General Support Technology Programme (GSTP)

General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) is a technology support and development programme, to which consiststhe UK Space Agency committed €83m at the last European Space Agency (ESA) Council of threeMinisters elements,Meeting Elementin 1November –2022.

Following Develop,on Elementfrom 2the –highly Makesuccessful andGSTP ElementInformation 3Day, -which Flywas .held at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in London on 14th March, guidance notes are now available on the GSTP area of UK Space Agency website. Please ensure that you refer to this documentation before contacting the GSTP Team or submitting a Statement of Interest.

This programme continues to provide support to companies and academic institutions across the UK in developing innovative technologies to grow UK capability. We noware frequentlykeen to engage with start-ups and SMEs (from both within and outside the space sector), as well as established companies and organisationsorganisations. withCollaborative collaborative proposals are also welcome.welcomed.

TheTo UKencourage Spacesmaller Agencycompanies committedand €83mthose atwho theare lastconsidering Europeanworking Spacein Agencythe (ESA)space Councilsector ofwe Ministershave Meetingutilised and engaged in Novembertwo 2022framework ofprogrammes.

1. De-risk whichframework €15m- wasThis allocatedenables companies to Electrical,apply Electronicfor andan Electro-mechanicalinitial (EEE)activity Sovereigntyto Componentde-risk activities,their €23mproposed forlarger ENDUREproject (Europeanwith Devicesa Usingsmall Radioisotopefully Energy)funded activitiesactivity andof €5mup forto SOLARIS€200k, (Spacewhich Basedmust Solarbe Power)delivered activities.

   Thesewithin activities9 canmonths. beOn foundsuccessful oncompletion of the ESAinitial STARactivity –applications whichare isthen apermitted competitivefor ITTthe Procurementfollow-on platform.activity. TheseThis ITTsmay arebe issueddelivered onin theup procurementto systemtwo arephases initiatedand viamatch thefunding GSTPof compendia,up whichto are50% generatedwill bybe ESArequired on– awhich 3is yearlysubject basis,to followingnegotiation discussions with delegates,the industryUK (includingSpace academia)Agency acrossGSTP ESAteam.

2. Building memberBlock statesframework and– ESAThis technicalprogramme officers.is Toused viewto documentationprepare onand ESAdevelop STARenabling youcapabilities willfor needspace torelated registersystems toand gainthe accessassociated tosub-systems. theThese platformprojects viamust https://esastar-emr.sso.esa.int/

   Thebe mostcompleted recentwithin triennial18 compendiamonths. wereEnabling issuedapplications infor Novembersupport 2022,of andup containsto 143€500k activitiesto coveringbe 10made, Competencealthough Domains.the Followingvalue aof UKthe Spaceactivity Agencycan GSTPbe Call,up whichto closed€1m. onIf 17the Aprilcost 2023,of 26the potentialactivity ITTexceeds activities€500k werethe selectedshortfall andwill areneed beingto supportedbe sourced from elsewhere by the UK,applicant.

In addition to the valueElement €15.9m.1 Theseframework ITTsprogrammes willthere beis releasedalso over the nextESA twocompetitive yearstendering andprocess byon providingESA ourSTAR. supportThe itmajority allowsof anythe UKITTs entityissued (includingon collaborations)the toprocurement bidsystem forare initiated in the ITTsGSTP whencompendia released.which Furtherare informationissued regardingon thesea supported3 activitiesyearly canbasis.

The belatest foundCompendia was issued in theNovember UK2022, Spacecontaining Agencya GSTPtotal Supportedof Compendia143 Activitiesactivities document,in whichthe includesCompendia indicativecovering dates10 (asCompetence theyDomains, becomein known)the asfollowing totechnology whenareas thewith competitivean ITTsadditional willEEE beComponent release.

TheCompendium compendiabeing consistissued ofin theMarch following2023 technologycontaining areas13 activities:

• Generic TechnologiesTechnologies: 86 activities on generic technologies, considering critical elements.

• Artificial IntelligenceIntelligence: 21 activities focusing on guidance navigation and control (GNC), on the edge artificial intelligence, and autonomous mission operations.

• Digitalisation Artificial Intelligence (AI).

