Corporate report

UK Space Agency Corporate Plan 2020-21

Published 20 January 2021

Foreword

Ministerial foreword

From national security to weather predictions and navigation, space-based technologies are already an essential part of our lives. The growing potential of commercial spaceflight adds a new level of excitement and opportunity to what is already one of the most inspirational sectors in the UK.

Space has an unrivalled ability to captivate our imagination and the UK is uniquely placed to remain at the forefront of this high-tech industry. Our strengths in research and development, innovation and technology place us in a perfect position to lead the new space age and work collaboratively and effectively with our international partners.

I want to see the UK Space Agency developing stronger global relationships that complement and build upon our ongoing membership of the European Space Agency, which remains one of the main routes to market for UK space-based technologies. UK scientists and engineers have taken a lead role in major space missions such as Solar Orbiter which will study the Sun in greater detail than ever before. We are also paving the way for US companies to operate from UK spaceports with the new Technology Safeguards Agreement between our nations.

Whilst we are facing unprecedented times, the space sector has already demonstrated immense resilience and its unique role in the country’s response to the pandemic. I’ve been pleased to see UK Space Agency funding going towards innovative space-enabled solutions that can support the incredible efforts of our NHS. Not only can the space sector help us through crises like this, but it can also help to shape our recovery, developing commercial opportunities and technologies to position the UK as a leader in the sector and a science superpower, now that we’ve left the EU.

Space offers immense value to the UK, recognised by the creation of a new Cabinet-level National Space Council. A cross government Space Strategy will bring together expertise across government to develop our local and national capabilities, deepen our investments in R&D and position the UK to maximise opportunities to attract global talent and inward investment.

The UK Space Agency has an exciting plan to operate at international, national, and local delivery levels, exploring and charting new opportunities for the UK and working alongside industry, universities and indeed government, to emerge from the challenges of the past few months better and stronger than ever before.

Amanda Solloway MP

Minister for Science, Research and Innovation

“Space has an unrivalled ability to captivate our imagination and the UK is uniquely placed to remain at the forefront of this high-tech industry.”

Chief Executive’s foreword

We all face an unprecedented challenge from Covid-19, and I recognise there are many impacts being felt across the space sector and the wider economy. The UK Space Agency is working hard to minimise these impacts and my personal mission is to ensure we emerge stronger than ever. In response to the pandemic, we have refocused our efforts on Sector Resilience, standing up dedicated UK sector support resources, whilst we continue to work towards our longer-term goals and lay the foundation for a high-impact UK Space Strategy.

Public services rely on satellite data and signals, with space a designated part of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), so a vital part of our work is to ensure they continue to operate. We know that satellite services also underpin over £300 billion of UK GDP, supporting sectors ranging from agriculture to finance, so I firmly believe that the space sector will also play an essential role in the UK’s economic recovery.

We have an exciting and ambitious programme of work for 2020/21 that will not only drive forward our ambitions for space, but benefit the country as a whole.

Our new National Space Innovation Programme will support innovative capabilities which we may one day come to rely on, with an initial focus on ubiquitous communications and Earth observation technologies. This will include an international element that will give UK organisations access to new global opportunities with our key partner countries.

We will also continue to build on our current national space activities, promoting UK leadership and independence, taking forward the Spaceflight Programme, to support the ambitions of potential spaceport sites and launch operators across the United Kingdom, and ensuring resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing services.

We are supporting the Government’s acquisition of OneWeb, which develops cutting-edge satellite technology in the UK and in the United States, with the potential to connect millions of people, in particular those in remote, rural locations without broadband access.

Our award-winning International Partnership Programme will continue to develop international relationships with countries across the globe, having already delivered satellite-enabled data solutions to emerging and developing countries and improving the lives of people around the world – all while boosting the UK economy.

We have increased our annual investments to the European Space Agency, in line with other countries, to secure significant commercial contracts for UK companies. This allows us to play a leading role in global space endeavours, from collecting samples on Mars, to designing new satellites to improve understanding of climate change on Earth. And I am committed to maximising the return on this investment over the course of this year and beyond.

