ESA Space Solutions Kick-Start activities
ESA Business Applications Kick-Start
Status not published
ESA publishes thematic Kick-Start calls several times a year, each with a fixed deadline. Themes rotate (e.g. health, agriculture, energy, maritime, defence and security).
Kick-Start activities fund a short feasibility study (typically six months) with a ceiling commonly set at EUR 75,000 per activity, co-funded by ESA at up to 80% (the balance is the company's own contribution). Successful Kick-Starts can progress to a Demonstration Project worth substantially more.
You must co-fund 20%.
European Space Agency, Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Procurement
public · supranational
Deadline: cutoff — ESA publishes thematic Kick-Start calls several times a year, each with a fixed deadline. Themes rotate (e.g. health, agriculture, energy, maritime, defence and security).
This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.
Major bid — written case, budget, possibly partners.
You fund 20% yourself.
Who can apply
- Sectors: space, deeptech
- Stage: pre_seed, seed, series_a
- Locally registered entity required
Company must be registered in an ESA Member State that has subscribed to the relevant programme element. The service must use space assets (satcom, satnav, Earth observation, human spaceflight technology) in a commercially viable way.
How to apply
- Check that your ESA Member State has subscribed to the relevant programme line and confirm national authorisation
- Register on ESA STAR and obtain a bidder code
- Respond to an open Kick-Start theme with the ESA proposal template
- Evaluation by ESA and the national delegation
- Contract signature and six-month activity
What you will need
- ESA STAR registration and bidder code
- Technical and management proposal
- Cost breakdown / financial proposal
- Letter of authorisation from the national delegation
Source. https://commercialisation.esa.int/funding/ — checked 2026-08-14 · not human-checked