ESA Startup competition extended
Update: 5 May 2020
In view of the COVID-19 outbreak, the closing date for the submission of proposals for ESA’s Startup competition was extended to 30 April in order to give more time to the applicants. New terms and conditions also apply.
Following the announcement of the postponement of the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai, ESA in close cooperation with the United Arab Emirates Space Agency, instead offers the three winners the opportunity to attend an award ceremony at the occasion of the Global Space Congress, scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi from 25–27 May, 2021.
The Global Space Congress is a prestigious biennial event which is attended by senior executives from space agencies, space industries and governmental organisations and research centres.
The pitches, ceremony and subsequent panel discussion will take place during one of the plenary meetings at this event and the ESA winner will be awarded alongside winners of similar competitions organised by other space agencies.
ESA is looking for ways to provide support to startups in their valuable role in the space industrial ecosystem. ESA’s Startup competition will offer the winning entrepreneurs expert advice on their space-based proposals.
ESA’s mentoring prize remains unchanged and winners will be invited by ESA to present and promote their projects during a prestigious event.
In addition, a modification to the general terms and conditions of the competition now opens up the competition to those startups incorporated after January 2015 when previously this was January 2017.
The competition
ESA’s competition for startups in ESA Member States opened on 2 March and is accepting proposals for future services and/or products using space technology. Interested innovators could apply through ESA’s competition website under modified terms and conditions.
On 20 May, a team of ESA experts will select the best ten ideas based on an assessment of the startup team, the competitiveness and economic viability of the business model and its impact on society.
These ten startups will then pitch their ideas by each sending a video to the delegates of ESA’s Industrial Policy Committee before a final selection of three winners on 16 June.
The three winning startups will be personally informed and then announced on the ESA website.
These winning proposals will receive expert advice through a mentoring grant and the chance to promote their ideas during the Global Space Congress event.