We will also continue to support the UK’s trade negotiations with the EU and rest of the world to ensure the sector gets the best deal possible for the future.

So far, this has been a challenging year for us all. But we have an ambitious long-term vision and a commitment to adapting to whatever comes our way, as we embark on a Transformation Programme to become a more agile organisation that maximises our value to the UK.

Despite Covid-19, I am optimistic about what the future holds and committed to leading the UK Space Agency in line with our values (United, Knowledgeable, Sharing and Ambitious). I know that with the support of our great people and partners in industry, academia and across government, we can deliver on our shared ambitions for the year and look ahead to a new space age in which the UK plays a leading role.

Graham Turnock

Chief Executive, UK Space Agency

Role and purpose

The UK Space Agency, an executive agency of BEIS, sets the strategic direction for the UK’s civil space activities and provides funding and other support to grow the UK’s space sector and foster ground-breaking science and innovation, with an aspiration to be a meaningful global leader in space. The Agency’s work covers a broad spectrum of activity, from fundamental research into the origins of the universe to investment in down-to-earth uses of space, such as weather forecasting, telecommunications and safety-critical navigation.

The Agency’s civil space programme is delivered in part through the UK contribution to the European Space Agency (ESA) – a non-EU intergovernmental organisation, which enables UK industry and academia to access a broader field of collaborative space programmes, expertise and facilities. This is complemented by national space investments to build domestic capabilities in high innovation technologies and scientific instruments, grow new commercial markets, and help space organisations access the skills and expertise they need to start and scale up - as well as a network of international partnerships linking industry with key markets overseas.

We are responsible for:

• space strategy and policy development, including representing the UK at international level on global issues
• investing in the space sector and delivering national programmes
• regulating UK space activities, including emerging markets like spaceflight and in-orbit proximity missions

The UK space sector currently makes a substantial contribution to UK prosperity. It raises £5.7bn of value (GVA) to the UK economy per year and underpins £5.5bn in exports, whilst satellites support an estimated £300bn of UK GDP. The space sector employs 42,000 people and its workforce is 2.6 times more productive than the UK average. It continues to grow: UK space income has more than trebled in real terms since the turn of the millennium, growing at an average rate of 7.8% compared with global growth at an average of 5.6% per year since 2008.

UK space science and innovation are also world leading. With a high-skilled workforce, the most highly qualified in England and Wales, the UK is responsible for 2% of the world’s space patents and 8% of the world’s space science publications (the fourth highest in the world). The UK is home to world- class research facilities, including new satellite and propulsion test centres, and our sector is responsible for a number of world firsts: the first commercial spacecraft to remove space debris and record a video of the world in full colour, the first commercial sensors to measure our atmospheric temperature in 3D, and the first venture fund dedicated to commercial space enterprise.

Our sector’s successes have relied on Government investment and support, to share risk in new technologies or markets, stimulate private investment and unlock access to international programmes.

Global investment in space has grown substantially year on year, fuelled by new private entrepreneurs injecting unprecedented capital and new global space players using space to gain geopolitical advantage. In parallel, demand for space products and services continues to grow, driven by huge consumer demand for data.

To keep pace and meet Government’s ambition for the UK, we must continue to ensure that the UK space sector is able to adapt and exploit new opportunities for science, research and business, and to respond to new risks. We will enhance our platform to deliver against these ambitions through a range of domestic, bilateral and multinational programmes that further enable UK-led ground-breaking R&D and discovery, build more resilient national space capabilities, unlock additional private and inward investment, and help more UK space businesses to start and scale up. We are sensitive to the need to build our national capability whilst developing wider choices for our international partnerships.

Vision and objectives

Vision

The UK Space Agency wants the UK to lead the new space age, with the benefits of space reaching everyone. We are developing a comprehensive UK Space Strategy to set a bold vision for the UK in space and co-ordinate government investment in this growing industry.

