Opportunities in 2022 with ESA

If you are looking to start the new space year 2022 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!

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.

ESA Business Applications

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, perhaps during the holiday break, we have listed the most interesting ones for you below.

Click the images to see all details of these opportunities.

Carbon capture, storage, and sequestration

Open: 8 February 2022
Close: 26 March 2022

The opportunities that we have at hand are of two natures, either biological via carbon sequestration in vegetation and soils, or technological via preventing carbon to be released or capturing directly and storing air carbon.

Edge Intelligence

Open: 15 February 2022
Close: 15 April 2022

Edge Intelligence refers to a paradigm shift in computing in which certain data analysis processes are moved from centralised cloud or in-house data centres to the “edge” of the network.

CASE: Commercial Applications Enabled by Space Environments

Open: 16 December 2021
Close: 31 December 2022

The Commercial Applications enabled by Space Environments (CASE) Open Call for Proposals supports the development of commercial services that benefit from microgravity and space environments.

Digital Platforms

Open: 10 December 2021
Close: 21 February 2022

This Kick-Start initiative explores how space technology can link with or enable online digital platforms, by introducing new features and innovative services to consumers and businesses. Conversely, it also considers the benefits that digital platforms could offer to the space ecosystem, by offering space products and services in novel way.

Digital Transformation and Green Economy

Open: 20 October 2021
Close: 31 March 2022

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.

Digital Supply Chain

Open: 21 February 2022
Close: 21 May 2022

This call fosters the development of innovative solutions that create supply chain value using space-data-based digital solutions such as big data analytics and machine learning to produce insights for decision-making, problem-solving, manage movements from supplier nodes through distribution routes and automating supply chain process execution. 

Space for Resilient Utilities

Open: 11 October 2021
Close: 28 February 2022

The objective of this call is to foster the development and showcase of innovative applications which embed satellite communications into the management of utilities networks, infrastructure, or personnel to enhance their safety and security.

Space for Aviation Safety Evolution

Open: 1 October 2021
Close: 28 February 2022

The objectives of this Announcement of Opportunity are to foster the development and showcase of innovative applications enabled by satellite telecommunications (and other space assets) in support of aviation safety evolution.

Space for Tourism

Open: Soon
Close: 31 March 2023

Examples of focus areas relevant to this announcement of opportunity are potential space technologies to accelerate good practices towards sustainable development that will help the tourism sector reach the Agenda 2030.

Social and Environmentally-Friendly Mobility

Open: 6 December 2021
Close: 11 February 2022

The European Space Agency’s Kick-Start programme offers support and funding to companies developing services exploiting satellite data and technologies to create a socio-economic impact through commercially sustainable services, and in this particular initiative, within the mobility sector.

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: 2 March 2020
Close: 31 December 2024

ESA Business Applications Space4Rail Open Call aims to support the exploitation of space-based assets (satellite navigation, satellite communications and/or Earth observation) in innovative and sustainable European rail applications/services.

ESA & 5Groningen Opportunity

Open: 18 September 2018
Close: 31 December 2021

Telecommunication satellites can extend, enhance, and provide reliability and security to 5G, helping to deliver its promise of global, ubiquitous connectivity. Other space assets, such as Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation can be integrated with 5G technology to deliver innovative applications in a number of vertical sectors. The European Space Agency (ESA) has joined forces with the Economic Board Groningen (EBG) to support the development of applications that integrate space and 5G.

NHS Future Hospital Initiative

Open: 1 April 2021
Close: 30 September 2022

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.