  Digitalisation: 15 activities aiming at representing all the different elements of a space system digitally, with a particular emphasis on model-based system engineering, simulation, digital spacecraft and data management.

• Quantum TechnologiesTechnologies: 7 activities that develop the underlying theory, techniques and technologies on quantum processing, that enhances the performance, payload and/or mission planning.

• Cybersecurity

  Cybersecurity: which14 addressesactivities that address the continuing evolution of the cybersecurity threat-mitigation landscape and the challenges of securing space activities and their ground and space-based assets.

In addition to the Compendia issued in November 2022 an additional EEE Sovereignty ComponentComponent: Compendia13 activities focused on key missions and application enabling and high-return key technologies that sit within six technology lines was issued in March 2023 and requests for support for these activities are currently being reviewed with the supported activities being added to the UK Space Agency GSTP Supported Compendia Activities document over the coming weeks.lines.

Alongside these sit the SOLARIS (Space based solar power) Specific Area of Interest Potential Activities document, which contains a severalcombination activities,of activities some of which will be released this year and others oncenext year (once they have been finalised.finalised).

Following Supportedthe activitieslaunch areof also being added to the UK Space Agency GSTP Supported Compendia Activitiescall document.

Pleasein noteMarch that2023 we willcan notconfirm bethat issuing another Compendia Call prior to the nextUK Europeanare Spacesupporting Agency26 (ESA)activities Counciltotalling of€15.75m. MinistersThe Meetingactivities inare Novembercontained 2025.

Anotherwithin routethe to5 securingcompendia support- throughGeneric, GSTPCybersecurity, isArtificial throughIntelligence, theDigitalisation, ElementQuantum 1Technologies) frameworks,and which have extensively used but were predominantlyreleased introducedby tothe encourageEuropean smallerSpace companies,Agency including those who are considering working in theNovember space sector.2022.

TheseWe arereceived -

1. De-risk98 frameworkapplications -indicating Thisinterest enablesin companies66 toactivities apply(these forfigures ando initialnot activityinclude toSOLARIS de-riskactivities, theirwhich proposedremain largerunder projectdiscussion). withThese aITTs smallwill fullybe fundedreleased activityover ofthe upnext totwo €200k,years, whichand mustthis berepresents delivereda withinsignificant 9proportion months. If the cost of the activityUK exceedsGSTP €200ksubscription thewhich shortfallwas willmade needat tothe beEuropean sourcedSpace fromAgency elsewhereCouncil byof theMinisters applicantin asNovember the2022. valueIt ofis theunlikely activitythat canwe will be upissuing toanother €250k. Compendia OnCall successfulwithin completion of the initialnext activitytwo applicationsyears.

   Further shouldinformation thenregarding bethe submittedsupported viaactivities thecan GSTPbe applicationfound processon forthis theweb follow-onpage, activityincluding and(where shouldknown) includeindicative adates recommendationas fromto when the ESAcompetitive technicalITTs officer.will This may be deliveredreleased inon upESA’s toprocurement twoportal phasesESA andSTAR. matchThis fundingdocument of up to 50% will be requiredupdated –on thisa isregular subjectbasis to discussioninclude withthis theinformation, UKas Spaceit Agencybecomes GSTP team.available.

2. BuildingThis BlockCall frameworkalso –resulted Thisin programme16 iscompleted usedStatements toof prepareInterest andbeing developreceived enabling capabilities for space related systems and the associatedSOLARIS sub-systems.activities Thesecontained projects must be completed within 18the monthsPotential andActivities proposalsfor ofthe upSpace-based toSolar €500kPower canSpecific beArea submitteddocument. forThese thisproposals framework.remain Ifunder theconsideration costand ofan theannouncement activity exceeds this amount, the difference will need to be providedmade byin the applicant.coming Projectsweeks withinregarding thiswhich frameworkactivities canwe will be up to €1m.supporting.

ApplicationsThe arecurrent alsocall welcomed for ElementNon-Compendia 2activities – Make and ElementEEE 3Component –Compendium Fly,activities thesecloses areon both15 permanentAugust open calls but require match funding from the outset.2023.

ShouldFor you have any enquiries,further pleaseenquiries contact the GSTP team, at at GSTP@ukspaceagency.gov.uk.