Our objectives

We have focused our immediate priorities to effectively support our staff and the sector through the Covid-19 pandemic.

We have three initial priorities that will be reviewed periodically as our understanding of longer-term implications develops.

Covid-19: keep our staff safe and maintain our core operations

Due to the impacts of Covid-19 we have narrowed the scope of our priorities to effectively support our staff and the sector more widely. Internally we are prioritising the health and wellbeing of our staff, re- prioritising our work to allocate available resources to our short-term priorities whilst planning for the longer term.

This prioritisation will be reviewed once we fully understand the longer-term impacts relating to Covid-19 and the priorities of the National Space Council and UK Space Strategy.

Space sector support: monitor and support space sector resilience and Critical National Infrastructure, and support recovery

We will continuously monitor the resilience of critical aspects of the space sector, which are integral to maintaining our national security and day-to-day life. This includes supporting companies to develop their own pandemic response plans, identify critical interdependencies and to monitor staff absence levels across the sector.

We will also identify and mitigate key areas where our critical national infrastructure depends on assets maintained by other countries, and UK critical assets on which others depend, which may in turn reduce or halt their service if heavily impacted by Covid-19.

We will work closely with government partners to track and translate emerging policy on support to industry as we move through the pandemic.

Build a better Agency – increase our adaptability and lead the UK towards its future space ambitions

The Transformation Programme will deliverimprovements that will add value to the Agency regardless of the future strategic direction.

We will create adaptability so we know how to react and respond to changes more effectively, improve how we work to understand and maximise the value we deliver as an organisation, and develop a culture to make the agency a great place to work for everyone.

Goals

Looking to the future we will continue to work towards our long-term vision and aims in partnership with the National Space Council on an ambitious UK Space Strategy. Building on the objectives of the 2015 National Space Policy we have set ourselves five longer term strategic goals for 2020/21, recognising in particular the importance of space for national capability.

Growth – drive and sustain UK space sector growth

The UK space sector is an economic success story – growing more than 60% since the UK Space Agency was established in 2010/11. The sector generates an income of £14.8 billion, employs 42,000 people and supports a further £300 billion of economic activity through the use of satellite services.

The UK Space Agency is driving further growth by seizing opportunities such as the increasing global demand for space services and the falling cost of satellites and space technologies. The economic benefits will stretch across the entire United Kingdom, creating innovative businesses and high-skilled jobs, while boosting research and development, and productivity.

Science - deliver space-based infrastructure that enables world-class science

The UK is a world leader in space science, designing, developing and operating spacecraft in the most challenging environments imaginable and harnessing data and observations.

From exploring our Solar System to mapping the stars in the galaxy, the UK is furthering human knowledge and the understanding of our place in the Universe.

Nationally, through the European Space Agency and in partnership with others around the world, the UK Space Agency funds the development of science, exploration, and technology, which also plays a major role in inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Capabilities – ensure the UK government has access to capabilities that are integral to our national safety, security and Critical National Infrastructure

Space is fundamental to society and underpins our daily lives. Due to our increasing reliance on space, the UK government has designated it a Critical National Infrastructure sector and recognises risks such as space weather and space debris.

The UK Space Agency is committed to using space technology to protect our way of life, the space environment, and to meeting our responsibilities under UN treaties. We are developing advanced sovereign capabilities and using space as a force for good.

Global influence - increase the UK’s global influence in science, security and trade through space

We continue to build on our strong international relationships. Through organisations like the European Space Agency and new bilateral projects with countries all over the world, the UK can harness global opportunities, access world-class facilities and take part in inspiring missions for a fraction of their total cost, generating a significant return on investment.

Space is essential for improving our understanding of global issues like climate change and for tackling them using satellites and data services. We run a world-leading programme of space projects for sustainable development to support developing countries and generate opportunities for the UK space sector.

