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At CMIN25, the UK subscribed a total of £141.4m to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme, reflecting our continued commitment to strengthening the UK’s satellite communications sector and supporting national priorities. to support the UK satellite telecommunications industry.ÌýÌý

This targeted allocation is designed to create new opportunities for UK-led innovation, growth, and collaboration in satellite communications and related technologies, working alongside our international partners.ÌýÌýÌý

At Mobile World Congress 2026, the European Space Agency announced a new European Space Agency facility that will use artificial intelligence to advance satellite-enabled connectivity.ÌýBacked by the UK Space Agency, ESA’s ArtificialÌýIntelligence (AI)ÌýHub will offer a unique environment where European industry can test,ÌývalidateÌýand scale AI-driven innovations for satellite and converged communications, transforming how networks are designed,ÌýintegratedÌýand managed.ÌýÌý

To help support the development of the hub and develop UK capabilities in this emerging area, the UK Space Agency is inviting UK organisations to bid on twoÌýEuropean Space Agency Invitations to TenderÌý(ITTs).

2. Supported Activities

Activity Reference	Activity Title	ApproximateÌýBudgetÌý(£)	ESA-STAR ActivityÌýLink
3F.062	Beyond 5G Hub over-the-air vertical segment validations	1300
3F.063	Beyond 5G Hub over-the-air technology validations	1300

Please note, you will need to log-in to ESA-Star to view the ITT details. If you are not logged in to ESA-Star when accessing the links, you will be directed to the log-on page.Ìý

Registering with ESAÌý

New applicants who have not worked with the European Space Agency will need to register their organisation on ESA-STAR (ESA’s System for Tendering and Registration) to view and bid for the activity. Further information on the registration process can be found here:Ìý.

2026 ARTES ITT RequestÌýforÌýInformation

To note that this list is independent of the 2026 ARTES RFI -ÌýARTES 2026 ESA initiated ITTs — Applicant Guidance - °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï.ÌýWith the selected list ofÌýactivitiesÌýdue to be announced in April 2026.

3.ÌýWhat is National Delegate support

Applicants mustÌýdemonstrateÌýnational support prior to applying to ESA (European Space Agency). This is called ‘National Delegate support’,Ìýas the UK delegates its national support to a named member of staff within the UK Space Agency. This guidance is designed to set out the process for applying for National Delegate support forÌýthe two selected activities.

4. How to apply

There areÌý3Ìýsteps to applying for National Delegate support:Ìý

1. complete the online form to register interest in ITT activitiesÌý
2. complete andÌýsubmitÌýfull proposal to the UK Space AgencyÌý
3. receive authorisation of funding letter from the UK Space Agency andÌýsubmitÌýthe full proposal to ESA

5.1 Step 1: Complete the online form to register interest in the ITT activities

Once you have confirmed the ITT is supported by the UK SpaceÌýAgency,Ìýto apply for National Delegate support, you must complete the onlineÌý.Ìý

In order toÌýensure you have time toÌýsubmitÌýa proposal to ESA, weÌýadviseÌýcompleting this form well in advance of the ITT deadline.ÌýÌý

If your online application is accepted, you may thenÌýproceedÌýto submit a completed full proposal to the UK Space Agency. If you are not successful, you will receive feedback on the reasons why.ÌýÌý

Please note, you must register your interest via the online form. We will not consider applications that are sent directly to the UK Space Agency.

5.2ÌýStepÌý2: Complete andÌýsubmitÌýfull proposal to UK Space Agency

If you are invited to apply for National Delegate support, you mustÌýsubmitÌýthe ESA full proposal by email to telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk by the date outlined in your UK Space Agency EOI response. Full proposals not sent to this address will not be considered.

5.3ÌýStepÌý3: Receive authorisation of funding letter from the UK Space Agency andÌýsubmitÌýfull proposal to ESA

Once any outstanding questions relating to your full proposal have been addressed, we will confirm our support and provide an ‘authorisation of funding letter’ from the UK National Delegate. At this stage you can begin the process ofÌýsubmittingÌýdirectly to ESA, who will begin its formal consideration.ÌýÌý

Please note, if you do not provide the required information by the date agreed, you may not receive your letter in time.ÌýÌý

If successful through the ESA competition, we expect you to stay in touch throughout the life of the programme, from contracting to completion. We expect to publicise most funding awards in coordination with winning companies and to be kept informed of any changes or developments for the duration of the project. This ensures we can support you if any adjustments are needed.

6. Eligibility and assessment criteria

6.1 Eligibility

Please check the ESA guidance on eligibility criteria under the ARTES Programme. In addition to this, the UK Space Agency will apply the following eligibility criteria:ÌýÌý

UK-based organisationsÌýÌý

To be considered for UK National Delegate support, organisations must be UK-based and, for commercial companies, must have a UK registration at Companies House. If you are considering moving to the UK, or you do not have a UK registration, you can seek further guidance from the team by email at telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk.ÌýÌýÌý

Essential non-UK spend requestsÌýÌý

Products and services from non-UK suppliers that are considered essential to deliver successful projects, may be included in proposals. However, all proposals mustÌýdemonstrateÌýtheir value to the UK and non-UK spend requests are unlikely to score highly against other, UK-based activities. Any non-UK spend requests should be clearlyÌýstatedÌýin yourÌýinitialÌýapplication. Late requests will not be considered if they have not been declared and approved at the applications stage.ÌýÌý

Match-fundingÌýÌý

In line with ESA rules governing invitations to tender, companies can seek funding of up to 100% for individual project activities. Moreover, SMEs, universities, and research institutions can prime proposals and are eligible to apply for complete funding coverage of up to 100%.

Regulation,ÌýlicensingÌýand spectrum use and filing

The UK Space Agency will not fund licensing or regulatory compliance activities, either in the UK or overseas.ÌýÌýÌý

We expect to seeÌýa viableÌýapproach to spectrum use in projects and we will not fund activities that are not supported by current UK government policy. Where activities involve the novel use of spectrum, we will expect to see evidence of engagement with relevant regulators whichÌýdemonstratesÌýprogrammes areÌýviableÌýand are not dependent on a single high-risk or novel use of spectrum.

Travel and SubsistenceÌýÌý

UK will only support reasonable travel and subsistence costs. No claims for alcohol or entertainment will be accepted.ÌýÌý

All projected expenditure must be recorded in the relevant ESA proposal. The UK Space Agency reserves the right not to support projects where costs appear excessive, and any challenges may delay your application to ESA.ÌýÌý

If you are in any doubt about what is reasonable you should contact the team.

7. ComplaintsÌýÌý

If you are unhappy with either the outcome of your application or how the process was managed, or for any other reason, you can make a complaint by contacting the team at telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk. Please set out the nature of your complaint in detail. The team will try to resolve a complaint in the first instance but, if a resolution is not possible, we will refer it to the UK Space Agency central complaints process, where it will be independently assessed.ÌýÌý

8. Further informationÌýÌý

If you would like any further information, or have any questions or feedback about this guidance, please contact the team by email at telecoms@ukspaceagency.gov.uk.