Notice

FAQs

Published 29 March 2025

Please use this document to check for answers to common questions you may have about NSIP Call 2. A recorded webinar providing key details about NSIP Call 2 is also available to view online on our gov.uk webpage.  

1. Application process and format 

1.1 What has changed between NSIP Call 1 released in 2023 and Call 2 released in 2025?  

Although the purpose and much of the delivery of NSIP Call 2 will remain the same there are some key differences.  

Funding amounts: The maximum amount of funding available for a NSIP Major Projects proposal is now capped at £2m. NSIP Kick Starter remains at £1m maximum. This reflects the reduced time available for projects to be delivered under Call 2, and the overall programme budget.  

Project durations: Kick Starter and Major Project proposals must conclude activity by the end of March 2027. This is set by the approval under which this scheme is run. 

Assessment process: NSIP Call 2 will differ in several ways. The Expression of Interest request will now be sought via a Microsoft Form rather than email. All applicants will complete a short “Outline Proposal” which will seek key information about projects. Following assessment of Outline Proposals by independent external experts, a shortlist of applicants will then be invited to submit a Full Proposal. The regular approach of assessment will then continue as per Call 1.  

Assessment Criteria: Although there is a substantial overlap with Call 1, the structure and wording of questions has been altered to support consistency in UK Space Agency grant processes. Weightings for assessment criteria have been adjusted to reflect this and can be seen in the Announcement of Opportunity.  

North Star Metric: Unlike NSIP Call 1 we will only seek completion of the North Star Metric form in Annex 13 of the GFA from successful applicants rather than requiring it at proposal stage.  

Continued Improvement: Some changes have been introduced to finance forms, Grant Funding Agreement and other reporting templates following a review of lessons learnt from Call 1 and feedback from applicants and grant recipients. 

1.2 What are the priority topic areas? 

NSIP runs “open” calls allowing any technology, satellite application or space-related service project proposal to be submitted. In this Call, the UK Space Agency aims to spend a target of 30% programme budget on “Space Data for Earth Applications”. Examples of types of projects we might expect under this theme are referenced in the Announcement of Opportunity in Section 2.  

Proposals on any other space topic are still eligible for support in this open programme. The authority reserves the right to award less than 30% on themed calls, based on the submissions received. 

1.3 What is meant by space services and what affects you hope they will have on the UK space economy? 

Space services would include but are not limited to capabilities such as space situational awareness, launch services, ground station services. Primarily this term is to recognise there are viable projects that may exist outside of specific technology development or satellite applications. Potential benefits will vary, but positive outcomes could include the development of new UK services and capabilities, particularly those which align with the National Space Strategy in Action. 

1.4 Is funding only available for technology projects? 

Technologies, satellite applications, and services can all be proposed. It is also possible to apply for development of more than one technology in one application. 

1.5 Will applications for human flight technology/habitation be considered? 

If the proposal aligns with the guidance and assessment criteria, we welcome all varieties of proposals. We do encourage applicants to review the other programmes/ grant funding opportunities available within the UK Space Agency, i.e. Space Exploration funding opportunities to check for opportunities that offer the best fit.  

1.6 When are the submission deadlines? 

EOI deadline: 23 April 2025 

Outline Proposal deadline: 8 May 2025 

Full Proposal deadline: 23 July 2025 

1.7 Does the EOI require all the consortium partners to be present on it or just the lead? 

The EOI is not assessed and is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended to help the NSIP team to organise an appropriate pool of independent external assessors. Details of the consortium on the EOI can be changed at Outline Stage. 

1.8 Do all partners on the bid need to be identified or can they be found post bid success, with the guaranteed funding there to help bring them on board? 

All partners need to be identified and specified on the proposal. Please refer to Section 5 in the Announcement of Opportunity. Resolving collaboration agreements is often one of the key risks and can lead to significant delays and project failure so we strongly recommend having early discussions and agreements in place with partners. 

1.9 Will there be industry engagement to publicise and support the Call 2 development? 

To help communicate that NSIP Call 2 is live we will be creating and sharing an online video setting out key information for the call, and sharing announcement material via UK Space Agency social media channels, mailing lists and on the UK Space Agency’s gov.uk webpage. NSIP team members will also be attending several events across the UK, likely focused around space clusters, to provide opportunities for 1:1 Q&A.  

1.10 How is the data in applications processed? 

All proposals will be classified as “Official Sensitive – Commercial” and will be handled in accordance with government’s information security and confidentiality policies, including GDPR.  

For these reasons, we cannot offer examples of successful proposal applications. However, the UK Space Agency has publicly available examples of funded projects on the National Space Technology Programme: previously funded projects page.

1.11 How are applications assessed? 

The assessment process, weightings and criteria are described in Section 6 in the Announcement of Opportunity.  Please note that letters of support do not have to be UK specific but must be from recognised international organisations and/or from other known space institutions.  

1.12 Can you confirm that the assessment process is confidential?  

All external reviewers must sign confidentiality agreements and are not allocated proposals where there is considered to be a conflict of interest. As the proposals will be classified as commercially sensitive it will be handled in accordance with government’s information security policy. Proposals should not contain proprietary information. All data submitted to the UK Space Agency will be managed in line with appropriate GDPR protocols.  

1.13 Who can submit an application? 

NSIP welcomes applications from any company, university or research organisation. Applications should be submitted by the lead organisation.    

The lead organisation is responsible for completing diligence checks on partner organisations and should complete Application Form Part D – Partner Assurance Statements for each partner. 

Outline applications must be submitted by 11:59 on 8 May 2025 following the application guidance and form supplied on the gov.uk website.  

1.14 Are referees required to be within the UK?   

References do not have to be UK based but must be from recognised international organisations and/or from other known space institutions.  

1.15 Can companies outside of the space sector or new companies (i.e., no previous track record in space) apply? 

Yes, if your proposal aligns with the assessment criteria and deliver innovative space-related technologies, applications and services. We welcome projects from organisations working in adjacent sectors (e.g. nuclear, AI, biomedical, quantum, advanced manufacturing etc.) who see an opportunity to grow the UK space sector and its supply chain. Please refer to the Announcement of Opportunity, Section 4.1‘Eligibility Requirements’ for further guidance. 

New Companies can apply for Grant funding, financial checks will be done on any company applying for Grant funding. They may be required to provide supporting paperwork to demonstrate financial health of the company and sufficient resource to carry out the project. 

1.16 Are applications from the UK subsidiary of an EU-based startup eligible? 

Yes, as long as the subsidiary is registered as a UK company, the work and costs associated are undertaken in the UK, and the resulting outcomes are retained in the UK. 

Any subsidiary company would need to sign a Parent Company Guarantee, which seeks support from the parent Company in the event of financial distress from the Grant Recipient. The template PCG is embedded within the relevant Grant Funding Agreement. On the basis that grants are paid on actual expenditure, the Grant recipient would have to demonstrate that they have sufficient operating capital to deliver the programme. 

1.17 How many applications can an organisation submit? 

Submitting multiple similar applications will strictly be considered only as one proposal and is strongly discouraged. 

Organisations can submit more than one proposal where they are for significantly different projects. An applicant organisation may choose to partner on multiple proposals with other consortia however should consider resourcing if multiple proposals are successful. 

Please note that we expect the funding call to be significantly oversubscribed.  

1.18 Can we apply if we received previous NSIP/ETP funding? 

Projects that were successful in securing and delivering a NSIP or ETP project are welcome to apply for further funding through this NSIP funding call, if it meets the proposal criteria. However,  applicants should be mindful of the requirements of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 and the Streamlined Scheme for Research, Development and Innovation, which caps subsidies at £3,000,000 per enterprise per project. The UK Space Agency is required to consider any previous subsidies you may have received, including previous grant funding, to determine if they should count towards this £3,000,000 total. We are required to count them towards the total if they meet all of the following conditions: 

 * were given to the same enterprise by any public authority 

• for the same project or activities as defined under the relevant categories of the Streamlined Route Schedule 

• for the same of substantially the same specific purposes as set out under the relevant categories in the Route 

• within the last 3 financial years (that is, the last 2 complete financial years running from 1 April to 31 March and the lapsed part of the current financial year)  

• if a project lasts for longer than 3 years, then the maximum award amounts and the subsidy ratios apply to the lifespan of that project or activity - therefore the cumulation period cannot restart after 3 years for the same project 

It is the responsibility of applicants to consider their Subsidy Control Act 2022 compliance, as in the event a non-compliant subsidy is awarded, the UK Space Agency would be legally obliged to recover the funding. Please note we will not provide pre-application advice about your subsidy control cumulation: it is the applicant’s responsibility to determine if they are eligible or not. For further advice, please consult the guidance available for the streamlined scheme). 

1.19 Can I resubmit a proposal that was rejected in a previous NSIP or ETP call? 

You may re-submit unsuccessful ideas to past NSIP and ETP (Enabling Technologies Programme) calls. All applications will go through the independent evaluation process when being considered for funding. We recommend proposals are checked for alignment with the current call objectives and that any previous feedback is taken into consideration when resubmitting.   

1.20 Does previous experience with the UK Space Agency confer any advantages or disadvantages on an applicant? 

No, applications will be scored on their individual merit. However, successful delivery of past government funded projects would be a beneficial factor to flag in reference to the project team’s experience. 

1.21 What format will the grant agreement take for any funded proposals, and can I adapt this to suit my proposal? 

We have provided a copy of our standard grant funding agreements. This is the document that will be used as the formal mechanism for any successful bidders to receive grant funding. Applicants are required to accept the terms of this grant funding agreement when submitting your application. 

Please be aware that the UK Space Agency has very limited flexibility in varying the Grant Funding Agreement and will only consider variations which are requested where the applicant would be in breach of legal requirements or statutory regulations by complying with the clause, or series of clauses. Applicants requesting changes to the agreement are required to submit these changes ahead of, or with, their full proposal application (ideally with a marked up copy of the agreement including the requested changes). UK Space Agency reserve the right to reject changes proposed and will not consider changes requested after the full proposal application deadline.  

1.22 What is the expected timeline for the selection process, including the announcement of successful projects? 

For NSIP Call 2 we are hoping to have selected the successful projects selected by 25th September 2025 and intend for projects to kick off shortly after selection by Monday 10 November 2025.  This date is indicative as projects must successfully satisfy UK Space Agency’s due diligence checks before commencement, please be aware that you may be asked questions to support this and may need to liaise with project partners, finance or legal teams within your organisation to support a timely start. 

1.23 Can we defer start dates or lengthen the project duration? 

Due to the reduced project durations available under NSIP Call 2, projects cannot be deferred however the NSIP team will work with successful applicants to determine whether a delayed kick-off can be achieved within the available time of the grant.  

1.24 Can a project be started before full proposal acceptance, if so, can payments be backdated? 

We do not advise starting at risk. Projects should start after GFAs have been awarded and the UK Space Agency will not backdate grant funding agreements or reimburse costs for work undertaken ahead of the Commencement Date in the Grant Funding Agreement.  

1.25 We are having difficulties with the finance spreadsheet - can we alter the template? 

We strongly recommend you don’t alter the template but contact the  NSIP@ukspaceagency.gov.uk for advice or help on troubleshooting. 

1.26 Can information such as Gantt charts and Project plans be submitted separately as Annexes’ such as an Excel table? 

Documents should be submitted in the correct format outlined in the Announcement of Opportunity Section 5 ‘Guidance for Preparing an Application’. Gantt charts may be submitted as a separate document if they cannot be easily viewed when embedded in the Part A Application Form Template. 

1.27 Can I have a consultation on an application before it is submitted? 

Unfortunately, NSIP is a small team, so we are unable to offer consultations on applications. However, if you have any specific questions that are not answered in the call documents or FAQs please email the NSIP@ukspaceagency.gov.uk and we shall get back to you. 

1.28 Will you be providing feedback from the Outline application stage?  

We will provide feedback on all applications. This will likely include assessor comments and scores. Depending on the volume of applications we may not be able to provide feedback when informing applicants of the outcome of the Outline Proposal process, but feedback will be provided at the earliest opportunity.   

2. Funding 

2.1 Can non-UK based organisations receive funding? 

As a national funded programme, a UK-based organisation must lead any project or consortium. Although non-UK organisations can be partners on the project they cannot receive any funding.  

Projects can include non-domestic partners (including those within the EU) who bring their own funding. No grant funding is available in this call for organisations outside the UK. Applicants should note that all applicants, irrespective of geographic location, must still satisfy the core eligibility requirements set out in this call guidance and award will be subject to completion of satisfactory due diligence checks.  

2.2 How does the match funding work? And what are the funding intervention rates? 

Match funding is private funding committed by the organisation at a rate agreed at the outset of a Grant Funding Agreement. Organisations are required to provide match funding which, when combined with the grant funding calculates the total cost of the project. Industry should contribute match funding to the minimum match funding contribution as defined by Subsidy Control Legislation, see Section 9  “Subsidy Control” in the of the Announcement of Opportunity for full details. Academia and other not-for-profit organisations should use Full Economic Cost (FEC) calculated using TRAC methodology.  

For NSIP grants match funding is split equally throughout the project duration, so applicants must have adequate funds available to support their contribution from the first milestone.  As grants are also paid only on completion of activity at each milestones successful projects will be required to show at the Pre-Award due diligence stage that they hold sufficient funds to finance this. 

2.3 Are in-kind contributions to match-funding from UK-based project partners eligible? 

No. We can’t accept in-kind contributions for match funding. Project partners may give in-kind contributions to the lead organisation, but the UK Space Agency cannot classify this as match funding for subsidy control purposes. 

2.4 Does the maximum grant award offered include the match funding contribution? 

The maximum grant offered is the total amount that will be awarded to the project.  Organisations are required to provide some money across the cost of the project. Organisations should contribute match funding to the total cost of the project calculated using Subsidy Control Rules .

2.5 Do the match funding funds have to be immediately available when applying for funding? 

In most cases yes, match funding must have been agreed and secured at the time of applying for the grant so that the project can commence as soon as the grant agreement has been completed. If a project requires time to secure the match funding, this will need to be declared in the application and a timeline provided for securing funds. To maximise the benefits of Call 2 funding and ensure smooth delivery of projects, the UK Space Agency may require match funding is secured prior to commencing grant activities. 

2.6 We’d like to leverage this grant to raise match funding from private investors - what mechanisms are there for this? 

That would be a business decision and not something the Agency could comment on. 

2.7 What are the subsidy rules on NSIP grants? 

The UK Space Agency must be satisfied that the recipient organisation is not in financial difficulties and must not provide rescuing or restructuring subsidies to ailing or insolvent enterprises so may request organisation level supporting information.  We are also required to ensure the project and organisations are acting within the subsidy scheme rules for which a £3 million cap from public bodies applies to funded activity over the previous 3 years (or life of the project) if: 

• the same project or activities as defined under the relevant categories of the streamlined route.   

• for the same or substantially same specific purpose as a previous award.   

• awarded to the same enterprise by any public authority.    

In accordance with chapter 10 of the statutory guidance (as detailed in Section 9 of the Announcement of Opportunity), previous subsidy awards from public authorities needs to be considered when assessing the award does not breach the total allowed under the scheme. Applicants should note that the maximum award amount for both industrial research and experimental development projects is £3,000,000 per enterprise per project. 

2.8 Does winning funding through this competition count towards our company’s the Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) total of £315,000? 

Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) is a specific type of subsidy. Applicants who wish to apply under this route would need to count funding received towards the total of £315,000, and the UK Space Agency could not award any amount exceeding this. If you choose not to apply for MFA and provide match funding towards the project, this grant funding will not be classified as an MFA subsidy and will not cumulate towards your £315,000 total. 

2.9 Would my proposal be suited to Kick Starter or Major project funding? 

Due to the variation in weighting of criteria between KS and MP it is important to consider carefully which call you will apply for. A Kick Starter project is roughly early stage (TRL1-4) with an emphasis on highly disruptive or novel proposals and Major projects should achieve high TRL5-9 with an emphasis on commercialisation and catalysing investment. TRL levels may differ from those indicated, e.g. starting at TRL3 and ending at TRL6. Applicants should consider which scheme’s weighting would be most suited to the proposal. The same application cannot be submitted to both schemes and the UK Space Agency will not be able to provide pre-application advice on which scheme your proposal is most suited to.  

2.10 How should the overhead rate be managed? 

We understand that organisations calculate overheads in different ways.  

The Announcement of Opportunity and the Full Application Form Part A excel finance template  include notes on what information is required. Please refer to Section 4 ‘Financial Requirements’ of the Announcement of Opportunity.   

Section 10 offers 4 options for overhead costs:  

• No overheads - you can select this option if you are not incurring or claiming grant for your overheads

• A 20% of labour costs option - allows you to claim 20% of your labour costs as overhead, which includes both direct and indirect overhead. Selecting this option allows us to review a successful grant application much faster as no further documentation is needed from you  

• The calculate overheads option - asks you to complete calculations for claiming direct and indirect overheads. Any value claimed under this method will need to be reviewed by our project finance team if your application is successful. This process allows us to assess the appropriateness of the overhead value you are claiming 

• FEC for eligible academic organisations 

Full overhead recovery or full absorption costing is not eligible.  

2.11 My organisation is not VAT registered; can we pass on VAT charges to UK Space Agency grant? 

Grants are not a payment for a service, they are provided without expectation of any return to UK Space Agency. Grant funding is therefore outside the scope of VAT so you cannot charge output VAT on top of your submitted costs. 

However, organisations that are not registered for VAT may include VAT incurred within their costs and will be limited to reimbursement for pre-agreed project activities only. In some circumstances where VAT costs on items listed in the finance sheet cannot be reclaimed from other sources UK Space Agency can consider this to be in scope. Please provide details on the Part A Application Form: Instruments, Consumables and Equipment sheet including justification for why this cannot be reclaimed through any other route. 

2.12 Should we explicitly state the overhead rate attached to salary costs, or would you prefer it to be amalgamated into a combined salary/overhead cost for each staff position? 

Overhead rates should be separately calculated and treated under one of the options given in Section 10. 

Where the standard 20% rate is selected this should be applied against staff cost lines in the work package finances. Where calculated overheads are chosen, please follow the guidance to calculate these provided. For organisations able to request FEC please use the overheads category provided. 

2.13 What is understood by staff cost?  

Costs should be applied for any staff that will be part of the project team/work regardless of employment status within the organisation (i.e.: short/long-term fixed or permanent contracts). However, any costs for project work done by sub-contractors must be declared as a separate cost to the project. Sub-contractors cannot be partners to the project and justification in the proposal would need to be clearly stated as to the requirement for use of sub-contractors. 

Please refer to the standard grant funding webpage for detail on “What costs will UK Space Agency grant funding cover?”.

2.14 Can staff cost be changed afterwards? 

Note that once a grant is awarded, the contribution to staff salaries cannot be increased in line with inflation or any other pay amendments. Please account for costs required for the full duration of your project and note you will only be able to claim for pay costs at the rates agreed in the proposal. UK Space Agency will not increase the grant value or re-allocate budget to cover higher pay rates even if actual pay increases during the project duration.  

Costs for project work done by sub-contractors must be declared as a separate budget line classified as sub-contract costs. Sub-contractors cannot be partners to the project and justification in the proposal would need to be clearly stated as to the requirement for use of sub-contractors. 

2.15 Do staff costs relate only to staff on a PAYE payroll or would staff employed on short/long-term fixed contracts be eligible? 

Costs should be applied for any staff that will be part of the project team/work regardless of employment status within the organisation. However, any costs for project work done by sub-contractors must be declared as a separate cost to the project. Sub-contractors cannot be partners to the project and justification in the proposal would need to be clearly stated as to the requirement for use of sub-contractors. 

2.16 How is funding scrutiny managed? Are we to expect financial scrutiny?  

At each milestone a finance report detailing breakdown of project spend by budget category is required and grant claims must be accompanied by evidence of spend (timesheets, receipts or similar) for all claimed items (from any budget category) over £500, or a minimum of the top three highest value items if none over £500, and any assets or asset improvement costs. Evidence of the values claimed may be requested at any time during the project or for 7 years following. We recommend you keep a file of all staff time sheets, receipts and sub-contracts. 

You will also be required to revisit the work package costs at any formal change, and project reviews, reporting on spend against profile and confidence in future spend values. 

Financial scrutiny extends beyond grant funded activity.  UK Space Agency must be satisfied that the recipient organisation is not in financial difficulties and must not provide rescuing or restructuring subsidies to ailing or insolvent enterprises so may request organisation level supporting information.  We are also required to ensure the project and organisations are acting within the subsidy scheme rules for which a £3 million cap applies to funded activity over the previous 3 years (or life of the project) if: 

• the same project or activities as defined under the relevant categories of the streamlined route.   

• for the same or substantially same specific purpose as a previous award.   

• awarded to the same enterprise by any public authority.   

3. Major Projects vs Kick Starter Guidance 

3.1 Can you provide guidance on the amount of funding that can be applied for? 

NSIP Kick Starter will provide grants of £150k - £1m over 12 months for low TRL (1-4) projects with an emphasis on innovation and disruption. NSIP Major Projects, for higher TRL projects (5-9) will offer grants of £150k - £2m. All grants under NSIP Call 2 must complete by March 31 2027 and any money not spent must be returned.  

3.2 We have a project that requires a significant proportion of the spend in this financial year. Is this acceptable? 

The UK Space Agency recognises that in many instances, rapid route to market is important. We are very happy to receive proposals that will undertake significant work this financial year and will seek to support companies in a timely way as best we can, within our budget envelope. 

3.3 May a project that implies a change from TRL 7 to TRL 8 be taken in consideration? 

Yes, it would. By the end of the project there must be a tangible improvement in the TRL of the technology or a demonstration of advancement in approach (engineering method, technical competence etc) that would enable and support space industry. 

3.4 Can you clarify whether the TRL’s listed for Kickstarter/Major projects are start or end levels? Can end TRL’s be higher than the bracket, i.e. can a Kickstarter begin at 4 and end at 7? 

There are no prescribed TRL target for proposals. By the end of the project there must be a tangible improvement in the TRL of the technology or a demonstration of advancement in approach (engineering method, technical competence etc) that would enable and support space industry. The indicated TRL split between Major Projects and Kick Starter are indicative and applications may differ from this. In this instance applicant should consider the purpose of the grant and how it aligns to the varied assessment weightings set out in the Announcement of Opportunity. 

3.5 What is meant by low-TRL vs. high-TRL? What is expected at each TRL level? 

Technology readiness levels (TRL) are a type of measurement system used to assess the maturity level of a particular technology. A technology project is evaluated against the parameters for each technology level and can then be assigned a TRL rating based on the projects progress. 

There are 9 technology readiness levels. TRL 1 is the lowest and TRL 9 is the highest. As NSIP we classify low-TRL as TRL levels 1 - 4 and high-TRL as TRL levels 5 - 9. 

The TRL levels and definitions are as follows: 

• TRL 1: basic principles observed and reported 

• TRL 2: technology concept or application formulated 

• TRL 3: analytical and experimental critical function or characteristic proof-of-concept 

• TRL 4: technology basic validation in a laboratory environment 

• TRL 5: technology basic validation in a relevant environment 

• TRL 6: technology model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment 

• TRL 7: technology prototype demonstration in an operational environment 

• TRL 8: actual technology completed and qualified through test and demonstration 

• TRL 9: actual technology qualified through successful mission operations 

There are many TRL level guides available online. For example the European Space Agency TRL Guide. 

4. Partnership 

4.1 What is the difference between a partner and a sub-contractor?  

A project partner will be included in your proposal and will be included in the grant award. They will need to contribute match funding to their proportion of project cost. 

A project partnership that results in an uplift in the subsidy control intervention rate is defined as: Enterprises may receive a 15% uplift to the subsidy ratios for Feasibility Studies, Industrial Research or Experimental Development where the project involves collaboration between enterprises, where at least one of the enterprises is an SME, or between an enterprise and one or more research and knowledge dissemination organisation, which must have the right to publish its own research results. Academic partners on projects led by enterprises will still be funded in all cases at 80% of full economic cost 

A subcontractor will be paid from the award and therefore will be included as part of the overall project costs. Sub-contractor costs must only be for the value of the work completed, please review the announcement of opportunity for full details.  

An organisation cannot be both a partner and a sub-contractor to the same proposal. An applicant organisation may choose to partner on multiple proposals with other consortia however should consider resourcing if multiple proposals are successful. 

The lead organisation is responsible for completing diligence checks on partner organisations and should complete Application Form Part D – Partner Assurance Statements for each partner. During the project, the lead organisation must coordinate project schedules, complete milestone reports and sign off on other partner and subcontractor claims and costs. 

4.2 What type of collaboration/partnership programme is the Agency promoting?  

We do not promote any type of collaboration and there is no restriction on types of organisations that can partner. It can be any combination, for example, industry and academia, industry and industry, as well as an academic partnership etc. 

For any partnerships or subcontractor arrangements please ensure agreement on IP ownership is properly agreed and formalised. 

4.3 Is there a limit to the number of collaboration partners? 

There are no minimum or maximum number of partners. However, we suggest each partner has a clear role within the project.  If you require more than 7 partner organisations please contact NSIP@ukspaceagency.gov.uk in good time before the proposal submission date so that we can provide support with the application form limitations. 

4.4 Is the participation of an industry partner necessary/preferred or that all academic consortia may also be welcome to apply? 

There is no requirement for an industry partner to be involved, all academic consortiums are welcome. Consideration will need to be made to the type of collaboration that best suits the project and roles each organisation plays.  

When applying for intervention rates, Academic partners on projects led by enterprises will still be funded in all cases at 80% of full economic cost. The uplift to subsidy ratios are limited by the subsidy scheme to those between enterprises, where at least one of the enterprises is an SME, or between an enterprise and one or more research and knowledge dissemination organisation, which must have the right to publish its own research results.   

4.5 Does the organisational background information apply only to the lead organisation? 

No. All proposals must include organisational background information for all those involved including those put forward in collaboration. 

4.6 What are collaboration agreements? Would sub-contractors have any IP publication rights? 

Collaboration Agreements should provide a flow-down of the UK Space Agency Grant Funding Agreement terms, explicitly define IP ownership and other terms of collaboration such as work schedules and payments. If you sub-contract work, this may not affect the IP publication rights of your company, but this is for the lead organisation to confirm.   

A collaboration agreement must be in place and shared with NSIP team by the lead organisation within 2 months of project kick off. The Agency does not supply a template collaboration agreement or get involved in their negotiation – this is a matter for lead organisations and their project partners.  

4.7 Will the UK Space Agency maintain any rights over any IP developed in the project? 

No, the UK Space Agency doesn’t retain any IP. Please refer to the Grant Funding Agreement for terms and conditions - listed in the call documents. 

4.8 Is it a requirement to have partners in the project? Would applications with a single partner working with advisors and subcontractors be penalised over partnerships? 

It is not a requirement to have a project partner and applications without partners will not be penalised. It may be advantageous to fill capability gaps or demonstrate commercial pull for the innovation through partnerships, however this may be done through any other mechanism that suits your proposal, and partnerships must be demonstrably effective to benefit the proposal on assessment.  For further information please see Section 6 ‘Assessment of Applications’ in the Announcement of Opportunity, which outlines the assessment criteria and weighting for applications. 

4.9 Can a university be a lead organisation, or does the call require an industry partner? 

Yes, a university can be a lead organisation or sole grant recipient for a proposal. Based on the assessment criteria it will be important that university applicants consider the commercial benefit or target market their innovation might bring, and how they might develop a route to market for the resulting technology/capability. 

4.10 What is the maximum percentage of total funding requested that can be allocated to non-UK subcontractors? 

A maximum of 50% of grant funds can be spent on subcontracting costs, which would include for essential capabilities that cannot be sourced in the UK.  

4.11 Do all project staff have to be identified/hired prior to submitting the project application?  

No, not all staff have to be place/hired by submission of the proposal, but plans should be in place to resource the work once the grant is up and running as soon as possible to minimise delay to grant delivery and this must be scheduled into the project plan. In the event that a grant start is delayed to allow for staff hire, upon start a level of due diligence will need to be undertaken to ensure that the grant can begin and is likely to succeed by the project end date. If the UK Space Agency does not believe it is viable, the grant may be terminated in line with the Grant Funding Agreement.  

5. Monitoring and Evaluation 

5.1 What is the North Star Metric? 

The North Star Metric is a quantitative metric which measure the level of revenue and investment in the UK space sector which can be attributed to UK Space Agency support. Data is gathered as an agreed requirement of UK Space Agency grants and contracts from the recipients of those grants and contracts. More information can be found on our website on Annex 9 - Information about the UK Space Agency’s North Star Metric. 

5.2 How will UK Space Agency collect monitoring and evaluation data? 

The UK Space Agency has partnered with an external M&E consultancy to capture data and deliver findings for National Space Innovation Programme. This exercise is part of the programme’s benefits realisation, and we ask that all projects engage with the process. 

The consultancy firm will contact project teams on an annual basis to provide input on the impact of their project. This will be complemented by North Star Metric data collection conducted on a quarterly basis by the UK Space Agency grant managers. Please liaise with your NSIP project managers if you have more questions on this topic.  

We may also reach out to unsuccessful applicants to request feedback and information to better understand the impact of NSIP funding, we appreciate your input as we develop the programme to better support the UK Space Sector. 

5.3 Are we required to submit North Star metrics as a university? 

Yes, all organisations in the project will need to return data for North Star Metrics. Consistent monitoring and evaluation of our programmes is vital, so we understand how well we are delivering the UK Space Agency’s objectives. This in turn helps us to ensure we are delivering the National Space Strategy, and informs how we prioritise our resource, select the projects we invest in, and make the case for future public spending on space. 

We therefore require, as a condition of funding, that all recipients report the benefits they receive as a result. It may be the case that some of the entries submitted are 0 or null for early stage or feasibility projects. 

5.4 What are the audit requirements on the grant? 

An independent reasonable assurance report is required as part of the total cost of the project. Confirmation will be required that the Grant Recipient has expended the sums in respect of the period in which the milestone payments have been claimed. For this purpose, a report must be completed within 6 months of the grant concluding. Reasonable assurance reports are an ineligible project cost (so can’t be claimed through the grant). 

As part of UK Space Agency Grant Funding Agreements, recipients should keep project documentation for seven years following the completion of the grant. UK Space Agency commissions audits of grant projects through the Government Internal Assurance Agency (GIAA) each year and NSIP grants may be subject to this scrutiny at any time.