International Bilateral Fund - Call 3

The project must be led by a UK organisation who will receive a grant from the UK Space Agency. This can be any type of UK organisation including University-led academic research proposals and Industry-led commercial research proposals. All Grant recipients must have a UK bank account and all grant payments will be made in UK sterling (as per grant funding agreement). As per the terms of the Grant Funding Agreement, the lead organisation will be required to put in place a Collaboration or Flow Down Agreement that ensures all terms and conditions within the Grant Funding Agreement are passed onto project partners. This should be in place with 30 days of signature. This should include provisions regarding how the results of the work, including any IPR and spinouts, will be exploited by project partners. In Addition:

• All project members must have in place and provide evidence when requested of appropriate anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies.

• All project members must be able to provide evidence that they are GDPR compliant.

• All project members must provide evidence of a process for declaring and managing conflicts of interest.

• Projects cannot work in areas that are in active conflict and any travel to overseas areas must comply with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice.

• Projects must pass due diligence checks on company viability and national security (including financial standing assessment, governance assessment, conflicts of interest assessment, national security assessment and technical expertise assessment) – the UK Space Agency reserves the right to withdraw any offer in the event an applicant does not pass any of these requirements.

• Projects must comply with any call-specific rules stated in the call guidance page.

• Projects can include non-domestic partners (including those within the EU) who bring their own funding.

• All Grant recipiants must be able to demonstrate the ability to effectively manage a project.

Applicants should note that all applicants, irrespective of geographic location, must still satisfy the core eligibility requirements set out above and award will be subject to completion of satisfactory due diligence checks.The full guidelines can be read here  eligibility criteria for grant funding

Background  

The UK Space Agency plays a central role in the UK’s One Government approach to space policy, strategy and delivery, working closely with businesses, research organisations and international partners to grow the UK space sector. The UK has set an ambitious vision for the space sector, recognising its importance for economic growth, national security, scientific advancement, and international collaboration. This vision has been reinforced through key government strategies, including the Space Industrial Plan (2024), Strategic Defence Review (2025), and Modern Industrial Strategy (2025), which recognise space as part of UK Critical National Infrastructure and a strategic national priority.  

Space is a vital component of UK civil society and defence. Space and satellite services underpin the UK’s defence operations, critical national infrastructure and wider economic activity estimated at £454 billion, equivalent to around 18% of UK GDP. The sector is a critical driver of the UK economy, generating £18.6 billion in annual income and employing around 55,000 people nationwide1.  

The IBF underpins government objectives by advancing innovation through international collaboration to deliver economic growth and stronger security. Leveraging the UK’s world-leading research base, the programme brings together businesses, universities and international partners to develop high-impact technologies, create commercial opportunities, and build enduring partnerships that enhance the UK’s global competitiveness.  

International goals 

Strong international partnerships are essential to the UK’s ability to protect its interests and deliver its strategic objectives, and the UK Government has placed international cooperation at the heart of its approach to safeguarding UK security, sustaining economic growth, and ensuring long-term access to space. Investing in bilateral relationships provides the UK with access to global space science opportunities and expands commercial opportunities with innovative space economies. International collaboration also enables the UK to deepen bilateral relationships and support wider government objectives in trade and diplomacy. As space becomes more congested and contested, the UK must work with partners to develop our capabilities and improve resilience for national security. The IBF seeks to harness international partnerships spanning industry and academia, to help establish the UK’s strategic advantage, weather geopolitical shocks, promote economic growth and support national security.  

International collaboration for space will prioritise partnerships with our closest allies, while also forging relationships with fast-growing partners, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of international space cooperation. For IBF Call 3, we encourage applications with international partners in Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan and the USA. The UK Space Agency has identified these countries as strategically important for advancing broader national goals as well as the space sector. Applications to strengthen collaboration with wider international partners are also very welcome where they represent strong opportunities to further UK international goals.  

Economic Growth  

The IBF supports the growth of a globally competitive UK space sector by driving innovation, exports and resilience, contributing to the UK Space Agency’s broader goal of a commercially sustainable space economy. The fund supports UK industry and academia to commercialise technologies through targeted international partnerships, unlocking international opportunities and trade.  Proposals must describe how the project will deliver economic impact, with clear and realistic pathways to commercialisation, exports, investment attraction or job creation. These should be supported by defined milestones and timelines that demonstrate a strong return on investment for the UK Government. Consortia should combine expertise from industry, academia and the wider research community. Applicants are encouraged to consider how organisations of different sizes can work together to build capability across the UK space sector.  

Priority UK Capabilities  

Through this call, the UK aims to develop and/or strengthen key space capabilities by supporting international partnerships that accelerate the development of technologies, products and expertise underpinning future space missions and services. 

Proposals should demonstrate how the project will strengthen UK strategic capability through international collaboration and address a clearly defined capability gap, technical challenge, market barrier, or strategic opportunity. Activities should deliver meaningful and measurable benefits for the UK such as increased industrial competitiveness or improved supply chain resilience. This may also include areas where the UK is already internationally competitive, as well as emerging sectors with significant strategic advantage and future growth potential.  

Proposals are welcome on any area of the UK space economy, but the following priority subsectors have been identified as particularly important for the UK’s economic, civil and defence requirements:  

• Satellite Communications 

• Assured Access to Space 

• In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) and 

• Space Domain Awareness (SDA) 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to engage with identified government priorities to ensure projects are aligned with cross-government interests.  

Defence and security  

All funded projects must demonstrate a clear contribution to economic growth, which forms a core assessment criterion. In addition, projects may contribute to defence and national security outcomes where appropriate. The Strategic Defence Review and National Security Strategy highlight the critical role of space in safeguarding national interests, strengthening resilience and countering emerging threats. We welcome proposals that leverage international collaboration to advance UK security and defence priorities by developing strategically important space capabilities. Proposals should demonstrate how the project will enhance the resilience of the UK space sector and/or strengthen the UK's ability to detect, monitor, respond to and mitigate threats in the space domain, contributing to the Agency’s wider national security objectives.

Call opens:  24 August 2026 

Information Webinar:  8 September 2026 

EOI deadline:  14 September 2026 (optional but encouraged)  

Application deadline:  3pm - 4 November 2026  

Decisions relayed:  February 2027 

Projects begin:  1 April 2027

All applications must be made through the Governments Flexigrant portal.Additionally we welcome early Expressions of Interest - PLEASE NOTE applicants who complete the EOI form must still complete the application process on Flexigrant, for their application to be considered.  EOI form

Additional information and guidance, along with all forms required to complete the application, can be found on our .GOV website