Notice

Assessment Criteria

Published 29 June 2026

The following questions and criteria will be used by the independent reviewers to assess the full proposals under this call. Applicants are advised to consider these carefully when writing their proposal.

1. Science Quality and Science Value to the UK

• The inherent quality of the science and the specific strategic and scientific benefit to the UK.
• Is the science area proposed well aligned with UK Space Agency, UKRI / STFC and wider UK government science priorities?
• Proposals must focus on at least one of the following areas: Heliophysics / Space Weather, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum and include a strong international partnership.
• Potential to mature into a future UK-led / co-led mission opportunity
• Proposals should allow the UK to build on its existing strengths and heritage while also developing capability in new areas that will position the UK to secure current and future scientific returns.
• Does it provide excellent scope for access to data and subsequent potential for publications?

2. Economic Impact and Industrial Partnerships/Roles

• Are there strategic industrial partnerships involved which could aid the UK in this and future missions? Proposals must include a strong industrial partnership.
• Is there a clear downstream academic or industrial benefit by e.g., bringing a new technology to market or enabling a first flight of a new UK technology which might go on to attract significant export income?
• Does the proposal have the capacity to lead to future spin-off opportunities? (inc. evidence from past projects or the presence of a specific business unit to manage this?)
• Will the work support the development of strategic capability for the UK, including developing novel designs or new expertise?
• Does it provide upskilling to develop a group or science area? Please include the number of posts created, represented as FTE.
• Is there Knowledge Exchange potential for leveraging new knowledge in all its variants in other areas of UK space development such as earth observation or communications (i.e. cross-disciplinary) or benefits to society in other sectors, such as medical applications?

3. Societal Impact

• Skills and education development – will this work help attract talent into the space sector?
• Societal engagement, outreach, inspiration, publicity, linking to the scientific development and the potential impacts of this development.
• Utility – the impact to everyday life (i.e. do the outcomes lead to day-to-day impacts for the general population)
• Other benefits to the UK public.

4. Timeliness

• There may be a lot of scientific interest in a concept, but it is not technically ready to proceed e.g., there is no evidence that the proposal can be turned into a practical and achievable outcome.
• Is the proposal development tied to a particular event/scientific timing such as the solar cycle, comet appearance etc.

5. Value for Money

• Assessment of whether the anticipated total cost would represent value for money for the benefits expected.
• Does the work either allow the UK to build on existing strengths or develop capability in new areas to enable the UK to position itself for current and future economic return?

6. Project Management

• Mature project plan, detailing schedules and work packages.
• Clear governance and management arrangements (including lines of reporting, decision making approach, key roles and management responsibilities).
• The proposing team should be assessed in view of their track record and capability.

7. Risk

• Risk can be programmatic, reputational, scientific or technical.
• Different types of risk must be weighed against each other i.e., scientific risk may be more or less significant than financial risk; the risk of not doing something versus the risk of undertaking something brand new.
• Financial risk is implicitly included in consideration of the programmatic and technical risks. Scientific risk assessment should include consideration of whether the scientific return is of an ‘all or nothing’ type, i.e. whether it could be severely damaged by descoping.
• Reputational risks can include assessment of whether the project loading on the PI and their team is manageable.
• Full consideration of risks and mitigations as well as residual risks expected (presented in a risk register).