Funding Flash - March 2025:

Each month, Space South Central aims to bring together a curated list of the latest and best funding opportunities for businesses working in the space sector across the South East.

The list is not exhaustive – for that, see the Satellite Applications Catapult’s Space Enterprise Network.

If you see an opportunity below that could be suitable for your business, reach out to the team at [email protected], who will offer advice, expertise, support and connections to help you create successful bids. Since 2016, we have helped regional organisations secure ￡37.5M.

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Royal Society Wolfson Fellowships

Deadline: Wednesday, 19th March 2025

This scheme provides up to five years of funding. Up to ￡300,000 can be requested.?

Funds can cover:

• Salary enhancement – The institution may include a salary enhancement for the researcher. This will be limited to a maximum of 20% of the total salary.
• Research expenses – Including consumables, travel, small pieces of equipment of up to ￡10,000, and other appropriate and justified costs (including visa costs and fieldwork)
• Research assistance.
• PhD studentship(s).
• Relocation and visa costs for Royal Society Wolfson Fellows and their dependents (partner and children). The total grant cap may be exceeded to cover relocation/visa costs if this is well justified in the application.

Read more here.?

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3rd Exchange Scheme Open Call

Deadline: Monday, 14th April 2025

EC-funded ENFIELD project has allocated 1.1M euros to provide support to a total of 76 researchers to answer specific ENFIELD challenges through four rounds of exchange open calls. They invite researchers (PhD students, Post-docs and senior researchers) and groups of researchers to propose projects that address specific ENFIELD challenges and contribute to new AI research and applications.?

Read more here.?

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Public Engagement Spark Awards 2025

Deadline: Thursday, 24th April 2025

Apply for funding to engage the public with Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) supported science, people, technology or facilities.

You must work for an organisation that:

• is based in the UK
• produces annual accounts certified by an accountant
• Proposals must have clear links to the STFC’s remit and include a subject matter expert in an STFC-funded area.

The scheme is not subject to the full economic cost (FEC) process. The cost of your project can be up to ￡20,000. STFC will fund 100% of the project cost.

Projects are expected to be between 12 and 36 months in duration.

Read more here.?

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Space for Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture

Deadline: Friday, 25th April 2025

This ‘Space for Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture’ opportunity offers funding to European teams interested in developing services integrating technology solutions to the smart cities and urban agricultural sector. The European Space Agency (ESA) will provide funding for six-month feasibility studies known as ‘Kick-Starts’, which can lead to larger-scale projects and pilots. Kick-Starts are funded at 75% by ESA, up to a maximum of €75K per contract.

Read more here.?

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Responsive Mode Call: Exploration Community Development

Deadline: Open Until Further Notice

The UK Space Agency will, subject to budget being available in any given financial year, make available funds to support activities such as:

• community-building activities
• establishing networking opportunities
• showcases and/or organisation attendance at appropriate conferences

Applicants should detail how the proposed activity benefits the UK space exploration community.

Read more here.?

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ESA BIC UK

Deadline: Sunday, 6th April 2025

The ESA Business Incubation Centre United Kingdom (ESA BIC UK) is part of ESA Space Solutions and provides start-ups with technical expertise and facilities, business support, networking, office space and funding needed to overcome innovation challenges and accelerate business growth.

Benefits include:

• Business development and advice
• ￡43,103 funding
• Office space and shared facilities

To apply for the ESA BIC UK, you must have a strong and innovative space connection. Applicants need to be a new or existing UK-registered company (less than 5 years old) and have at least one company member?located in the UK.

Read more here.?

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Open Call for Innovation CY2025 - Cycle 1

Deadline: Tuesday, 29th April 2025

The Open Call for Innovation is one of the services the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) uses to find ideas that address challenges across both Defence and Security landscapes to give them an edge over adversaries.

The Open Call for Innovation allows innovative ideas to be proposed to Defence and Security stakeholders, even where a specific requirement has not been stipulated. It is a broad mechanism to allow innovators to present disruptive ideas which may otherwise be overlooked.

DASA are interested in proposals that:

• develop new or novel approaches to achieve existing outcomes within defence more efficiently/effectively
• develop and demonstrate modern approach, techniques or equipment to deliver new or enhanced outcomes for Defence
• develop current capability in a novel way to achieve efficiency or enhanced effect for Defence

While there is no minimum project value, typical projects are in the region of ￡250,000-￡300,000.

Read more here.?

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Innovate UK innovation loans future economy: Round 20

Deadline: Wednesday, 7th May 2025

Innovate UK is offering up to ￡25 million in loans to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Innovate UK innovation loans are for highly innovative late-stage research and development (R&D) projects with the best potential for the future. There must be a clear route to commercialisation and economic impact.

Your project must lead to innovative new products, processes or services that are significantly ahead of others currently available, or propose an innovative use of existing products, processes or services. It can also involve a new or innovative business model.

Loans can be between ￡100,000 and ￡2 million.

Read more here.?

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Canada-UK Collaborative R&DDeadline: Wednesday, 16th April 2025

UK-registered organisations can apply for a share of up to ￡3 million for collaboration with Canadian SMEs on joint R&D projects.

To lead a project your organisation must:

• be a UK-registered business of any size
• be or involve at least one grant claiming UK-registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
• or, be a Canadian incorporated, profit orientated small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)

Your collaboration must involve at least one grant claiming UK registered SME and one eligible Canadian incorporated, profit-orientated SME.

UK partners grant funding request can be up to ￡300,000 per project.

Read more here.?

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