With the General Support Technology Programme (GSTP), ESA supports the development of technologies for ESA programmes, industry and the European space sector. (ESA Technology Strategy)

The GSTP Element 2 “Make” addresses industry driven co-funded activities enabling the development of technologies and products for market competitiveness and sustainability.

Industry is invited to submit unsolicited proposals addressing three segments:

1. market oriented opportunities,
2. strategic opportunities, or
3. implementation of commercial National priorities.

The documentation relevant to the open call can be found in EMITS under reference AO9834. (To access this link registration is required on esastar)

This Channel is meant to facilitate the submission of the Outline Proposals. The idea submission is already structured as required for the outline proposal. 

The overview of the process is presented for information and completeness below.

The submitted ideas will be confidential and only visible to ESA for the purpose of evaluation.

What are the Segments? 

• Segment 1: “Market Oriented Opportunities”: Activities submitted in the frame of Segment 1 should address the development of new products or improvements of existing products for well-defined markets. The specific business opportunities should be clearly defined, along with the potential customers. In this segment, the Tenderers should provide a mature business plan.
  Companies submitting proposals in this segment should have a background in commercialising technologies in the space markets.
• Segment 2: “Strategic Opportunities”: These activities should address cases that are commercially strategic from a market or an industrial (i.e. value chain/production process) perspective:
  • Strategic market goals include access to new applications/markets that have indirect commercial impact (i.e. they do not bring a direct commercial return but enhance the competitiveness, for example via a high profile application/market or by achieving market diversity to reduce market dependence). For these goals, the business opportunity should be well defined. They may also include entry into a new market, where the company needs to
    develop, manufacture and test a breadboard or engineering model in order to attract interest and obtain detailed requirements from possible customers.
  • Strategic industrial (i.e. value chain/production process) goals pertain to companies that have established products or technologies serving a given market. These companies may, for instance, address obsolescence issues in the supply chain, apply new manufacturing techniques or develop an alternative (possibly internal) capability in order to replace an external source.
• Segment 3: Implementation of National Priorities: Activities submitted in the frame of Segment 3 should address specific priorities of GSTP Element 2 “Make” Member States. Countries may wish to maintain and develop capabilities that serve different national space considerations (i.e. developing specific capabilities for national or international space opportunities (outside of ESA) or supporting regional development). The strategic nature should be presented and the target applications should be clearly identified. The Letter of Support from the National Delegations supporting activities under Segment 3 shall
  clearly confirm the National interest.

What are the funding options and conditions?

The activities selected will be funded by the Agency to a maximum fraction of the total costs depending on the nature of the organization (company, university, research institute,…) and the maturity and proximity to market of the development (TRL level). The remainder will be funded by industry and shall not include any additional co-financing from other public R&D or other public programmes. The industry’s contribution can be either monetary or in-kind.

 *Note: Universities and research institutes are invited to support industry driven developments, however their participation shall be limited to 30% of the overall effort. Under this Element, universities and research institutes are not eligible to lead a consortium as Prime Contractors. Examples of university or research institute’s support to an Element 2 activity could include for example access to labs, or dissemination of research results that can be commercialised by the industry. 

For any programmatic question related to GSTP Element 2 "Make" please contact GSTP.Programme@esa.int