Commercial Climate Services Call

Turing EO insights into action

Background

Following the success of previous UK Space Agency Climate Service Calls, a new round of small grants are now available to support the development of commercial UK-based services using satellite Earth Observation data. 

The UK Space Agency’s Commercial Climate Services Call invites applications for funding of innovative climate services that can help open new markets and strengthen the UK’s EO climate services sector.

We are looking for forward-thinking ideas  that use satellite-based EO data to create services focused on topics relevant to making decisions in a changing climate – be that for water resources, human health, agriculture, urban heat, wildfires or anything relevant to climate mitigation, adaptation, or resilience. Our focus is on innovation – whether you’re developing a brand-new service, enhancing an existing service to meet climate challenges, or reaching a new type of customer. We are seeking proposals that have a well-defined route to market. 

This funding is intended to support early-stage development activities, to test technical ideas and/or scope and develop the commercial viability of a new service. Funding can be used by the grant recipient for staff time, sub-contractors, accessing information, or for resources needed to progress the development of a proposed service.

Proposals that meet these criteria are welcome, regardless of the size or type of your organisation. The size of your organisation may affect the amount of funding which you can apply for.

The Commercial Climate Services Call aligns with UK government strategies, aiming to:

·       Advance the National Space Strategy by promoting the growth and commercial use of space data, and by applying space technology to deliver tangible benefits to people across the UK. The call will help de-risk pilot projects with the potential to deliver breakthrough climate services and unlock new market opportunities.

·       Support the UK’s Net Zero Strategy by enabling improved climate services to support evidence-based decision-making at local, national and international levels to support the decarbonising of all sectors of the UK economy to meet the net zero target by 2050.

·       Contribute to the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan by supporting the development of services that enhance environmental monitoring, promote sustainable land use, and improve resilience to climate change impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity.

We will consider all projects demonstrating new and innovative ways of using EO in climate services provided that the service offered or developed is focused on climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience in some way. For example, projects could focus on areas such as (but not limited to);

·       Agriculture and land use

·       Natural disaster response

·       Biodiversity, nature restoration and green financing

·       Marine and water monitoring

·       Spatial planning

·       Waste monitoring

·       GHG’s including methane

Funding Details

The UK Space Agency intends to award up to £500,000 in total funding, to support innovative EO-based climate services using satellite data. Each selected project can receive up to  £85,000 in grant funding. Please note that grant costs must not exceed £85,000.

In special cases, the UK Space Agency may adjust the amount or duration of funding, for example, if your project will be adversely affected over the project duration due to seasonal conditions.

The timing of this call coincides with other calls being run by ESA and the UKSA, please state in your application if you have also sought or are seeing funding for this work elsewhere.

Guidance for Applying

Complete the application form, including:

·       An overview of how your project will support UK Space Agency and wider government objectives.

·       At least four clearly defined milestones.

·       A well-defined business plan outlining the route to market, and a clear understanding of the intended end user.

·       Since this grant is intended to support the development of a service, we expect your organisation to have already committed - or to have clear plans to commit - additional resources to continue developing the service beyond the funded project. You’ll be asked to demonstrate this commitment as part of your application.

·       We require all projects to include a clear communications plan. This will help ensure that the work is shared effectively with the right audiences, highlighting its value and impact.

·       This call is targeting projects in the early stage of development, typically in a Technical Readiness Level of 2+.

The UK Space Agency reserves the right to reject proposals without explanation if they are judged to be outside the call remit, do not contain all the required information or do not provide sufficient information for assessment.

All proposals must be led by UK registered organisations.

Assessment of Applications

The UK Space Agency uses standard assessment questions and criteria for grant funding schemes. Full guidance on scoring is available online, including the scoring sheet and information we issue to assessors. The decision of the UK Space Agency is final in all cases. There is no course for appeal, but we provide feedback on all applications. Incomplete or late applications and altered templates will not be considered.

All applications must be submitted in full using the application form by email to the Earth Observation Global Networks and Commercial Markets team at UKSA.EOT@DSIT.gov.uk using the subject line ‘Commercial Climate Services Call – Application’ by 23:59 on7 August. Late applications will not be accepted and requests to submit late will not be granted.

A summary of the assessment process is below:

·       Only proposals received by the closing date and time will be considered.

·       An initial sift of proposals will remove any which do not meet the eligibility criteria.

·       Eligible proposals will be assessed by reviewers to be scored against assessment criteria.

·       A moderation panel will follow to ensure consistency in marking.

·       A scored and ranked list of fundable proposals will be generated

·       If needed, clarifications will be sought from organisations.

·       All applicants will be advised of the outcome.

·       Due diligence will be conducted throughout the call. If due diligence results in irreconcilable differences, the grant will not be awarded.