Great place to work - Ensure an effective UK Space Agency which is a great place to work, supported by strong governance.

The UK Space Agency is one of the most exciting places to work in government. We are a unique government agency, supporting projects that are literally out of this world.

Our most valuable asset is our people and we want to foster a culture which actively supports their efforts, while becoming a more adaptable Agency that leads the UK towards its future space ambitions through the Transformation Programme.

Priority programmes

We will deliver our goals in 2020/21, though our priority programmes and associated key milestones and targets. Recognising the current unprecedented times and associated risk to the sector, our 8 KPIs reflect both our ongoing response to Covid-19 both internally and externally, as well as our longer-term strategic priorities.

As part of our work on a new UK Space Strategy and transformation of the UK Space Agency we will continue to monitor and mitigate risks, as well as ensure that our Agency performs at its best, using external audit and assurance processes to drive continuous improvement in the way that we do business.

All of our work will be underpinned by our desire to be the best Space Agency we can be. The delivery of our transformation programme through Covid-19 and beyond will continue to develop the Agency as a great place to work, which is adaptive to changing requirements and a growing sector.

Sector resilience

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the UK Space Agency has diverted appropriate resources from core programmes into providing dedicated sector advice and support to help resilience and recovery during this difficult time.

Space sector support: monitor space sector resilience and Critical National Infrastructure, and support recovery.

We will continuously monitor the resilience of critical aspects of the space sector, which are integral to maintaining our national security and day-to-day life. This includes supporting companies to develop their own pandemic response plans, identify critical interdependencies and to monitor staff absence levels across the sector.

We will also identify and mitigate key areas where our critical national infrastructure depends on assets maintained by other countries, and UK critical assets on which others depend, which may in turn reduce or halt their service if heavily impacted by Covid-19.

Working closely with government partners to track and translate emerging government policy on support to industry as we move through the pandemic.

Alignment to goals: Growth: Drive and sustain UK space sector growth

2020/21 programme aim:

Ensure the UK Space sector is as resilient as possible to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in order to protect Critical National Infrastructure, ensure capability and maintain and continue economic growth.

We will assess progress by ensuring:

• sector satisfaction with our response measured by sector survey response
• sector requirements are adequately reflected in Government policy design, taking into account in particular the designation of Space as Critical National Infrastructure

National Space Innovation Programme

We will set up and deliver a pilot for new national and international programmes.

The National Space Innovation Programme is our new flagship programme of investment in space-based technology, innovation and international delivery priorities.

Alignment to goals includes:

• growth: drive and sustain UK space sector growth
• global influence: increase the UK’s global influence in science, security and trade through space
• science: deliver space-based infrastructure that enables world-class science
• capabilities: ensure the UK government has access to capabilities that are integral to our national safety, security and Critical National Infrastructure

2020/21 programme aims include:

• innovation: support the establishment of innovative technology, products and services in the UK’s space sector
• International Space Programme: facilitate and support bilateral and multilateral projects outside those undertaken via ESA

We will assess progress by ensuring:

• sector demand is demonstrated - fundable projects that have passed peer review exceed available budget by a factor of greater than 1.5
• programme delivery is successful - all selected project milestones are delivered by March 2021 and to budget

UK Spaceflight Programme

Through a £50 million programme to kick-start small satellite launch and sub-orbital flight from UK spaceports, we will continue to create the conditions to enable the UK to be the first country in Europe to achieve commercial spaceflight – generating growth for the UK’s economy.

Alignment to goals includes:

• growth: drive and sustain UK space sector growth
• global Influence: increase the UK’s global influence in science, security and trade through space
• science: deliver space-based infrastructure that enables world-class science
• capabilities: ensure the UK government has access to capabilities that are integral to our national safety, security and Critical National Infrastructure

The 2020/21 programme aim is to create the foundation capabilities and regulatory regime needed to enable the UK to achieve the economic benefits of a UK spaceflight market by 2030, where activities are safe, secure and sustainable.

