Opportunities with ESA in 2023
- Business Funding
Remco Timmermans
- 0
- 25 minutes read
If you are looking to start the new space year 2023 with a new great business idea based on space data, then you are making a great choice! Never have there been more opportunities to build a solid new business around space data and technology than today! European Space Agency ESA offers many existing and new funding opportunities for startups and SMEs in 2023.
Open Calls Platform
Together with the Netherlands Space Office (NSO) Groundstation.Space developed the Open Calls platform, where you can find many great opportunities in Horizon Europe. Our Open Calls portal has all relevant space and space data calls preselected for you, and we have created useful one-page infosheets for each call to quickly find those that are of most interest to your business, including opportunities with ESA in 2023.
ESA Space Solutions
In addition to Horizon Europe funding and support opportunities, the European Space Agency ESA also has a great list of funding and support opportunities for starting or expanding businesses, through ESA Space Solutions. Many of these are currently open for your application, or will open very soon, closing at some point in the new year. To help you navigate some of these opportunities we have listed the most interesting ones for you below.
From education to digital health, ESA Space Solutions has enabled satellite data and technology to transform businesses on Earth. ESA have already invested €250m in launching innovative services in over 1,200 businesses. Your company could be next!
Click the images below to see the details of these ESA opportunities in 2023.
Sustainable Micro-Mobility
Open: 13 February 2023
Close: 31 March 2023
This call for Kick-Start activities is dedicated to the theme ‘Sustainable Micro-Mobility’, which means that the call is open to companies that intend to develop space-enabled applications and services relating to micro-mobility.
Sustainable Synergies
Open: 15 March 2023
Close: 15 May 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 Future of Journalism
Open: 1 May 2023
Close: 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 feasibility studies called ‘Kick-Starts’, which can lead onto larger scale projects and pilots.
Finance for a Green Transition
Open: 24 February 2023
Close: 7 March 2023
With climate change action increasingly urgent, regulation on sustainable finance being established, and a need for action by different players of the ecosystem, space data and technology can be an enabler of solutions for a green transition. This funding opportunity seeks to develop and assess business ideas for new space-enabled commercial services that help companies use space for acting on Greening Finance and Financing Green
Digital Transformation and Green Economy
Open: 20 October 2021
Close: 30 June 2023
The call offers the opportunity to companies to bring forward their business propositions, which will leverage on space and advanced digital green technologies for delivering sustainable solutions.
5G for l’ART: Structural Monitoring and Risk Modelling
Open: 10 February 2023
Close: 24 March 2023
In the upcoming Announcement of Opportunity, economic operators are invited to propose either a Feasibility Study or a Demonstration Project addressing the theme of: Structural Monitoring and Risk Modelling
Inclusive and Accessible Sport
Open: 16 December 2022
Close: 24 February 2023
This call for Kick-Start activities is dedicated to the theme ‘Inclusive and Accessible Sport’, which means that the call is open to companies that intend to develop space-enabled applications and services relating to the themes in this domain.
Digitising Water Resilience - Acting on Water Stress in Basins
Open: 1 November 2022
Close: 28 February 2023
The Call is part of a long-term plan to roll out digital water resilience monitoring services that improve the status of 100 priority water-stressed basins by 2030. ESA will select digital and space services companies with existing digital monitoring expertise to build water resilience monitoring at water basin level into your offering.
Space for Tourism
Open: 25 April 2022
Close: 29 September 2023
The ‘Space for Tourism’ thematic call is issued under both the ARTES BASS and 5G Programme lines, the latter specifically subject to technical/business justifications on the use of hybrid SatCom – terrestrial (wired or wireless) and 5G networks
Satellite Connectivity for Autonomous Land Vehicles Safety
Open: 3 November 2022
Close: 30 May 2023
The call offers the opportunity to companies to bring forward their business propositions, which will leverage on space and advanced Digital Transformation technologies for delivering sustainable solutions.
Space Systems for Safety and Security (4S) Applications
Open: 15 October 2020
Close: 31 December 2025
Tenderers are invited to propose Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects dedicated to assess, develop and demonstrate space-based solutions and business models for innovative, economically sustainable downstream services addressing global security and safety needs.
Space4Rail
Open: 3 March 2022
Close: 31 December 2025
ESA open call “Space4Rail Downstream Applications in ARTES 4.0” aims to support the exploitation of space-based assets (satellite navigation, satellite communications and/or Earth observation) in innovative and sustainable rail applications/services.
Lunar Economy Applications
Open: 15 March 2023
Close: open ended
ESA is looking for entrepreneurs with promising business ideas that would benefit from Moonlight’s lunar communications and navigation services and which address relevant needs of downstream customers/users on the lunar surface and down on Earth.
NHS Future Hospital Initiative
Open: 1 April 2021
Close: 30 June 2023
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
Open: 17 October 2022
Close: 31 December 2025
The Thematic 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
Space for Green Construction
Open: 21 November 2022
Close: 28 February 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.
ICT and Electronic Devices Sustainability
Open: 15 December 2022
Close: 5 March 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.
Sustainable Digitally Connected Solutions for the Commodities Crisis
Open: 2 December 2022
Close: 17 March 2023
The call “Sustainable Digitally Connected Solutions for the Commodities Crisis” targets the development of studies to analyse the technical feasibility and economic viability of sustainable applications and services, addressing commodities’ sectors challenges in the short time frame, i.e., two years, and mid-term by integrating satellite communications and other space assets with terrestrial and digital technologies
Space in Response to Humanitarian Crises
Open: 25 April 2022
Close: 28 April 2023
ESA is launching this funding opportunity to deliver operational services that support efforts in response to humanitarian crises. ESA will support Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects, which use space assets or space data like remote sensing, global navigation satellite systems, satellite communication or weather satellites.
People, Planet, Prosperity
Open: 1 March 2022
Close: 28 February 2023
This call belongs to the frame of ESA’s “Space for 5G and 6G” strategic programme line. This programme line is about promoting, developing and validating converged hybrid networks to support the digitalization of industry and society, in a world where satellite is fully integrated in the connectivity networks
Space and Digital Transformation for Green Energy Utilities
Open: 15 April 2022
Close: 31 March 2024
The Thematic Call for proposals targets the development of space-based services for supporting the digital transformation of the energy utilities sector and enabling the just transition to green energy across business sectors and society. This can help to support interoperability within the sector and the sector’s connectivity with other sectors, especially where critical infrastructure may be used or developed.
Space Applications Supporting Digital Transformation in Public Safety
Open: 15 September 2022
Close: 30 June 2023
The proposals shall focus on the design, development and demonstration of space-based applications addressing the involved stakeholders’ priorities in the public safety sectors related to Digital Transformation.Representatives of the following stakeholder verticals belonging to the public safety sector are planned to be involved: Fire brigades, Law enforcement, Emergency services, and Civil protection
CASE: Commercial Applications Enabled by Space Environments
Open: 16 December 2021
Close: open ended
ESA offer funding and support to companies for business case assessment and spaceflight preparation as well as developing and piloting of new end-to-end services and products that benefit from space environments in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
