Notice

Annex G: FAQs

Published 30 September 2022

1. UK Space Agency Spaceflight Competition Fund for organisations developing or continuing Rocketry Competitions Q&A

1.1 What is the UK Space Agency Spaceflight Competition Fund for organisations developing or continuing Rocketry Competitions?

The Competition Fund is UK Space Agency’s new fund established to support the development of new or existing competitions. The programme will provide grant funding to UK organisations, including industry, academia, and institutional bodies, to support the development or continuation of their competitions focused on developing rocketry skills for pupils and/or students.

1.2 What is the total amount of funding available for the Competition Fund?

The total amount of funding available for the Competition Fund is £200,000, but the maximum amount of funding per application is £100,000.

1.3 When does the competition need to be delivered and when does the total amount of funding available for the Competition Fund need to be spent?

The Competition Fund must be delivered by 31st of March 2024, but part of the total funding must be spent by 31st of March 2023.

1.4 Who is eligible for funding?

The funding opportunity is open to UK organisations that meet the eligibility criteria set out in ANNEX D.

1.5 Can I resubmit a proposal that was rejected in a previous UK Space Agency funding call?

Yes, proposals which have been successful in previous funding calls may be submitted. These will be subject to an independent evaluation process. We recommend that any previous feedback is taken into consideration.

1.6 Can a non-UK based organisation or student receive Competition Fund funding?

No, the project must carry out all of its project work in the UK intend to exploit the results from or in the UK, and the projects must be led by a UK-registered organisation, but international partners are accepted. Therefore, any organisation the does not satisfy the above-mentioned criteria cannot receive national funding, as the primary focus of the UK Space Agency is to catalyse growth across the UK space sector and bridge the skills gaps within the UK space sector.

1.7 How are proposals assessed?

A summary of the assessment process is below:

• All proposals must be received by the closing date of 10th of November 2022. Only proposals received before this date will be considered.
• Eligible proposals will be assessed by an independent panel and scored against the specified entry criteria. Any proposals which do not meet the entry criteria will not be taken forward.

• Proposals will be reviewed and successful applications will proceed to the next stage will be ranked.

• Virtual interviews will be held with applicants that pass the evaluation phase to seek further information regarding proposals.
• Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.

1.8 Do you have any examples of applications which have been successful in previous Competition Fund funding rounds?

We cannot offer examples of successful proposal applications, but relevant information can be found in the Announcement of Opportunity guidance.

1.9 I was not able to apply for this year’s funding round. Does the UK Space Agency offer any other funding opportunities which I can apply for?

Yes, the Competition Fund grant will also be advertised in 2023 for the same funding amount.