Notice

InCubed Call Guidance

Published 16 June 2026

1. Overview  

The ESA InCubed (Investing in Industrial Innovation) programme is a co-funding scheme designed to support the development and de-risking of innovative and commercially viable Earth Observation (EO) products and services.  

Proposals must demonstrate that outputs will be commercially viable or on a credible path to operational deployment by the end of the activity.  The programme is intended as a final step towards commercialisation and, as such, is not a research programme. 

Preference will be given to proposals with a clear route to market, evidenced demand, and a credible plan for commercial deployment. 

While ESA InCubed is permanently open, UK applicants can only receive UK Space Agency support within the timeframe of a UK call. Proposals are submitted and evaluated through an ESA platform. All successful projects must also receive UK Space Agency national delegate support.  

We welcome consortia with entities in other ESA member states. Where this requires support from other national agencies, please engage with ESA and the UK Space Agency as soon as possible to discuss a process. 

Projects supported under this call are expected to have demonstratable results within 18 months, with indicative funding levels ranging from €300k to €4m, depending on the scope and maturity of the activity. Proposals should demonstrate readiness to initiate activities within the current calendar year, subject to successful selection and contracting. 

Proposals will be assessed jointly by ESA and the UK Space Agency against the official ESA criteria (please refer to (Cfp 4-40047 on ESA-Star) and additionally specific UK ones defined below. Applicants should demonstrate a clear route to market, credible delivery approach, and evidence of demand. Further detail can be found in section 7. 

2. Development cycles  

InCubed activities are structured around two ESA development cycles:  

• De-risking Cycle – supporting earlier-stage developments to reduce technical risk, validate business cases and demonstrate credible commercial demand.  

• Product Development Cycle – supporting more mature developments to deliver a commercially viable product or service without further public funding.  

Applicants should indicate which cycle their proposal aligns with. ESA will assess whether the selected cycle is appropriate.  

3. Scope of activities  

InCubed supports activities across the EO value chain, including space segment, ground segment, data segment, or combinations of these.  

4. How to apply  

The InCubed application process consists of two stages.  

4.1 Step 1: Proposal Part 1 (Outline / Idea Pitch)  

Applicants must submit an idea pitch via ESA’s platform, ORBIT. This will also be visible to the UK Space Agency. ESA guidance on how to apply can be found here. 

ESA and the UK Space Agency will jointly assess Proposal Part 1 and will invite the preferred applicants to a 15 min pitch session on Teams. It is on the basis of the Proposal part 1 and the pitch that the UK Space Agency will then offer a letter of support ‘in principle’ subject to satisfactory technical review of the full proposal by ESA.

4.2 Step 2: Proposal Part 2 (Full Proposal)  

After the pitch, applicants will either be invited to submit Proposal Part 2 (Full Proposal) via ORBIT or will be told they are not successful. ESA will evaluate the proposals against InCubed criteria. The UK Space Agency will determine whether national delegate authorisation of funding can be provided. The UK Space Agency reserves the right to request a copy of UK applicant’s full proposal submitted as part of step 2.

5. Funding and match-funding  

ESA funding under the InCubed programme is provided on a co-funded basis, requiring applicants to contribute matched funding alongside the ESA contribution. Co‑funding levels typically range from around 50% of total eligible project costs, with higher contributions of up to approximately 80% potentially available for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

The applicable level of ESA funding is determined on a case-by-case basis during the evaluation process. In assessing the appropriate co‑funding level, ESA and the relevant national delegation will take into account factors such as the maturity of the proposed activity, the associated technical and commercial risks, the level of innovation, and the credibility of the business case, including the pathway to market and expected financial return. 

Applicants should therefore ensure that their proposals clearly articulate the commercial viability of the activity, demonstrate engagement with end users or customers, and provide a well-founded justification for the level of ESA support requested:

• up to 80% for SMEs 

• 50-75% for non-SMEs (depending on risk assessment) 

• up to 100% (capped at up to 3 cycles) for universities and research institutes acting in a non-commercial role 

6. Eligibility  

Organisations must be UK-based to receive UK Space Agency support. Consortia containing non-UK partners will are eligible to apply if non-UK entities are supported by other ways, including from ESA member states or self-funded.  

Projects will be required, as a condition of eligibility, to provide periodic reporting on progress and key outcomes over the course of the activity. Further detail on reporting requirements will be confirmed during contracting.  

7. Assessment criteria  

Applicants will be assessed against UK and ESA assessment criteria and will need to evidence both as part of their step 1 / PP1 application. 

ESA Criteria

7.1 Understanding of the Programme Objectives: 

These are:

• improvement of Economic Operator(s)’s competitiveness in EO commercial markets 

• level of innovation (new or improved competencies for Economic Operator(s))

• tangible results within the timespan of InCubed

• credibility of the business opportunity in the market context including sustainability in the commercial market without further institutional support

• [if applicable] understanding of objectives of the applicable Thematic call

7.2 Quality and completeness of the technical proposal

These are:

• requirements and proposed architectures and concepts versus activity objectives 

• evaluation of technical and market risks and credibility of the risk mitigation actions

• [if applicable] credibility of the proposed validation approach

7.3 Adequacy of the management approach, planning and co-funding: 

These are:

• adequacy of the work packages

• meeting plan and schedule

• cost breakdown, financial sustainability, value for money, assessment of financial risk versus company resources

• credibility of proposed co-funding scheme

7.4 Experience

These are:

• company/ies technical and commercial experience in all areas of the proposed activity 

• completeness of the team with respect to the value chain

• relevant experience 

UK Criteria

7.5 Commercial Viability  

Proposals must demonstrate a credible path to commercialisation, including a clear route to market and evidence that the product or service will be commercially viable or operationally deployable by the end of the activity.

7.6 Quality of Approach  

The proposal should present a well-defined and coherent approach, with clear objectives, a realistic delivery plan, and appropriate identification and mitigation of technical and commercial risks. 

7.7 Value to the UK Space Sector  

Projects should demonstrate clear value to the UK, including potential for commercial return, supply chain benefits, and contribution to the growth and competitiveness of the UK space sector. 

7.8 Innovation  

Proposals should demonstrate a meaningful level of innovation through new or improved products, services, or approaches, relevant to the intended market opportunity, and deliver clear value - including efficiency gains across the ecosystem -benefiting the lead applicant, partners, supply chains, and end users. 

7.9 Evidence of Demand / End-User Engagement 

Applicants should identify target customers or end users and provide evidence of demand or engagement (e.g. letters of intent, partnerships, or validated use cases). 

7.10 Value to the UK Space Sector  

Projects should demonstrate clear value to the UK, including potential for commercial return, supply chain benefits, and contribution to the growth and competitiveness of the UK space sector.

8. UK Space Agency considerations  

Proposals will be assessed in competition. The UK Space Agency may support a limited number of projects within the available budget or may choose not to support any at all  

Projects should demonstrate value to the UK space sector and potential for commercial return.