We will assess progress by ensuring that:

• a public consultation is launched in 2020 for enabling secondary legislation and associated guidance for safe, secure, and sustainable spaceflight activities
• bilateral agreements are finalised with neighbouring countries by by mid-2021, to facilitate launch from the UK

UK Space-based PNT Programme (SBPP)

BEIS SoS recommendation to reset the GNSS programme into SBPP was endorsed by the Prime Minister on 8 September 2020. The GNSS programme closed on 30 September and the SBPP launched on 1 October 2020.

The Programme will operate 2 phases: A Discovery phase that runs up to March 2021 and an Options Assessment phase which will produce an OBC by November 2021. The OBC will define the list of options and approaches, with their consequences, that the programme recommends taking forward into the next phase FBC.

Alignment to goals includes:

• growth: drive and sustain UK space sector growth
• global influence: increase the UK’s global influence in science, security and trade through space
• science: deliver space-based infrastructure that enables world-class science
• capabilities: enhance resilience of existing PNT services and ensure the UK government has access to capabilities that are integral to our national safety, security and Critical National Infrastructure.

2020/2021 programme aim is to deliver outline solution options for the development of a UK space based PNT capability (enabling an Outline Business Case to be developed by Nov 2021).

We will assess progress by ensuring that:

• Ideas from Industry, through the Request for Information (RFI) process, along with stakeholder ideas are developed into viable concepts (March 2021)
• commercial operating models are developed to inform delivery options, in accordance with the Government’s Outsourcing Playbook (March 2021)
• a space-based requirements set is developed from wider PNT Key User Requirements and User Requirements (March 2021)

Transformation

Alignment to goals: UKSA: Ensuring an effective UK Space Agency which is a great place to work, living the UKSA values (United, Knowledgeable, Sharing and Ambitious).

Programme aims are: - complete scoping of and implement Phase 1 of the UKSA transformation programme - identify, design and implement Phase 1 elements of the UKSA transformation programme in 20/21

We will assess progress by ensuring:

• committed transformation projects identified from the design phase are implemented on schedule by March 2021
• people survey scores on change management reflect staff awareness and improved engagement in Transformation

A UK Space Strategy

This priority programme is focused on bringing together the newly formed National Space Council to take ownership, at the highest levels of Government, for developing the UK Space Sector. As part of this the forthcoming UK Space Strategy will inform strategic space priorities across Government.

Alignment to goals includes:

• growth: drive and sustain UK space sector growth
• global influence: increase the UK’s global influence in science, security and trade through space
• science: deliver space-based infrastructure that enables world-class science
• capabilities: ensure the UK government has access to capabilities that are integral to our national safety, security, and Critical National Infrastructure

The 2020/21 programme aim is to play a leading role in the development of a UK Space Strategy which co-ordinates Government action to achieve our shared ambition for space.

We will measure our progress by ensuring that:

• governance to support strategy development is established by June 2020
• UK Space Agency advises the National Space Council on its space strategy from June 2020
• an evidence review to build insight into UK space capabilities, opportunities and challenges is completed by September 2020

International Partnership Programme

This programme uses the UK Space sector’s research and innovation strengths to deliver a space-enabled Official Development Assistance compliant programme that provides a measurable and sustainable economic or societal benefit to its beneficiaries.

Alignment to goals includes:

• growth: drive and sustain UK space sector growth
• global influence: increase the UK’s global influence in science, security and trade through space
• science: deliver space-based infrastructure that enables world-class science
• capabilities: ensure the UK government has access to capabilities that are integral to our national safety, security, and Critical National Infrastructure.

2020/21 programme aims are to select, invest, monitor, and oversee projects to create innovative and sustainable systems or services which will:

• deliver an economic or societal benefit to the lives of those living in developing countries, in alignment with UK aid strategy
• grow the UK space applications sector, in alignment with UKSA strategy

We will assess progress by ensuring that:

• budget managed within agreed financial programme approvals and out-turn forecasts
• perform detailed monitoring and evaluation of our programme, the IPP Midline Evaluation, will be delivered by May 2020

Place a minimum of 12 new projects on grant (11 call 3 projects + 1 Satellite Enabled Data Services: Public Policy Course project) leading to new impacts in developing countries and export opportunities in new markets.

