Guidance

Guidance for applicants

Published 26 February 2024

This guidance was withdrawn on 24 October 2024

The call has now closed.

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 2 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 ‘General Call’ for satellite communication developments. 

This guidance relates to upstream developments only. Read more information on applying for funding support for ESA Business Applications.

Read further information surrounding UK Space Agency support for business applications.  

2. 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. 

3. When to apply 

This call for proposals is open from Monday 26 February 2024 until Friday 12 April 2024. Proposals will only be considered if they are submitted within this period. 

Funding call opens: Monday 26 February 2024. 

Deadline for submission of expressions of interest (EOI): midday on Friday 12 April 2024. 

Notification of UK outcomes of expressions of interest and invitations to cover sheet: week commencing Monday 6 May 2024. 

Deadline for submission of cover sheet: midday on Monday 17 June 2024. 

Notification of UK outcomes of cover sheet: week commencing Monday 8 July 2024. 

4. 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. 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 and your Outline Proposal to ESA. 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 a full proposal to ESA

4.1 Step 1: Submitting an expression of interest (EOI) 

To apply for National Delegate support, you must submit an expression of interest form to telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. 

This can be submitted at any time up to midday on Friday 12 April 2024. 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 midday on Friday 12 April 2024. If you do not, your proposal will not be considered. 

4.2 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 the published closing date and time to telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. Forms not sent to this email 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 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 midday on Monday 17 June 2024. If you do not, your proposal will not be considered. 

4.3 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 Expression of Interest stage will need to submit an ‘outline proposal’ to ESA once they have secured National Delegate support.  

Read more about how to apply.

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. 

4.4 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 via email at telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. 

5. Eligibility and assessment criteria 

5.1 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.

5.2 Telecommunications 

ARTES is a telecommunications programme. Although this may include projects that support other activities, they should be in the context of telecommunications. We particularly invite programmes targeting LEO (low-Earth orbit) constellations, lunar communications and in-orbit servicing and manufacturing. Activities that are primarily for another purpose, such as Earth observation or climate monitoring, will not be supported. 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. 

5.3 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 via email at telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. 

5.4 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. 

5.5 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. 

The minimum matched funding request for this call is £2 million. 

5.6 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. 

5.7 Travel and subsistence 

The UK Space Agency 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. 

6. Assessment criteria 

All proposals will be considered under 5 assessment criteria. Successful bids must demonstrate a successful balance across the criteria, but we reserve the right to consider proposals which are more weighted towards some than others. 

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. 

The criteria are: 

• approach and methodology: there should be a well-considered approach to the project, with clear goals
• financial return: there should be a satisfactory financial return to the UK space sector, including to the lead applicant and their partners and supply chains
• innovation: we will consider whether the goal of the programme is challenging enough to warrant support, as well as whether it is a suitable innovation target. Importantly, innovation can be in product or service development, including design, manufacture or demonstration
• supply chain: we will consider whether the benefits of the proposal are suitably distributed within a sustainable UK supply chain. We will look to see how the supply chain is incorporated into the project, to ensure maximum benefits. As such, consortium bids will score highly
• wider benefits: environmental, social or economic – we will consider the wider direct or indirect benefits from the programme, which can be supplemented with case studies or other formats

7. 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 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. 

8. Further information 

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