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Info Session

INFO SESSION

The last Info Session took place on 8 August 2025. The next infosession will be scheduled in early 2026 prior to the next evaluation deadline in spring.

Presentation slides and a summary from the info session on August 8, 2025, are available below.
Presentation slides
Summary and Q&A

1. Programme Overview

ESA Phi‑LabNet sits within ESA’s Innovate commercialisation programme, alongside ESA BICs and the Brokers/Ambassadors network. The mission: Support groundbreaking research and innovation with high potential for commercialisation, bridging the gap between research and market.

Where efforts focus: Earth Observation (EO), Positioning/Navigation/Timing (PNT), Secure Satellite Communications, and enabling capabilities. Across all of these, the emphasis is on building a safe and resilient society.

2. ESA Phi-Lab Netherlands

Operators: NL Space Campus & SBIC Noordwijk, supported by NSO.

Support Offered

  • Academic & commercial mentoring.
  • Access to facilities, workspace, and equipment.
  • Seed funding up to €200k per project.
  • Access to partner networks, ESA programmes, and events.
  • Networking and potential fellowship visits to other Phi‑Labs.

Project duration is typically 1–2 years (maximum 2), with expected outcomes including a product, service, IP transfer, or startup formation.

3. Eligibility & Selection

Applicants

  • Legal entities or consortia (companies, universities, research institutions).

Requirements

  • Strong space connection
  • Research-driven disruptive innovation with commercial potential. 
  • Benefits to the Dutch space ecosystem (especially if applicant is not based in NL)

Not suitable

  • Pure research without market focus
  • Long-term PhD projects
  • Projects outside thematic scope 

4. Funding and Co-funding Rules

Seed Funding: €200k from ESA; own contribution required. 

  • SMEs: minimum 20% own contribution.
  • Universities/Research organisations: 100% covered if <30% of the total budget; above that, co-funding of 50% applies. 
  • Large companies: maximum 50% ESA funding.

Eligible Costs

  • Staff time
  • Subcontracting
  • Data/IP purchase
  • Equipment rental
  • Travel
  • Accommodation
  • Etc..

Change from last call: No longer a 50% cap on staff costs in the current call. 

5. Application Process

  1. Check Eligibility
  2. Download Call Documents
  3. (Optionally) Submit an Idea Outline by 12 October
    • Get Feedback
  4. Prepare Full Proposal
    • Research, market potential, work plan, budget
  5. Submit by 20 October, 13:00 CET
    • Via Email or Submission Page

Evaluation

  1. Tender Opening Board
    • Eligibility check
  2. Tender Evaluation Board (ESA, NSO, NL Space Campus + experts)
    • Presentation, Q&A, Scoring
  3. Decision & Feedback by early December; contract negotiations follow.

6. Tips for Strong Proposal

  • Engage early with the Phi-Lab team
  • Show high commercial potential and disruption.
  • Build a strong consortium with both scientific and commercial expertise.
  • Include end users or letters of interest.
  • Align with Dutch space strategy and contribute actively to the ecosystem.
  • Combine funding sources for stronger, larger projects.
     

7. Q&A Highlights

Projects are eligible if they align with the programme’s focus areas and contribute to strengthening the Dutch space ecosystem.

Co-funding is possible, provided applicants comply with the rules of those funding bodies. Double funding must be avoided.

Project spending should primarily take place in the Netherlands. Exceptions are possible if the required expertise or facilities are not available domestically.

Applicants may submit more than one proposal, but only as the main applicant for a single project. They are welcome to join additional proposals as a partner.

An earlier project developed an innovative method for detecting hard-to-track orbital objects, directly supporting PNT and SatCom safety.

Eligible themes include climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, energy transition, security, and human-centric applications.

Innovation refers to the development of a new technology or method. Disruption: a significant change in market dynamics or customer behaviour as a result of that innovation

Open Call