European Space Agency

Our shared investment in ESA programmes goes from strength to strength with a record £374 million annual investment agreed this year.

Alignment to goals includes:

• growth: drive and sustain UK space sector growth
• global Influence: increase the UK’s global influence in science, security, and trade through space
• science: deliver space-based infrastructure that enables world-class science
• capabilities: ensure the UK government has access to capabilities that are integral to our national safety, security, and Critical National Infrastructure.

The 2020/21 programme aim is to achieve best value from our UK investment in ESA contributions.

We will assess progress by ensuring we:

• put in place a system to measure the benefits of Space 19+ investments against the UKSA results framework
• carry out preliminary strategic analysis of UK objectives for ESA CMIN 22 (Council of Ministers)

Our people

The Agency’s most valuable resource is our people and we want to foster a culture which actively supports their efforts, while becoming a more adaptable organisation that leads the UK towards its future space ambitions. We will achieve this by:

• engaging staff and measuring organisational improvement, through our People Strategy and People Survey Action Plan
• responding to Covid-19 by keeping our staff safe and ensuring their wellbeing is a top priority, which in turn supports and maintains our core operations
• ensuring our people have the tools they need to deliver their roles from home and that our HR policies and procedures are as efficient and effective as possible, maximising flexibilities in line with Civil Service best practice
• promoting ourselves as a diverse and equal opportunities employer, supporting our staff to be themselves at work and attracting the best and most diverse new talent
• improving as an Agency in response to continuous feedback from staff collected via monthly wellbeing surveys

Progress will be monitored by our People Group which brings together HR, trade union representation and staff from across the Agency. Staff feedback will directly inform our Transformation programme to shape the UK Space Agency of the future around the values of its people. Our work across all of our programmes is underpinned by these values.

United: We are a united team with a single vision, taking strength from our diversity and committed to making our Agency a great place to work across all our sites.

Knowledgeable: We are knowledgeable leaders in the UK’s space sector, nurturing our people’s expertise in space, industry and government as the cornerstone of our success.

Sharing: We share our passion for space, working openly and collaboratively both at home and internationally, and celebrating our achievements.

Ambitious: We are pioneers who are ambitious for the UK’s future in space, empowered as a team and individuals to be nimble, take risks and challenge how things are done to realise our vision.

Approach to delivery

The Agency has grown significantly and as we progress into 2020/21 we will continue to determine how to best use the skillsets of our people. As part of these efforts, we have recently reorganised to create the new Strategy Directorate, which will lead on the UK Space Strategy and internal Agency strategy. The introduction of a Deputy CEO post enabled the bringing together of two Agency priority programmes: GNSS and Spaceflight. The regulatory function of the UK Space Agency is being transferred to the Civil Aviation Authority in line with best practice, and this transfer will take place over the coming year. Our Transformation Programme, ‘Project Proteus’, is also underway to ensure the Agency learns the lessons from major growth in the last few years, supports development of the People Plan, and ensures we are prepared to deliver on the goals of the UK Space Strategy.

In response to the evolving circumstances we face as a result of Covid-19, the UK Space Agency Business Continuity Plan was enacted. As a result, all staff are working from home effectively. During this period of change and the significant departure from our business as usual working practices, staff wellbeing has been a top priority, and measures have been implemented to ensure staff have access to the equipment they need to effectively work from home, and that flexible working and other considerations are applied to any staff impacted directly or indirectly by Covid-19.

We understand that Covid-19 brings significant challenges to the space sector and we are committed to providing support and guidance throughout this period and assessing where future investments can support continued sector growth.

