Space critical equipment for EU non-dependence

Quel est l’objet de cet appel ?

The topic funds development projects that mature critical space equipment and build trusted, long-term supply chains, so that EU space missions depend less on non-EU countries and export-controlled technologies. It is open to legal entities established in EU Member States, Norway and Iceland.

Que finance cet appel ?

Background

Unrestricted access to state-of-the-art space equipment and related technologies is described as a precondition for the EU space industry to deliver EU space missions. Solutions available in the EU, particularly for some equipment families, do not meet current high-performance space requirements, while alternatives from non-EU countries are affected by non-EU export controls with extraterritorial reach, which limit access or re-export, or raise concerns about trusted supply chains for EU missions with a security dimension.

Scope

The topic is expected to fund development projects that mature critical space equipment, with the ultimate aim of reducing dependence on non-EU countries and building a long-term, sustainable supply chain. Preferably the whole supply chain is established in the EU. Where this is only partly possible because current EU capabilities are lacking and cannot be developed within the project, services procured outside the EU should still keep the supply chain trusted and free from third-country export controls; this scenario must be approved by the granting authority. The list of relevant space equipment and related technologies will be selected on the basis of needs from strategic institutional programmes, input from European stakeholders and the EU Observatory for Critical Technologies, and is to be proposed in 2026.

Expected outcomes

• Stronger EU strategic autonomy through reduced third-country dependence across the whole supply chain.
• Unrestricted access to critical space equipment and related technologies relevant to EU space missions.
• Development or recovery of capabilities for independent operation in space, based on EU and/or trusted supply chains not affected by third-country export restrictions.
• Greater competitiveness, with products matching or exceeding the performance of non-EU products.
• New opportunities for manufacturers through reduced dependence on export-restricted technologies.

Further expectations

Technology spin-in and/or two-way cooperation between European non-space and space industries should be strengthened. Proposed activities should complement national activities and those of the European Space Agency, and proposals should explain how this complementarity is ensured. Activities are expected to reach TRL 6 by the end of the project. Projects using satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

Application and evaluation

The application is limited to 80 pages. To ensure a balanced portfolio, grants will be awarded in order of ranking and also to at least the highest-ranked proposal in each development area, provided it passes all thresholds. Some activities may involve classified background or security-sensitive results.

Quelle est la date limite ?

20 janvier 2028 (441 jours)

20 January 2028