Guidance

Guidance

Updated 9 December 2024

1. ARTES in the UK 

Modern life is increasingly connected, with ubiquitous connectivity sitting at the centre of many major technology advances, such as autonomous vehicles and connected machines. To ensure the UK can exploit these emerging opportunities, we are seeking ideas to help drive innovation in satellite communications in new and emerging markets. 

The UK subscribed £190 million to the ARTES (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems) programme in 2022 to support the UK satellite telecommunications industry. This is a commercially driven programme, designed to support UK businesses to deliver new technologies, products and services. The programme can cover development of components, systems or services, and any aspect or combination of the space, ground or network segments. 

To apply under the Competitiveness and Growth call of the European Space Agency (ESA) ARTES programme for funding, UK companies will first require approval for their proposal from their ‘National Delegate’. In the UK approvals are considered through various funding calls spread across the year. These fall into two categories; themed calls supporting specific technologies or general calls, for any eligible proposals. 

This guidance details how to apply for ‘National Delegate’ support under the ‘Call for Innovative Hybrid Networks’ for satellite communication developments. 

This guidance relates to upstream developments only. Find out about applying for funding support for ESA Business Applications. Read further information surrounding UK Space Agency support for business applications.  

2. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology - Very Hard to Reach Programme 

The UK government is committed to exploring solutions for those very hardest to reach premises where costs, geography and other factors make it difficult for a household or business to receive a gigabit-capable connection through market delivery or government interventions. 

We classify premises as Very Hard to Reach as those which are unlikely to be connected by market activity or through a government intervention such as Project Gigabit due to factors such as high cost of connection and challenging geography or topography. These premises are amongst the less than one percent of sites which may be too difficult to upgrade via physical cables, typically in more extreme locations such as mountainous areas or small islands. 

3. What is National Delegate support?

Applicants must demonstrate national support prior to applying to ESA. This is called ‘National Delegate support’, as the UK delegates its national support to a named member of staff within the UK Space Agency. This guidance is designed to set out the process for applying for National Delegate support within the call for proposals. 

4. When to apply 

This call for proposals is open from Wednesday 27 November 2024 until Friday 31 January 2025. Proposals will only be considered if they are submitted within this period. 

Stage	Deadline
Funding call opens	Wednesday 27 November 2024
Industry webinar	11am to 11:45am (GMT) on Thursday 5 December 2024
Deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest	12pm (GMT) on Friday 31 January 2025
Notification of Expressions of Interest and invitations to Cover Sheet and Outline Proposal	Week commencing Monday 10 February 2025
Project- specific industry days	Week commencing 24 February 2025
Deadline for submission of Cover Sheet	12pm (GMT) on Monday 31 March 2025
Notification of UK outcomes	Monday 24 April 2025

5. How to apply 

There are three steps to applying for National Delegate support, which are detailed below. 

1. competition opens: read available guidance
2. submit your EOI (Expression of Interest). At this point you could be unsuccessful and receive a rejected outcome
3. if successful you will submit your cover sheet to the UK Space Agency. At this point you could be unsuccessful and receive a rejected outcome
4. if successful, you will receive ‘National Delegate Support’ and will proceed to send an outline proposal and subsequently a full proposal to ESA

5.1 Step 1: Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) 

To apply for National Delegate support, you must submit an Expression of Interest Form by email to telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. 

This can be submitted at any time up to midday on Friday 31 January 2025. However, to ensure you have time to submit a proposal, we advise completing the EOI well in advance of the competition deadline. 

You may then be invited to submit a completed application by the competition closing date. If you are not successful, you may receive feedback on the reasons why. At this stage you may resubmit your EOI. 

You may submit as many EOIs as you want, in response to both feedback and changes to your plans. However, please be mindful of the time it takes the team to review these. Submissions deemed vexatious will not be considered. 

Note: You must submit an Expression of Interest before 12pm on Friday 31 January 2025. If you do not, your proposal will not be considered. 

5.2 Step 2: Submitting an application for National Delegate support 

If you are invited to apply for National Delegate support, you must submit the completed cover sheet by email by the published closing date and time to telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. Forms not sent to this address will not be considered. 

These applications can be submitted at any time while the competition is live. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt. 

Once we have received your submission, the team will review your application and it will be considered by a panel of experts within the UK Space Agency, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and our selected partners. This panel may include additional colleagues from ESA or industry for very specialist or complex project proposals. 

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by email. You should not contact the team before this date and any enquiries may not be dealt with until after this date. We reserve the right to extend this date if required. 

Note: You must submit a Cover Sheet by 12pm on Monday 31 March 2025. If you do not, your proposal will not be considered.

5.3 Step 3: Provisional National Delegate support 

The call is being run in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) and applicants who are successful at the Application for National Delegate Support stage will need to submit an ‘Outline Proposal’ to ESA once they have secured National Delegate support.  

Find out more about the application process.

If you are successful at this stage of your application with ESA, you will be invited to submit a Full Proposal, also to ESA. To submit a Full Proposal, you will need an ‘Authorisation of Funding’ letter from the UK National Delegate in the UK Space Agency. You will be given details on how to request this if you are successful at Step 2. 

Once we have provided an ‘Authorisation of Funding’ letter supporting your proposal, our support is confirmed. You can then submit your Full Proposal to ESA, who will begin its formal consideration.  

