Funding Flash January 2025
Each month, Space South Central aims to bring together a curated list of the latest and best funding opportunities for businesses working in the space sector across the South East.
The list is not exhaustive – for that, see the Satellite Applications Catapult’s Space Enterprise Network.
If you see an opportunity below that could be suitable for your business, reach out to the team at info@spacesouthcentral.com, who will offer advice, expertise, support and connections to help you create successful bids. Since 2016, we have helped regional organisations secure £37.5M.
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Global Business Innovation Programme in Canada - Semiconductors
Deadline: Sunday, 19th January 2025
The Global Business Innovation Programme, organised by Innovate UK, is a comprehensive initiative to help ambitious businesses to collaborate and expand in new markets, accelerating business growth.
The programme encompasses various phases, including a Get ready preparation phase, a 6-day in country visit focused on relevant semiconductor innovations, an Exploit the Opportunity workshop, and support from an Innovate UK Business Growth innovation and growth specialist.
Read more here.
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Global Incubator Programme: Singapore – Advanced Manufacturing 2025
Deadline: Monday, 20th January 2025
Innovate UK seeks innovative Advanced Manufacturing companies for its Global Incubator Programme with Singapore.
Innovate UK’s Global Incubator Programme is an acceleration programme for innovative businesses to work with world-leading incubators abroad.
They are accepting applications for up to eight innovative companies in the Advanced Manufacturing technology sector to join SDTA’s Global Incubator in Singapore.
The aim is to deliver this initiative physically and virtually, including two week-long visits to Singapore in March/April and October 2025 with 6-months programme activity delivered virtually.
Read more here.
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ESA: Model-Based Approach For Software Defined Payload Applications (Artes At 5a.089)
Deadline: Friday, 24th January 2025
Further information is available through the Tendering section of the ESA-Star portal.
Find out more by signing up to the ESA-Star Portal here.
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Defence Innovation Loans 2024-25
Deadline: Tuesday, 28th January 2024
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) supported by Innovate UK Loans Ltd (Innovate UK) are working together to offer a Defence funding competition: the Defence Innovation Loan. This service provides an opportunity for single small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with solutions to Defence-themed problems to apply for a Defence Innovation Loan of between £100,000 and £1 million with a below-market interest rate of 7.4% per annum. This loan can be used to cover up to 100% of eligible project costs to aid the commercialisation of the solution.
Read more here.
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ARTES Call for Innovative Hybrid Network Solutions
Deadline: Friday, 31st January 2025
This is a targeted call for expressions of interest in delivering future satellite services under the Competitiveness and Growth call of the European Space Agency (ESA) ARTES Programme in support of the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) Very Hard to Reach Programme. The call will make up to £3.5 million of UK funding available. The call is focused on three different projects: the Nomadic Multi-orbit User Terminal Demonstrator, the Papa Stour Service Demonstrator and the Rathlin Island Service Demonstrator.
Read more here.
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Integrated Digital Solutions for the Energy Sector
Deadline: Wednesday, 12th February 2025
This Call for Proposals invites proposals for feasibility studies and demonstration projects for services that leverage space-based technologies to advance resilience and sustainability in the energy sector. With a focus on digital transformation, the call encourages innovative solutions that integrate digital tools such as IoT, AI, blockchain, AR/VR, and digital twins. These solutions aim to optimise electricity grid management, enable predictive maintenance, support energy storage, improve construction logistics, and streamline renewable energy management.
Read more here.
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IAF Emerging Space Leaders Grant programme
Deadline: Friday, 14th February 2025
This programme enables up to 30 students and young professionals to participate in the International Astronautical Congress (IAC). The students and young professionals selected to take part in the 2025 IAF Emerging Space Leaders Grant Programme will participate in the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) scheduled to take place in Sydney, Australia from 29 September- 3 October 2025. Successful grantees will also have the opportunity to engage in other activities held the week before and during the Congress such as the UN/IAF Workshop, the Space Generation Congress (if selected), and the Cross-Cultural Communications and Presentation Workshop.
Read more here.
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CASSINI Challenges 2024
Deadline: Friday, 14th February 2025
The competition is looking for EU Space-based solutions in satellite navigation, Earth observation, satellite communication or space surveillance and tracking. Including:
Solutions using EU Space (Galileo and Copernicus data, signals, services).
Solutions contributing to the competitiveness of the European Space industry in the field of satellite navigation, Earth observation, secure SATCOM or space surveillance and tracking.
Solutions highlighting effectiveness, uniqueness, and innovation, with a strong focus on commercial potential and scalability.
Read more here.
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Maritime Decarbonisation
Deadline: Friday, 28th February 2025
Maritime decarbonisation is a central element of maritime sustainability. Shipping is recognised as the most efficient form of commercial transport in terms of CO2 emissions per tonne of cargo transported in one mile. However, due to the scale of the industry, maritime transport is still a significant contributor to the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions (around 3% of total global CO2 emissions).
This call for proposals, issued under the ARTES BASS programme line, is aimed at supporting the development of sustainable space-based services and applications that address challenges related to the decarbonisation of the maritime industry. Additionally, the call seeks to assist the maritime sector in adapting to and complying with new European and international regulatory frameworks.
Read more here.
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Astronomy Solar and Planetary Studies Small Awards 2025
Deadline: Tuesday, 4th March 2025
Apply for funding to support theory, including modelling, simulation and related software development, observation, experiment and new technology research, relevant to all aspects of solar system science.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding.
Read more here.
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Space supporting Environmental Claims
Deadline: Friday, 14th March 2025
This ‘Space supporting Environmental Claims’ opportunity offers funding to European teams interested in developing services that provide support and evidence for environmental claims and labelling. The European Space Agency (ESA) will provide funding for 6-month feasibility studies known as ‘Kick-Starts’, which can lead to larger-scale projects and pilots. Kick-Starts are funded at 75% by ESA, up to a maximum of €75K per contract. Proposed services must use satellite data or space-based technologies.
Read more here.
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Knowledge Transfer Partnership
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
Key features of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) are that:
they are open to businesses or not-for-profit organisations, research organisations and graduates to work on an innovation project
partnerships can last between 12 and 36 months
funding is provided to support the total cost of the project – businesses provide around one-third to half of the project costs depending on their size.
Read more here.
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NCSC Funded Cyber Essentials Programme
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
All modern businesses face a threat from cyber attack but some organisations have a particularly increased risk. This might be because they hold sensitive information about the people that they work with, or they are perceived as an easy target by cyber criminals.
For those sectors most at risk – specifically quantum, AI, semiconductors, engineering biology / synthetic biology, advanced materials, advanced robotics, fusion energy and space/satellites – the UK Government National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is launching a Funded Cyber Essentials Programme. The training is from the NCSC’s delivery partner, IASME. This scheme aims to help vulnerable organisations to implement baseline security controls to prevent the most common types of cyber attack.
The programme will offer practical support from an Advisor to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus at no cost to the organisation. Please note, this does not include the cost of any additional software or hardware identified by the Advisor that is required to achieve Cyber Essential Plus.
Read more here.
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British Business Bank Growth Guarantee Scheme
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
Designed to support access to finance for UK smaller businesses as they look to invest and grow. The Growth Guarantee Scheme launched with accredited lenders on 1 July 2024, with a wide range of products supported by different lenders, including term loans, overdrafts, asset finance, invoice finance and asset-based lending.
The Growth Guarantee Scheme can generally support facility sizes of up to £2m and provides the lender with a 70% government-backed guarantee.
Read more here.
