FAQs

Applications must be submitted by a legal entity, either independently or leading a consortium of legal entities (e.g., SMEs, large organisations, research institutes, and universities).

Full application documentation and submission instructions are available on the Apply page. Please read all documents carefully, including the requirements checklist.

Your research project shall align with the theme of the ESA Phi-Lab UK, focus on an innovative technology, and demonstrate high commercial potential.

The theme of the ESA Phi-Lab UK is “space-enabled sustainability technologies” and your application must be aligned with one of the three pillars described in the call (environmental sustainability, space sustainability, space resilience).

The ESA Phi-Lab UK recommends registering interest and requesting an initial meeting for specific support and advice.

Successful projects will receive between €200,000 and €225,000 in ESA Innovation Seed Funding to deliver the research activity.

In addition, projects will be awarded a Voucher Award of up to €150,000, provided as an in‑kind contribution granting access facilities and expertise provided by Phi-Lab partners. The scope and use of this support are agreed during the project and are subject to availability.

The duration of your research project should be up to 24 months.

You can access world-class facilities like cleanrooms, environmental testing facilities, scientific and technical expertise, business coaching, and IP support.

The ESA Phi-Lab UK Partners, listed on the Our Partners page, provide these resources.

Engage with ESA Phi-Lab UK during the application stage to discuss your needs and research project.

Research projects are expected to benefit from ESA Phi-Lab UK support. However, applicants are not required to have fully defined their partner support needs at the application stage.

If the specific support required becomes clearer as the project progresses, support from ESA Phi-Lab UK partners can still be requested during the project, via the Voucher Award.

Yes. Funding and support provided through ESA Phi‑Lab UK are delivered as a public subsidy and must comply with UK subsidy control requirements.

For applicants, this simply means that ESA Phi‑Lab UK is designed to support projects that would not normally be delivered by the market alone, and where public support can make a meaningful difference.

Projects supported by ESA Phi‑Lab UK typically:

Address high‑risk or early‑stage research and innovation, where private investment alone is unlikely to be sufficient.
Deliver wider benefits beyond the individual company, such as new knowledge, capabilities, or applications with broader economic or societal value.
Are enabled or accelerated by public support, for example by increasing ambition, reducing risk, or bringing forward work that would otherwise be delayed or not undertaken.
Focus on activities and costs that would not reasonably be funded without support from the programme.

You do not need to use legal or subsidy‑specific terminology in your application. These considerations are reflected through the project’s objectives, ambition, and rationale.

No. Applicants are not expected to provide a legal or technical subsidy control assessment.

ESA Phi‑Lab UK are responsible for ensuring that funding and support are provided in compliance with subsidy control requirements. You may, however, be asked to clarify aspects of your project during evaluation or contract negotiation to support this assessment.

This award is classified as a Subsidy which does not form part of your MFA or De Minimis allowance.

Research projects will receive a grant award (subsidy) and not a payment for a service. Grant funding lies entirely outside the scope of VAT, any costs claimed must be net of VAT.