Unlocking Earth Observation commercial opportunities in Spain: new ESA InCubed funding cycle

Spain-based companies of any size are invited to participate in the latest Φ-lab InCubed co-funding call, by submitting proposals for the development of groundbreaking and commercially successful products in the Earth observation (EO) field. The call opens on 15 September and the deadline for submissions is 28 October 2024 at 14:00 CET.

InCubed is an ESA co-funding partnership programme run by ESA Φ-lab that aims to fill the gap between business ideas and the Earth observation market, with the support of its signatory Participating States. Focusing on leveraging the benefits of EO data and services, InCubed provides co-funding for the development of any elements of the EO value chain, namely full satellites and constellations, platforms, payloads and instruments, ground segment-based systems, and downstream applications and value-added services.

Entities can apply for different levels of co-funding, depending on the type of activity, and will be guided by ESA top-tier experts to create sound products/services from a technical, commercial, and financial standpoint. In this partnership, ESA will act as the partner of the proposing company, with the aim to reduce its development and business risks.  

In collaboration with the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), this latest call will open on 15 September 2024 and has a budget of €11 million, of which up to 30% can be allocated to de-risking activities (see its definition here). Proposals should be focused in developing EO innovative and commercially successful products and services. Proposals for Contract Change Notices for ongoing InCubed contracts may be submitted as well and will follow the same evaluation criteria of the new proposals.

Proposals may include non-Spanish suppliers, as long as they are essential for the success of the project. The goal is to demonstrate a strong economical return to the Spanish space sector, including both the lead applicant and their partners and supply chains. Proposed activities may be funded up to 50% of the total cost in the Product Development Cycle, and up to 75% in the De-risking Cycle. Universities and research institutes with no commercial interest in the project may be funded up to 100% of their costs if those do not surpass 30% of the total activity funding. Ideas currently being funded by other ESA/AEE programmes are not eligible for this call.

Differing from previous standard procedures, this specific call will not require pitch presentations from applicants. Spanish companies must submit directly an Outline Proposal (Part 1) on the dedicated InCubed platform, which will be ranked based on defined criteria. Those who score above the cut-off point will be invited to submit a full proposal to ESA, together with the letter of support from AEE, which they must do within 4 to 6 weeks after the invitation. Successful applicants identified by the Tender Evaluation Board will be contacted directly by ESA to discuss further contract negotiations.

Interested entities can find out more about this call during the AEE event in Madrid, on 3 September, and enrol via the AEE dedicated link. The call opens on 15 September and the closing date for submissions is 28 October 2024 at 14:00 CET.

To know more: ESA InCubed, Spanish Space Agency, InCubed Spanish Call event by AEE

Photo courtesy of ESA