Unlocking Space for Business Grant Call 2
The UK Space Agency’s Unlocking Space for Business programme is seeking to drive greater long-term adoption of space solutions across commercial end-user businesses operating in the Financial Services and Transport & Logistics sectors in the UK. The Unlocking Space for Business Grant Call 2 invites proposals from end-user business led consortiums, with a space supplier and any relevant integrator organisations, for innovative pilot projects to commercialise space solutions within the Financial Services or Transport & Logistics sectors in the UK.
- Opening date: (Midnight)
- Closing date:
Contents
Summary
The UK Space Agency invites proposals from end-user business led consortiums, with a space supplier and any relevant integrator organisations, for innovative pilot projects to commercialise space solutions within the Financial Services or Transport & Logistics sectors in the UK.
Projects must provide positive economic benefit to an end-user business within either the Financial Services or Transport & Logistics in the UK. Proposals must be UK based, led by UK based organisations.
Projects must involve at least one satellite data domain (Earth observation, Satcom, PNT), and may involve complementary enabling technologies such as AI, Quantum or Machine Learning.
Projects must start at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5+ and must progress to at least TRL 7 by the end of the project.
Projects must be able to demonstrate a tangible benefit to the end-user business within the 7-month maximum project duration. Projects must have clearly defined, and tangible outcomes measured against success criteria showing progress towards commercialisation. Examples of previous successful pilot projects can be found here.
Awarded projects will start from 1 September 2025 and must have fully completed by 31 March 2026. Projects should aim to be completed within 6 months, i.e. by February 2026, to allow for final wrap-up in March, with three milestones completed by January 2026. Projects planning to use the full 7-month duration should be aware that extension requests beyond the 31 March 2026 are not possible.
Grant funding per project is expected to range from £150,000 to £400,000. In exceptional circumstances, UK Space Agency reserve the right to adjust the value or duration of the grant funding available.
Eligibility
The lead applicant in the consortium must be an end-user business from either the Financial Services or Transport & Logistics sector.
End-user businesses are defined as businesses that directly use or consume data derived from space-based assets, such as satellites, to gain insights, improve communication or connectivity, make informed decisions and drive innovation, in either the Financial Services or Transport & Logistics sectors.
Financial Services end-users include, but are not limited to, banks, insurance companies, asset managers.
Transport & Logistics end-users include, but are not limited to, logistics firms, transport operators, fleet operators.
There must also be a UK space supplier within the consortium (for example, a satellite data provider, satellite service provider or satellite insights provider). There may be other integrator organisations within the consortium.
Projects should note the core eligibility requirements on the UK Space Agency’s grant funding page. Whilst non-domestic partners (including those within the EU) can apply as part of a consortium, they must be self-funded and are not eligible to receive any grant funding in this funding call. If international subcontractors are proposed, we expect applicants to demonstrate why the proposed capability is not available in the UK.
The lead applicant must be an end-user business and must submit the application, with input from the project partners. As grant funding will flow through the lead applicant, they will be responsible for passing this onto the project partners. The lead applicant will also be responsible for providing financial evidence and verifying the spend of the project partners for each milestone. The lead applicant may delegate the project administration to a project partner; this should be specified on the application form and discussed with the UK Space Agency during kick-off.
Objectives
USB funding aims to support businesses in either the financial services or transport & logistics sectors to partner with a supplier of satellite data or services, in order to deliver a commercialised space solution for the end-user business. Projects must address at least one of the Strategic Grant Objectives for the end-user business, which are:
driving revenue growth
improving customer retention
enhancing operational and financial efficiency
addressing environmental obligations
Dates
The following schedule sets out the indicative timing of processes for this call. Please note that each deadline may be subject to change in the event of operational constraints. The deadlines are:
call opens: 12 May 2025
webinar: 22 May 2025, 11am - 11:45am BST
call closes: 7 July 2025, 4pm BST
successful applicants notified: August 2025
project kick-off: 1 September 2025
projects conclude: No later than 31 March 2026
How to apply
The lead applicant (an end-user business) is accountable for the application process, including its compilation and submission (with input from the project partners), and for the content provided as it will be submitted under their name. Only the lead organisation must submit an application. It is the lead organisation’s responsibility to ensure that all required information is complete and accurately submitted before the deadline.
Your application for funding must be submitted by 4pm BST on 7 July 2025. This will include:
your application form
your budget breakdown spreadsheet
your National Security Questionnaire (please see guidance on the UK Space Agency’s grants page here).
All application documentation must be sent by email to the Unlocking Space for Business Grant Team at Commercial@ukspaceagency.gov.uk with the subject ‘Unlocking Space for Business Grant Call – Application’.
Applications should be in single-spaced typescript (minimum font size 11-point Arial, minimum 1.5 cm margins all round, including diagrams and tables). Where a template is specified, this must be unaltered. Should any part of the application overrun the specified page limit, including the submission of appendices outside those requested, we will only consider material up to the designated page limit that is in the correct format.