As part of its Kick-Start programme, the European Space Agency (ESA) provides funding for short-term feasibility studies aimed at developing innovative services that leverage space-based technologies, including those related to space weather. These projects fall under ESA’s broader Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) initiative. They are designed to assess the technical feasibility, commercial viability, and user demand for proposed services, and can serve as a stepping stone toward larger-scale operational projects.

Prerequisites:

• Needs assessment to identify relevant areas to fund downstream applications

• Access to technical/business experts to support private entities applying for funding

• Lead agency & budget

• Procurement pathway

• Partner support as needed

Cost:

• Ballpark: USD 50k–250k (does not include cost for the fund)

• Includes: partnership setup, fund design and governance, technical assistance, monitoring & evaluation, administrative support. 

In the use case illustrated the budget was found to be up to USD 86k per project

Timeframe:

• Overall: 12-60 months

• Phase: fund design (6-12 months), funding round(s) (6 - 48 months), optional evaluation & scale-up (6 - 12 months)

Pros:

• Boosting competitiveness - Allows to strengthen expertise and technological capabilities, enhancing competitiveness

• Boosting Efficiency - Fosters optimal resource allocation and efficient operations.

Considerations:

• Prioritisation - Funding entities need to understand the nation's priorities and needs to determine which use cases to fund.

• Timeline - Prioritising use cases may require significant consideration and time.