Unlocking Space for Business

Programme Overview   

As part of the government’s plan to make the UK a science and technology superpower, the National Space Strategy sets the ambition to use space to deliver for UK citizens and the world. Unlocking Space for Business will play a key role in enabling this ambition, through the delivery of a range of government initiatives to support the realisation of business, operational and environmental benefits from innovative uses of satellite data and services. Initiatives will include:  

• Information Hub: Access to insights on how businesses in the Financial Services, and Transport and Logistics sectors can unlock value from satellites, with examples of activity from across the world
• Insight and Networking Events: Hosted interactive events that bring the customer and supplier ecosystems together to shape opportunity areas, hear from experts, experience live demonstrations and build new connections. Sign up for an event
• Exploration Workshops: Dedicated advisory support and expertise through a series of focused workshops to help businesses identify and develop satellite data and service opportunities
• Learning & Development: Participation in online and in-person learning opportunities to enhance businesses’ ability to capture the benefits from satellite data, from procurement insights and data integration, to ESG opportunities and delivery lessons learned
• Funding Call: Apply for a share of up to £6m of government funding to help launch innovative pilot projects and the delivery of new satellite data and service opportunities. Funded projects will have opportunities to share their successes and learnings through government showcases

Important information for participants  

• Unlocking Space for Business aims to implement a number of customer-focused initiatives to support and enable greater awareness, engagement, learning and development and demand for satellite data and services. It is expected to run until March 2025, and funded projects must be completed within the 18-month lifetime
• As a new pilot programme, continuous learning and feedback is encouraged from participants of events, workshops and recipients of funding
• The focus areas for the programme are businesses within the Financial Services, and Transport & Logistics sectors
• The programme will be open to opportunities across all satellite domains (including satellite imagery, satellite connectivity and communications, satellite position, navigation and timing), in combination with complementary data types
• Funded projects should be targeting a tangible benefit to the UK, whether that’s the realisation of benefits to UK businesses and citizens, or contributing to the growth of the UK space sector

Further information

Our privacy notice sets out how we will process personal data received through the sign up form for the Unlocking Space for Business Newsletter and upcoming events.

If you would like any further information, have any questions or feedback about this programme, or would like to request the newsletter and events sign-up form in a different format, please contact the team at UnlockingSpaceforBusiness@ukspaceagency.gov.uk.

Watch a video about the Unlocking Space for Business programme.

Other UK Space Agency initiatives

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As part of the ARTES programme, the Business Applications and Space Solutions Programme (BASS), in partnership between the UK Space Agency and European Space Agency (ESA), is a commercially focussed space applications programme that delivers innovative uses of space assets and data. 

Earth Observation 

Find further details on open funding opportunities for earth observation projects. 

Apply for funding: space-related R&D, innovation and education 

Find further details on open funding opportunities from the UK Space Agency, the space sector, academic, education and community partners.