European Space Agency Phi-Lab UK

The application is open to private organisations, research organisations and academia. 

The research project proposal must be submitted by a legal entity or a consortium of legal entities based in the UK. The team applying shall have the skills necessary to achieve the proposed activity, including insight in the industrial and market ecosystem that the technology will impact.

For applicants not based in the UK, the following requirements apply:

• Legal entities not based in the UK must be established in an ESA Member State, Associate Member, or European Cooperating State.
• These entities can apply only as subcontractors.
• Applicants must demonstrate that the research activity benefits both the Phi-Lab and the UK.
• At least 70% of the total project costs must be allocated to UK-based legal entities.

An Economic Operator may participate in no more than two (2) applications per call in total, whether as a lead applicant (prime contractor) or as a subcontractor. An Economic Operator may act as lead applicant (prime contractor) in only one (1) application.

The proposed research shall enable market disruptive application(s), with potential high socioeconomic impact; it must include a clear plan of research activities, with defined roles for scientific or technical contributors. The proposed work shall be based on solid research-driven evidence of its feasibility. The proposal shall also outline a credible road to commercialisation for the applications that the technology (to be matured by the research project) enables and make a preliminary assessment of potential market disruption.

The idea shall have a valid space connection. This is:

• The exploitation of space technology, use of knowledge from the space domain, or utilisation of space systems and space-based services in non-space domains (spin-off).
• Or the provision of products or services for the space sector, addressing any part of the space value chain (from components to entirely new space systems or related facilities and services) and any related activity (from concept definition to operation), possibly using nonspace technology (spin-in).

Some further criteria apply:

• The project shall be relevant for the specific focus of competence of the Phi-Lab and the specific topics as defined in the previous Section (Research Focus).
• The project shall be focused on maturing (a) technology(ies), through a research-led process, towards the performance levels required by the target application(s).

Pillar 1: Environmental Sustainability

This pillar covers Earth observation technologies and services that leverage space‑based capabilities to improve environmental sustainability and address global challenges such as climate change mitigation, extreme weather forecasting, disaster response, humanitarian crisis, and sustainable resource management. These examples represent some of the capability areas under this pillar and are not intended to be a fully exhaustive list.

Pillar 2: Space Sustainability

This pillar covers activities that ensure space remains safe, clean, and usable for all actors over the long term. Examples of capability areas to be addressed include preventing debris creation, removing debris, end‑of‑life management, responsible operations and design, in-orbit servicing and manufacturing, and sustainable in‑space manufacturing (e.g., reducing debris risk, reducing launches). These examples represent some of the capability areas under this pillar and are not intended to be a fully exhaustive list.

Pillar 3: Space Resilience

This pillar focuses on strengthening the ability of space systems to operate safely, reliably, and continuously. This includes capabilities such as Space Domain Awareness (e.g., tracking, conjunction prediction, anomaly detection), development of dual‑use technologies, tools for detecting and managing harmful or negligent behaviours in orbit, and approaches to monitoring and mitigating space weather impacts. These examples represent some of the capability areas under this pillar and are not intended to be a fully exhaustive list.

The total available budget for the implementation of the Call is €1.7M. The total available ESA Innovation Seed Fund per winning research project ranges from a minimum of €200,000 to a maximum of €225,000. The ESA Phi-Lab United Kingdom aims to fund two (2) research projects at the next tender evaluation board.

The ESA Innovation Seed Funding shall represent a percentage ranging from 50% to 100% of the total allowable cost of the activity, subject to compliance with the following provisions:

• Work carried out by SMEs may be funded up to a maximum level of up to 80% of the total allowable cost of the activity.
• Total combined work carried out by universities and research institutions involved as subcontractors in a consortium and justifying no further commercial interest in the product or service may be funded to a maximum level of 100% if this funding does not exceed 30% of the total allowable cost of the activity
• Work carried out by economic operators that are not SMEs nor universities and research institutions may be funded up to a maximum level of 50% of the total allowable cost of the activity.

Moreover, the ESA Phi‑Lab United Kingdom will provide additional support as an in‑kind contribution, up to a maximum value of €150,000. This support includes the following elements:

• Access to technical facilities and labs
• Access to office workspace environment (included by default and you will have the option to have your research project based at either the Harwell Campus or the Sci-Tech Daresbury Campus)
• Business coaching (included by default)
• Research, scientific and engineering support
• IP support
• Access to workshop and events