ESA BASS Open Call for Proposals for Kick-starts
ESA BASS Open Call for Proposals for Kick-starts supports businesses with feasibility studies of space-enabled services to assess technical feasibility, commercial viability and customer demand.
Funder: European Space Agency
Due Dates: October 16, 2026, 13:00 CET (Clarification and extension requests) | October 30, 2026, 13:00 CET (Closing date / final batch evaluation)
Funding Amounts: Up to €75,000 per six-month contract, covering 75% of costs; maximum total activity cost €100,000
Summary: Supports six-month feasibility studies assessing the technical feasibility, commercial viability and customer demand for space-enabled services.
Key Information: Applicants must obtain Written Authorisation of ESA Funding from their National Delegation and include it in their cover letter.
Description
The European Space Agency’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) Kick-start programme supports businesses exploring new service and application concepts that use space capabilities. These six-month feasibility studies determine whether a proposed service is technically feasible, commercially viable and supported by customer demand. Each study must use at least one space asset, such as satellite communications, satellite Earth observation data or satellite navigation.
During a Kick-start, businesses design the technical service architecture, engage with potential customers, improve their business plan and establish the next steps in developing the service. Successful activities can be developed further into commercially viable businesses with follow-up support from IAP through a Demonstration Project.