The process of submitting your full proposal (when invited) is set out below: 

1. read the guidance and ask any questions you may have
2. submit a full proposal to ESA (on invite). At this point you could be unsuccessful and receive a rejected outcome
3. if successful you will be subject to an ESA assessment. At this point you could be unsuccessful and receive a rejected outcome
4. if successful you will proceed to contract and project commencement

We expect you to stay in touch throughout the life of the programme, from contracting to completion. We expect to publicise most funding awards in coordination with winning companies and to be kept informed of any changes or developments for the duration of the project. This ensures we can support you if any adjustments are needed. 

5.4 Applying to change an existing project 

We understand that sometimes you may need to change aspects of a project. Where you have existing activities, we encourage you to work with ESA to ensure you have the relevant support to be able to adapt to succeed. Subject to this, we will consider funding minor changes to projects on a rolling basis. However, if you are applying to change or adapt the scope of an existing programme, including adding additional activities, you may need to apply for further funding during an open call. 

The table below splits out when a new funding request is required: 

What are you requesting additional funding for?	What is the value of the request?	How to apply for additional funding
Where something has not worked out as expected, or where a risk has materialised. For example, a change in supplier is required.	Less than 10% of the original proposal (including any previous change requests).	Minor corrective action. Please contact the team who will ask for further information and consider your request within a calendar month.
Where a new opportunity has arisen. For example, a new customer, or an additional spin out activity is possible.	Greater than 10% of the original proposal (including any previous change requests).	New funding request. You will need to submit a new funding request during one of the three open calls each year. You should include details of the existing project.
For further phases, whether planned or unplanned, where you have not been awarded funding. For example, where you undertake a Definition Phase activity prior to technology development.	Any new funding request.	New funding request. You will need to submit a new funding request during one of the three open calls each year. You should include details of the existing project. You should apply in plenty of time to ensure project continuity.

If you have any questions about the status of an existing project, please contact the team by email at telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. 

6. Eligibility and assessment criteria 

6.1 Eligibility: 

Please check the ESA guidance on eligibility criteria under the ARTES Programme. In addition to this, the UK Space Agency will apply the following eligibility criteria: 

6.2 Telecommunications 

ARTES is a telecommunications programme. Although this may include projects that support other activities, they should be in the context of telecommunications. Proposals must be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or above. 

You can find details of other funding programmes for space on the UK Space Agency website. 

6.3 UK-based organisations 

To be considered for UK National Delegate support, organisations must be UK-based and, for commercial companies, must have a UK registration at Companies House. If you are considering moving to the UK, or you do not have a UK registration, you can seek further guidance from the team by email at telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. 

6.4 Essential non-UK spend requests 

Products and services from non-UK suppliers that are considered essential to deliver successful projects, may be included in proposals. However, all proposals must demonstrate their value to the UK and non-UK spend requests are unlikely to score highly against other, UK-based activities. Any non-UK spend requests should be clearly stated in your initial application. Late requests will not be considered if they have not been declared and approved at the applications stage. 

6.5 Match-funding 

ESA eligibility on match funding states companies can apply for up to 80% funding for programmes, whereas in the UK two funding limits are available depending on the size of the company applying: 

1. for all large or non-SME companies, including companies who are wholly owned by large companies or groups of companies, or for SMEs undertaking very high-value programmes – up to 50%
2. for all other SME companies and activities – up to 75%

However, all matched funding decisions remain at the discretion of the UK Space Agency and rates will be applied to individual organisations relative to their individual projects. 

Research and technology organisations should follow the ESA criteria on funding. 

6.6 Regulation, licensing and spectrum use and filing 

The UK Space Agency will not fund licensing or regulatory compliance activities, either in the UK or overseas. 

We expect to see a viable approach to spectrum use in projects and we will not fund activities that are not supported by current UK government policy. Where activities involve the novel use of spectrum, we will expect to see evidence of engagement with relevant regulators which demonstrates programmes are viable and are not dependent on a single high-risk or novel use of spectrum. 

6.7 Travel and subsistence 

UK will only support reasonable travel and subsistence costs. No claims for alcohol or entertainment will be accepted. 

All projected expenditure must be recorded in the relevant ESA proposal. The UK Space Agency reserves the right not to support projects where costs appear excessive and any challenges may delay your application to ESA. 

If you are in any doubt about what is reasonable you should contact the team. 

7. Assessment criteria 

All proposals will be considered according to specific criteria for each project which can be found in the project briefs attached on the landing page: 

1. Nomadic Multi-Orbit User Terminal Demonstrator
2. Papa Stour Service Demonstrator
3. Rathlin Island Service Demonstrator

All proposals are considered in competition with other proposals received. We reserve the right to fund up to the funding level sought, or less, where we consider the need for the sum requested has not been sufficiently demonstrated. 

8. Complaints 

If you are unhappy with either the outcome of your application or how the process was managed, or for any other reason, you can make a complaint by contacting the team by email at telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. Please set out the nature of your complaint in detail. The team will try to resolve a complaint in the first instance but, if resolution is not possible, we will refer it to the UK Space Agency central complaints process, where it will be independently assessed. 

9. Further information 

If you would like any further information, or have any questions or feedback about this guidance, please contact the team by email at telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk