In-Space Economy Pump Prime Call

We are offering businesses the opportunity to apply for up to £9,999 of grant funding for projects that support the design of industry-led collaborative R&D projects, that examine, and ultimately unlock, opportunities in the emerging in-orbit service, assembly and manufacturing economy (ISAM), including microgravity.

Project applications are invited from R&D areas related to in-orbit servicing, assembly and in-space manufacturing. This can include multi-disciplinary projects that work across sectors e.g. opportunities from in-orbit manufacturing and energy, life sciences or quantum.

A key requirement is that the projects must be collaborative, and business led. This can be with organisations across the UK Space Ecosystem. We particularly encourage applications with projects partners from the Harwell or Sci-Tech Daresbury Campuses, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre and STFC-supported Clusters (Harwell & North West), though this is not a requirement of funding.

Full application deadline: 5.30pm on Wednesday 18 December

Scope

The proof-of-principle project should be an R&D application related to in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (including ISAM, robotics, manufacturing, in-orbit operations, microgravity, and other relevant areas).

The project should build and/or strengthen collaboration between businesses, research centres, facilities and other organisations in Clusters, and the UK Space Ecosystem, and may:

• Carry out work to generate proof-of-principle results
• Stimulate collaboration through conducting workshops, mapping activities or roadmap building
• Demonstrate or validate the feasibility of technologies or capabilities, as appropriate to support follow-on projects
• Address barriers to knowledge exchange and collaboration
• Strengthen an existing or new collaboration

All projects must produce a Final Report highlighting the outcomes and achievements of the project.

Eligibility Requirements

Lead Organisation

• Must be a registered UK business of any size
• Carry out its project work in the UK
• Must be able to exploit the results from or in the UK
• The Lead Organisation must not have exceeded the £315,000 limit of minimal financial assistance funding during the current and the previous two fiscal years

Project Partners

• Business of any size
• Higher Education Institution
• Research Council Institute
• Charity
• Research Organisation
• Public Sector Research Establishment
• Non-profit Research and Technology Organisation (RTOs), including Catapult
• Project Partners must carry out project work in the UK.

How to Apply

If you have a proof-of-principle project that meets the eligibility requirements and the scope of this call, then please email us to request an application pack as below. All completed applications and required documents must be submitted by 5:30pm, 18 December 2024.

CrossClusterPOC@stfc.ac.uk

Your project must be a collaboration. The roles, skills and experience each partner contributes to the successful delivery of the project should be clear from your application. It is the responsibility of the Lead Applicant to ensure that a collaboration agreement is in place that is acceptable to all parties, to make sure that IP arising from the work can be managed effectively.

STFC Clusters

The Cluster model encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and pushes innovation in key sectors contributing to driving productivity and growth in the UK economy.

The clusters anchored by the STFC campuses at Harwell and Sci-Tech Daresbury have proved to be extremely effective in facilitating innovation, accelerating translation and commercialisation, and attracting public and private investment in R&D. Each cluster helps to develop a competitive advantage in key sectors and technologies (Space, Health, Energy, Digital, Quantum and Defence & Security) and provides a framework to boost innovation activity in business, securing jobs and economic growth.

FAQs

1. How we will assess your application? - All eligible proposals will undergo peer review by a panel of experts, which includes specific subject matter experts and independent advisors.
2. What happens if you are successful? - All successful applicants will be notified by 27 January 2025. The Lead Organisation will receive a Grant Offer Letter from STFC-UKRI, which must be signed and returned within 30 days to secure the Grant.
3. When does the funding period end? - You must submit a Final Report to STFC-UKRI (CrossClusterPOC@stfc.ac.uk) by Friday 21 March 2025, 5:30pm to claim your funding.
4. What costs are eligible? - More detail about eligible and ineligible costs can be found within the Call Guidance Document within the Application Pack

STFC manages and works with a number of space and non-space industry clusters and facilities. If you would like advice on engagement with a possible cluster organisation or facility to work with, or have any further questions, please contact CrossClusterPOC@stfc.ac.uk

North West Space Cluster - Alan Cross

Harwell Space Cluster - Phil Carvil

James Bedford - Digital Tech Cluster Manager

North West Health Tech Cluster, Harwell Health Tech Cluster - Phil Carvil

Harwell Energy Tech Cluster - Emma Southwell-Sander

Quantum Tech Cluster - Najwa Sidqi

Space | Health | Digital Tech | Energy | Quantum | Defence & Security