Guidance

About the ACCESS Programme

Updated 28 April 2026

Introduction

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Accelerating Commercialisation and Competitiveness of the European Space Sector (ACCESS) programme helps organisations develop space‑enabled services and technologies for use on Earth. It supports innovation across multiple sectors and contributes to economic growth and improved public services in the UK and internationally.  

It brings together funding from Element 1 ‘ScaleUp’ and Element 2 ‘Business Applications and Space Solutions’ (BASS), as well as business and technical support for companies.

Element 1 ‘Scale up’  

Element 1 of the ACCESS programme, ‘ScaleUp’, aims to accelerate the commercialisation of space and support the growth of private investment in space by providing start-ups with technical, financial and business support. ‘ScaleUp’ consists of five components: 

• ESA Business Incubation Centres (BICs): An established and world-leading network of incubators that nurture start-ups, providing valuable technical and business support. There are four regional incubators in the UK: Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, Sci-Tech Daresbury in the Liverpool City Region, The Royal Observatory in Edinburgh and University of Leicester’s new Space Park Leicester. The ESA BIC UK is managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). Companies can apply to ESA BICs in the UK in Spring and Autumn. To apply for the ESA BIC UK, you must have a strong and innovative space connection. Applicants need to be a new or existing UK registered company (less than 5 years old) and have at least one company member located in the UK.   

• Phi-LabNET: A network of innovative labs fostering collaboration between ESA, industry and researchers to bridge disruptive research with emerging commercial needs. Each ESA Phi-lab has a specific theme, with the ESA Phi-Lab UK providing funding and support to enable the commercialisation of innovative technologies that promote space sustainability and sustainability on earth. ESA Phi-Lab provides support from world-leading technical and scientific expertise to business coaching and commercialisation. To apply for the ESA Phi-Lab UK, your application must be aligned with our themes and address space or environmental sustainability. It must also demonstrate innovation and high commercial potential. The first application round has closed with two companies’ successful in Autumn 2025. There is one call that opens in Spring for companies to apply for ESA Phi-Lab UK research projects.  

• ESA Technology Brokers: A network of technology brokers with a long track record in facilitating technology transfer between space and non-space sectors, enabling innovation to flow between a wide range of industries. The UK’s technology broker is managed by TWI Ltd. 

• ESA Business Accelerators: Specialised centres supporting more mature companies in scaling their businesses and accessing financing. The UK has not funded this component.  

• ESA Marketplace: An initiative aimed at helping companies acquire customers at initial stages to gain market traction. The UK has not funded this component.

Element 2 Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) 

The BASS programme is a commercially-focused programme to develop innovative Earth applications and advances in critical downstream technologies. It offers support via a non-competitive open call, time‑bound thematic calls and competitive thematic Invitation to Tenders (ITTs). 

The BASS programme champions the use of space by catalysing investment in cutting-edge space applications across multiple sectors such as health, climate services, finance and maritime. UK-based entrepreneurs have access to expert guidance to improve their initial proposals through our free-to-use ESA Ambassadors, helping to secure funding to bring innovative space powered products, applications, and services to market. Applicants can also access ESA’s extensive marketing networks to increase their visibility and collaborate across domestic and international space ecosystems. 

The UK Space Agency co-funds BASS projects up to 50% through the permanently open BASS call, with both ESA and the UK Space Agency providing support on a zero-equity basis. Co-funding cannot come from other public sources and should primarily consist of monetary contributions—such as company funds, loans, or private investment—with in-kind support making up the minority balance. 

More details about the funding opportunities we are supporting is below:

1.1 Kick Start Calls 

Small scale feasibility studies designed to “kick start” the exploration of new, innovative, commercial space powered business ideas. Each call has a theme and is competitive.  

The UK Space Agency are currently not supporting applications to any of the Kick Start calls.

1.2 Enabling Studies 

Early-stage studies to explore how to stimulate the uptake of space in a particular sector. These competitive Invitation to Tender (ITT) calls are based around a theme that typically involves significant commercial risk, require significant lead-in times, or present unique challenges in determining or creating a viable market opportunity. 

You will need an Authorisation of Funding (AoF) letter from the Space Data and Applications Team to apply for an Enabling Study. See 1.6 below for more information on how to do this.

1.3 Competitive Calls  

Competitive calls are thematically focussed ITT competitive calls for Proof of Concept (feasibility) study activities to address a particular customer challenge while stimulating commercial interest. 

You will need an Authorisation of Funding (AoF) letter from the Space Data and Applications Team to apply for a competitive ITT. See 1.6 below for more information on how to do this.

1.4 Non-competitive Calls for Proposals 

Non-competitive Calls for Proposals are thematic, non-competitive calls for Proof of Concept Studies and Pilot Projects that accept proposals for a specific period of time. They intend to expand the use of space-based products, applications, and services in a particular sector.  You do not need anything from us to apply for Call for Proposals, but you should notify us of your intention to apply before doing so.

1.5 Permanently Open Call 

Under the Open Call for Proposals, companies propose Proof of Concept studies and/or Pilot Projects that align with national and international priorities, generating and proposing the theme and customer challenges they intend to address themselves. 

The call is non-competitive, does not close, and you can apply at any time. This is the most flexible call in terms of the timescales for submitting the initial application, the scope of activities, and the length of the projects. Proof of Concept Studies are limited to a maximum of nine (9) months and have an upper limit for the amount that the UK Space Agency can co-fund, but Pilot Projects are much more flexible (noting our default 50% co-funding rate across all project types unless otherwise stated).  

