Apply for funding: space-related R&D, innovation and education
Details on open funding opportunities from the UK Space Agency, the space sector, academic, education and community partners.
Announcement of Opportunity: Call for the ESA Earth Observation programme, InCubed2
Funding type: Research, innovation, and development
Who Can Apply: UK industry (research institutions and academia with no commercial interest in the product can apply as part of an industrially led consortium)
Total Funding Amount: £1,400,000
Deadline: 12 pm on 31 May 2023
The UK Space Agency is inviting UK entities to submit proposals to develop innovative and commercially viable products and services that generate or exploit the value of Earth observation imagery and datasets.
See the guidance page for details on how to apply.
Announcement of Opportunity: 2023 Call for Mars Exploration Science
Funding type: Research, innovation, and development
Who can apply: Academics working at UK Research Organisations
Total fund: £2,000,000 (indicative)
Deadline: 4pm on Thursday 1 June 2023
The UK Space Agency is making funding available for science research that utilises data from current Mars exploration missions to enhance the UK’s capabilities and cross-disciplinary approach to planetary science.
See the guidance page for details on how to apply.
Announcement of Opportunity: 2023 Call for Mars Exploration Science - Studentships
Funding type: Research, innovation, and development
Who can apply: Academics working at UK Research organisations
Total fund: £1,000,000 (indicative)
Award range: up to £100,000 over 48 months
Deadline: 4pm on Thursday 1 June 2023
The UK Space Agency is is offering PhD studentship funding to support the development of a new generation of Mars researchers within the UK academic community by providing funding for:
- PhD projects which utilise data from Mars exploration missions (including ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter, NASA’s Insight lander, Perseverance, and other Mars exploration missions), or;
- PhD projects which underpin future Mars exploration missions. This can include supporting science operations of current rover missions.
See the guidance page for details on how to apply.
Announcement of Opportunity: 2023 SciSupport AO Grant Call
Funding type: Research, innovation, and development
Who can apply: Academics working at UK research organisations who have already been selected by ESA for access to microgravity of space environments facilities.
Total fund: £1,000,000 (indicative)
Award range: up to £200,000
Deadline: 4pm on 18 April 2023
See the guidance page for details on how to apply.
ARTES: Advanced Technology
Funding type: Research, innovation and development
Who can apply: UK organisations and companies (UK Space Agency and ESA approval required)
Funding: Dependent on Advanced Technology project
Deadline: Open until further notice
This is an ESA-initiated programme offering up to 100% funding for developing early technologies and innovations. Invitations To Tender (ITT) are listed on the ESA website here.
As part of the application process, companies will need to apply to the UK Space Agency for approval before they submit their application. This is a three-stage application process, in which:
- applicants should complete an Expression of Interest form in the first instance
- successful applicants will be asked to complete the Advanced Technology application form
- successful applicants can apply to ESA
See the ARTES Advanced Technology page for Expression of Interest Forms and Form Guidance to find out how to apply
Please submit an Expression of Interest to the UK Space Agency, prior to the submission of your proposal. See further details on the ESA application process on the ESA website.
Navigation Innovation Support Programme (NavISP)
Funding type: Research, innovation and development
Who can apply: UK organisations working in positioning, navigation and timing undertaking technology research and development focused on commercial innovation.
Funding: Varies. 100% funding for developing early technologies and innovations; typically between €200,000 and €800,000 for space-enabled positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technology solutions and innovations.
Deadline: Open until further notice
Since 2017, the UK has invested €50 million into NavISP to support the UK space PNT sector to innovate the next generation of space-enabled and space-supported navigation products, services and applications.
The UK investment in the programme is available to support UK organisations to undertake technology research and development focused on commercial innovation.
See the NavISP announcement of opportunity to find out how to apply. Find out more about the NavISP programme.
Student support: ESA microgravity programmes
Funding type: Research, innovation and development
Who can apply: UK-based teams successfully selected by ESA for certain student support programmes.
Funding: Up to £5,000
Deadline: Open until further notice
This announcement of opportunity offers up to £5,000 (if available) to support students participating in ESA microgravity programmes.
See the announcement of opportunity to find out how to apply.
Responsive Mode Call - Exploration Community Development
Funding type: Development and promotion of UK space exploration community
Who can apply: UK individuals and organisations
Funding: Support will be granted to a maximum of £50,000.
Deadline: Open until further notice.
The UK Space Agency will, subject to budget being available in any given financial year, make available funds to support activities such as:
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community building activities
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establishing networking opportunities
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showcases and/or organisation attendance at appropriate conferences
Applicants should detail how the proposed activity benefits the UK space exploration community.
See the call and find out how to apply.
Closed Opportunities
To view closed opportunities, please visit our closed opportunities page.
Last updated
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Added Announcement of Opportunity: Call for the ESA Earth Observation programme, InCubed2
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Removed SPIN and ARTES calls. Added two Mars Exploration Science calls
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Corrected funding amount for SciSupport call
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Added Announcement of Opportunity: 2023 SciSupport AO Grant Call.
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ARTES UK National Delegate support for the “Connecting People” Call added
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SPIN 23 funding call added.
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Funding call added.
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Expired calls moved to closed opportunities.
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Announcement of Opportunity: Responsive Mode Call - Exploration Community Development added.
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ETP Call One removed as deadline has passed.
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Updated funding opportunities, and moved closed opportunities to a different page.
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Enabling Technologies Programme - Call Two opened.
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Corrected closing of Cluster Development call.
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Call for ideas: UK National Delegate support for the ESA ARTES Partnership Programme Phase 1.
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Moved LaunchUK Technology Investment funding into Closed for Opportunities section.
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Added “Opening Space with 5G” and “5G Hub at Harwell” calls
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Added ARTES and ETP funding calls.
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Added open calls for cluster funding, space science and exploration bilateral missions, and LaunchUK technology investment.
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Updated funding opportunities August 2022.
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Closed announcement of opportunity.
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Added Enabling Space Exploration and Microgravity Experiments calls.
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Added 2022 Exploration Science Announcement of Opportunity and Support for Student Teams selected for ESA Microgravity Student programmes Announcement of Opportunity
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ARTES call for applications opened.
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Opened NavISP opportunity.
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Exploration Science Microgravity grant opportunity has closed.
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Updated with relevant information.
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Updated information.
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New announcement of opportunity added. Funding support for students selected for ESA microgravity programmes.
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Space Placements in Industry (SPIN) funding opportunity added.
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Page updated to reflect new space for all grant call.
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Dated content removed and updated with a link to the latest Space for All grant call.
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Calls for proposals are no longer available
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The 2018 space call in Horizon 2020 has been published. Information added to page.
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Case study document attached
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Space for All guidance updated
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IPP Finance Form added
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National Space Technology Programme announcement of opportunity published.
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Attachments inserted
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Space for All community grant scheme updated. New round of funding announced.
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Update to National Space Technology Programme funding information.
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International Space University (ISU) – Scholarship Scheme information added.
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Space for Smarter Government Programme call for proposals information added.
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Space for All small awards scheme documents updated.
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National Space Technology Programme funding round two, call for space technology proposals information added.
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Announcement of the second round of the National Space Technology Programme funding added.
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Aurora outreach announcement of opportunity, guidance and application form.
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First published.