Announcement of Opportunity: Regional Space Development Funding Call
Published 25 August 2021
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The UK Space Agency invites proposals to its funding call that will provide grant funding to enable areas of the UK to better manage, coordinate and promote their local space sector and to implement their local strategic plans for space sector development.
Details
The Government’s ambition is to increase prosperity for all, creating opportunity in every part of the UK. Space can drive growth and productivity across many areas of the wider UK economy. The UK Space Agency is looking to fund specific enabling activities aimed at accelerating the development of the thriving, resilient and well-connected ecosystem the UK needs to achieve its Space ambitions, realise the full economic potential of Space across the UK and proactively deliver the Government’s wider economic priorities.
This call aims to support space sector development at the local level by providing grant funding that will allow them to:
- procure a Space Cluster Development Manager. This dedicated human resource should be tasked by the applicant with delivering against clearly defined Key Performance Indicators, driving forward the recommended actions and vision of a local space strategy for a clearly defined region
- fund specific activities linked to recommended actions within a local space strategy, which will demonstrably contribute to the economic growth of the local space sector
Full details on eligible activities can be found within the funding call guidance.
Local economic development bodies are encouraged to act as the lead applicant however applications from UK Higher Education Institutions, other research organisations (including not for profit organisations) and industry or industry bodies representing or endorsed by a local space leadership forum will also be considered. In these cases, the lead applicant must partner with or secure written endorsement from the local economic development body and/or a local space leadership group.
The UK Space Agency will consider proposals for grants between £30,000 - £100,000 and all funded activity must be delivered before 31 March 2022.
The proposals should provide clear and compelling evidence for the latent space sector potential within the region and the anticipated impact the proposed funding will have- providing clear added value to current and future local space sector development plans.
The outcomes from this funding should provide the routes to unlocking the space potential, participating in UK-wide space enterprise networks and increasing the maturity of the local space ecosystem.