The UK Space Agency will work closely with BEIS and other government departments to represent the space sector’s needs, including provision of feedback on the use of the Government’s business support schemes as a result of Covid-19.

The Agency will continue to work closely with BEIS as our sponsor Department and will continue to build working relationships with other government departments, in particular Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence as we develop the UK Space Strategy. Our strong relationship with the wider sector, both industrial and academic, is assured through various networks and working groups.

The UK Space Agency’s focus for 2020/21 will be on managing our long-standing commitments through our ESA subscription, International Partnership Programme and existing national commitments. Where possible our remaining efforts will be diverted into helping the sector emerge from and build resilience to the impacts of Covid-19, with a strong focus at the local level, and beyond this to position ourselves our businesses for a future outside of the EU.

Following the UK’s increased investment, the UK Space Agency has been working with ESA to ensure these new and existing investments are delivering benefits for UK industry. Despite Covid-19 most new missions are on track with major contracts either in place or currently being let for missions in exploration, space weather, Earth observation, telecommunications and debris removal, as well as grants in support of the UK Spaceflight programme. The UK remains committed to being an influential member of ESA (as the fourth largest funder) working to ensure it grows as an independent, commercially driven and globally facing space agency.

We are building on nearly 50 years of ESA membership to also create strong bilateral relationships, enhanced with funding through the National Space Innovation Programme, with countries such as Japan, US, France, Australia, Canada amongst others.

The UK Space Agency has worked with London Economics to develop a comprehensive Results Framework, which links the interdependencies between the Agency’s activities and its core strategic objectives. We will use this framework to track trends across the sector and better understand the delivery and impact of our activities.

Our Executive Board is chaired by our Chief Executive and manages the day-to-day operations and activity of the UK Space Agency, including the provision of policy advice to Ministers. The Board convenes twice a month to make decisions and oversee high-level business planning, finance, risk, and management issues.

Our Steering Board is chaired by an independent non-executive member and advises the Secretary of State and Ministers on our strategic direction. The Steering Board monitors performance against targets and risks. It also provides guidance to the Chief Executive and the Executive Board on the operation and development of the UK Space Agency. In 2020/21, we aim to appoint three new non-executive members to the board to succeed members whose terms of office will come to an end in 2020, as well as one additional non-executive member.

The Audit Committee is a sub-committee of the Steering Board and provides guidance and assurance to the Chief Executive to assist in fulfilling Accounting Officer responsibilities. The Chair of the Audit Committee reports to the Steering Board Chair.

Our financial plan

The UK Space Agency’s national and international activities in support of research and innovation programmes are funded through our programme (Science, Research and Development) and capital (Science Infrastructure) allocations.

We have an administration budget allocation to cover operating running costs such as the provision of strategic oversight, human resources, finance and communications functions and their associated costs. It also covers costs for information technology, learning and development and accommodation rental costs for our 3 sites – Swindon, Harwell and London.

In 2020/21 we will continue to closely scrutinise our budgets, to ensure continued value for money and efficient allocation of resources and monitor the impacts of Covid-19 on our financial operations.

UK Space Agency Budget allocations 2020/21

Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL)	2019/20 outturn, £000	2020/21 budget, £000
Admin DEL	4,741	4,964
Programme DEL	181,270	240,755
Capital DEL	194,812	222,005
Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)	25,654	30,000
National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF)	32,142	33,443
Total DEL	438,619	531,167

EU Exit	2019/20 outturn, £000	2020/21 budget, £000
GNSS	26,846	18,200
SBPP	-	11,400
EU Exit	1,953	1,900
NSPOC	-	4,000
PNT	-	500
Total EU Exit	28,799	36,000

Annually Managed Expenditure (AME)	2019/20 outturn, £000	2020/21 budget, £000
Non-ringfenced AME	2,033	763
Ringfenced AME - forward contract revaluations	6,567	1,570
Total AME	4,534	2,333

	2019/20 outturn, £000	2020/21 budget, £000
Total agency	462,884	569,500