in which individuals or groups of people (i.e. communities) are systematically blocked from or denied full access to a number of rights, opportunities and resources (e.g. education, healthcare, employment, civic engagement and democratic participation) that are normally available to members of other communities.
The absence of peace and security, including personal security, is likely the most important determinant of social exclusion. Other determinants include:
Accordingly, Social Inclusion, the converse of social exclusion, is affirmative action to change the circumstances and habits that lead to (or have led to) social exclusion. E.g. the World Bank defines social inclusion as the process of improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of people, disadvantaged on the basis of their identity, to take part in society.
We offer funding and support to companies for business case assessment and development of new space empowered services for organic practices and the preservation of the environment.
Social exclusion is most severe in rural and remote areas that typically suffer from a lack of local terrestrial infrastructures, limiting de-facto the availability and/or access to a wide range of social services. In this respect, SatCom, SatEO and SatNav assets are important enablers as:
For the Thematic Call on "Social Inclusion", the following ESA Member States have already made funding available: Germany and Norway.
In case your company/organisation resides in another country participating to the programme, you have to request a Letter of Support from your National Delegation.
The slides for this webinar are at the bottom of the page, in the downloads section.
The webinar recording will be uploaded shortly.
Download our flyer with only the key information here.
Kick-start Activities resulting from thematic calls are funded at 75% by the Agency for a maximum amount of €60K per contract.
Funded participation to ESA's Business Applications Kick-start Activities is open to any public organisation, commercial client worldwide or space company (be it as group of users, public body or non-governmental organisation) residing in any of the ESA Member States that are participating to the programme.
To date, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have subscribed.
Individual ESA Member States have already made funding available for specific Thematic Calls on Kick-start Activities. For more details, please refer to the section Authorisation of Funding above.
In case you intend to submit a proposal for a Thematic Call and your company/organisation resides in another country, you are encouraged to contact the National Delegation.