Within ACCESS Element 2 BASS, ESA will introduce a new type of initiative called a Growth Project. Growth Projects aim to support large-scale pilot trials and integrate additional and/or complimentary market requirements into the original service, thereby creating further opportunities for growth. The exact scope of the Growth projects is currently in development with ESA so not currently open for proposals. 

Please also see this list of the BASS funding calls supported by the UK Space Agency here: BASS calls supported by the UK Space Agency. You can find a list of all the currently open calls, and those that are about to open on the ESA website here: How to apply: ESA Space Solutions – scroll down to the “Featured Opportunities” section noting that we may not be supporting all available opportunities.

1.6 Authorisation of Funding (AoF) 

Before embarking on writing your proposal, you should contact the Space Data and Applications team to check that we are supporting that call. This will ensure you are using your resources effectively and avoid wasting your time and effort. 

For your completed proposal to be accepted by ESA for assessment an Authorisation of Funding (AoF) letter must be included issued from the UK Space Agency National Delegate for ACCESS for the amount of funding requested. If you do not include an AoF with your completed proposal ESA will immediately reject it without assessment. 

The process for requesting the UK Space Agency National Delegate for ACCESS to consider issuing an AoF letter for your proposal is different depending on which funding opportunity you are applying for. 

For Enabling Studies and Competitive Calls: You need to provide your completed proposal document to the Space Applications and Data Team a minimum of five (5) working days before the closing date to allow us to consider supporting your proposal. 

For Calls for Proposals and the Open Call: You can submit your initial proposal for these calls without needing anything from the UK Space Agency, although you should inform us of your intention to do so. We only consider issuing an AoF once you have completed your Full Proposal. 

You need to provide your completed Full Proposal documentation set to us for review to allow us to consider supporting your proposal. As there are no timescales for these opportunities, this can be planned in to fit with the applicants’ timescales. 

The Space Data and Applications team can be contacted at space-applications@ukspaceagency.gov.uk.

Type of proposals we are interested in supporting through UK Space Agency BASS programme funding

We are interested in the application of space data and assets into previously untapped consumer markets, and where Earth Observation Data, Satellite Navigation & Precise Timing, and Satellite Connectivity can drive innovation to increase socio-economic returns to existing markets. Other type of space data and assets can also be used including, but not limited to, Satellite AIS data, Space Weather and Microgravity. 

We are keen to support small entities with a turnover or balance sheet total of less than or equal to €10 million and a headcount of less than 50 employees, and micro entities with turnover of less than or equal to €2 million with a headcount of less than 10 employees. This does not preclude larger businesses from applying to the BASS programme, but they will need to present a very strong business case for why they cannot achieve what they are proposing without UK Space Agency support. 

We welcome applications that align with His Majesty’s Government’s priorities and particularly applications relevant to improving access to and delivery of health care, safety and security, climate change, energy security, transport & logistics, and wider socio-economic benefits.

What we do fund ​ 

​Proposals to BASS shall use one (or more) of the following space assets: 

• Satellite Communication (SatCom). 

• Satellite Navigation (SatNav or GNSS) and Position, Navigation and Timing services (PNT). 

• Satellite Earth Observation (EO). 

• Space Weather. 

• Spaceflight Technologies. 

• Satellite Automatic Identification System (AIS). 

• Microgravity Services. 

We will consider other space technologies, but you should contact the Space Data and Applications Team as early as possible to discuss the applicability. 

Your proposal must also clearly demonstrate: 

• A customer led challenge and market opportunity. 

• Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 and above. 

• A level of innovation and/or market disruption potential. 

• That your solution is close to market or market ready. 

• That you will benefit from business growth and development. 

• That your proposal aligns with HM Government priority investment areas​.

What we do not fund ​ 

We do not fund: 

• Any unapproved activity that takes place outside of the UK. 

• Applications in support of offensive military operations. 

• Research and development (R&D) activities​. 

• Applications with a TRL lower than 7. 

• Design, development, and/or construction of satellites, space hardware, instrumentation, or infrastructure. 

• Large costs for non-space elements of a proposal. 

• Launch brokerage or launch costs. 

• In orbit operational or maintenance costs. 

Please see our eligibility and readiness checklist for more information.

How to apply for funding 

The process for applying for funding varies depending on which type of call you are applying for. The two links below provide information about what you need to do and what support is available to help you write your initial applications. 

If you are applying for a non-competitive funding opportunity we strongly advise you contact one of our free to use ESA Business Applications Ambassadors who can provide help, support, guidance, and critical friend feedback as you develop your APQ, but please note, they won’t write it for you.

BASS Call for Proposals and Open Call application process

Please also check ESAs Business Applications website for more Information on how to apply for Business Applications funding.

How to complain 

If you are unhappy with either the outcome of your application or how the process was managed by the UK Space Agency, or for any other reason, you can make a complaint by contacting the team at space-applications@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. 

Please set out the nature of your complaint in detail. The team will try to resolve a complaint in the first instance but, if resolution is not possible, we will refer it to the UK Space Agency central complaints team who will assess it independently. 

Further information 

If you would like any further information, or have any questions or feedback about this guidance, please contact the team at space-applications@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. 

We periodically publish a newsletter, so if you would like to keep up to date on upcoming events and ACCESS funding calls, sign up to our Space Data and Applications newsletter.