扒哥吃瓜

In聽October 2023, the previous administration published the鈥�framework for Greater鈥� PNT鈥� Resilience鈥痶o guide the government鈥檚 work on鈥疨NT. It sets out the current and future focus for鈥疨NT鈥痯olicy to improve鈥疨NT鈥痳esilience across the National Infrastructure (NI) and wider economy, and drive growth. Following the publication of the framework, the鈥� 狈补迟颈辞苍补濒鈥疨狈罢鈥疧蹿蹿颈肠别鈥痺as set up in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The office聽is responsible for鈥疨NT鈥痯olicy, coordination, and delivery and works across government to improve鈥疨NT鈥痳esilience and drive growth.

For the UK specifically, PNT is of strategic national importance. The country鈥檚 economy, defence, transport, and communications all depend on resilient and聽accurate聽PNT services. The National Risk Register (2025 edition, HMG)聽identifies聽PNT disruption as a major threat to national resilience, warning that even short-term outages may result in cascading failures across critical infrastructure, disrupt financial transactions, delay logistics聽and supply chains, and cause widespread productivity losses. The financial repercussions of a significant loss or disruption of PNT services in the UK would be severe and far-reaching. Studies by London Economics estimate the economic value loss due to a GNSS outage for 7-days in the UK at over 拢7bn, underscoring the vital importance of聽maintaining聽resilient PNT capabilities.

As the UK聽seeks聽to harness innovation and聽maintain聽security in an increasingly digital world, robust PNT systems are vital to sustaining critical infrastructure, supporting technological advancements, and ensuring national autonomy in navigation and timing services. This is especially significant in a global context where reliance on international satellite navigation systems could pose vulnerabilities. As such, the UK is investing in innovation and collaboration in the PNT domain, both to safeguard national interests and to remain at the forefront of technological progress.

Useful Links:聽

• National PNT Office, HMG

• Satellite-derived time and position: Blackett review

• Positioning, Navigation and Timing: Overview

In 2025, the UK聽subscribed 拢57m to聽ESA Navigation programmes to support UK industry developing the next generation of聽PNT products,聽services聽and applications.聽聽

The primary mechanism聽for funding support聽from the UK Space Agency聽is聽through ESA鈥檚聽Navigation Innovation and Support programme (NavISP).

ESA鈥檚聽Navigation Programmes

ESA is a multinational organisation dedicated to the advancement of Europe鈥檚 space capabilities, fostering collaboration in scientific research, technology development, and the practical application of space-based services. ESA鈥檚 overarching goals are to support innovation, ensure the competitiveness of European industries, and strengthen the continent鈥檚 autonomy in strategic areas such as satellite navigation and Earth observation.

The UK, in 2016, proposed the ESA Navigation Innovation and Support Programme, which was adopted by Council that same year. Today there are 2 main programmes focussed on navigation: the聽Navigation Innovation Support Programme (NavISP)聽and FutureNav. Both encapsulate multiple projects and funding frameworks.

础产辞耻迟听狈补惫滨厂笔

The UK聽subscribed聽鈧�53尘颈濒濒颈辞苍聽to the聽NAVISP聽(Navigation Innovation and Support Programme)聽to strengthen the UK鈥檚 capabilities in satellite navigation and related services. NAVISP is a commercially driven programme designed to support UK businesses in developing聽cutting-edge聽technologies, products, and services. The programme can cover development of components, systems, or services, and any aspect or combination of space, ground, or user segments.

You can apply for ESA NAVISP Support and funding through one of our three Elements:鈥�聽

Building Innovation -聽Competitive Tenders鈥� Element 1鈥�

You聽submit聽your proposal in response to one of聽ESA鈥檚聽regular open competitions. These are directed at a specific problem or opportunity聽identified聽by ESA. Competitive tenders are open for a limited time. Each application received is assessed in competition with other proposal applications.聽Element 1 focuses on early-stage technology and research which does not have easy routes to commercialisation, including paper studies. This聽generally means聽very low聽technology-readiness-level (TRL) more akin to fundamental science.

Competitiveness in PNT -聽Open Call for Proposals 鈥� Element 2鈥�聽

You propose your ideas directly to ESA, setting out the opportunity you wish to pursue.聽鈥疶hese applications will each be assessed on their own value.鈥�聽Element 2 is focused on accelerating growth by targeting commercially promising projects that are approaching market readiness. Refer to the ESA website for details on funding available for聽different types聽of organisations.

Support to Member States -鈥� Element 3鈥�聽

Two routes are possible under Element 3. In the Industry Route, you propose your ideas directly to UK Space Agency, setting out the opportunity you wish to pursue. In the Competition Route, UK Space Agency may issue a call based on national strategic priorities which聽the sector聽can bid for in an open competition.聽

To apply for funding within each of the three NAVISP Elements, UK companies聽must聽obtain approval for their proposal from their聽National Delegate聽prior final bid submission. This guidance explains how to apply for聽National Delegate聽support under NAVISP.鈥�聽In this instance the UK Space Agency PNT Team are the National Delegate.

This guidance focusses on obtaining聽National Delegate听蝉耻辫辫辞谤迟.听.

础产辞耻迟听贵耻迟耻谤别狈补惫听

Alongside the Navigation Innovation and Support programme, ESA offer a suite of programmes within聽FutureNav. This includes聽3 components:聽

• Component聽1: LEO PNT: In-Orbit Preparatory Phase (IOPP)聽

• Component聽2: Genesis: Deployment and Exploitation聽

• Component聽3: PNT Demonstrators:聽OpSTAR;聽NovaMoon聽and Future demonstrators.

LEO PNT聽(Celeste)聽

The Celeste demonstrator mission,聽a constellation of ten satellites,聽is being聽designed to evaluate advanced signal technologies across multiple frequency bands. The mission will examine the integration of a low Earth orbit fleet with other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). This strategy aims to enhance overall PNT resilience and robustness, while also enabling the development of new services.聽

The UK subscribed聽鈧�3.7m聽for the UK to聽participate聽in the Celeste Programme.聽You can apply for funding聽as and when ESA release ITTs for this programme.聽聽

骋别苍别蝉颈蝉听

This is a scientific mission which has focussed on聽improving the聽accuracy and stability聽of the聽International Terrestrial Reference Frame聽by combining four聽geodetic聽techniques聽in a single satellite.聽聽

The UK subscribed聽鈧�0.5m聽for the UK to continue聽participating聽in聽this聽mission. You can apply for funding as and when ESA release ITTs for this programme.聽聽

PNT Demonstrators

The聽demonstrators have been designed to enhance resilience, secure PNT infrastructure, safeguard against interference and increase autonomy in orbit and on the ground.聽OpSTAR聽is an optical demonstrator, while聽NovaMoon聽has been designed as a lunar reference station. The Future Demonstrators are focussed on two key areas, quantum-enable demonstrators and AI聽and payload digital technology demonstrators.聽聽

The UK subscribed聽鈧�1m聽for the UK to聽participate聽in the Future Demonstrators. You can apply for funding as and when ESA release ITTs for this programme.

Funding opportunities

NavISP and FutureNav currently have funding opportunities. Read the document below to find out more.

• Apply for funding: NavISP - Navigation Innovation Support Programme

• Apply for聽FutureNav聽funding聽

• Visit our鈥�Apply for funding鈥痯age for information on these calls and further funding opportunities from the UK Space Agency, the space sector, academic, education and community partners.

Further information

If you would like any further information, or have any questions or feedback about this guidance, please contact the team at鈥�pnt@ukspaceagency.gov.uk鈥痮谤鈥