General Support Technology Programme (GSTP)

The General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) addressesis newa needstechnology support and emergingdevelopment applications.programme, Itswhich objectivesconsists areof tothree enableelements, activitiesElement at1 ESA– Develop, Element 2 – Make and NationalElement Programmes3 by- developingFly technology,.

This toprogramme supportcontinues theto competitivenessprovide ofsupport UKto companies and Europeanacademic industry,institutions fosteracross innovationthe andUK transferin non-spacedeveloping technologyinnovative (spin-in)technologies to usegrow inUK thecapability. designWe ofnow newfrequently spaceengage systemswith start-ups and enhanceSMEs European(from technologyboth non-dependencewithin and outside the availabilityspace ofsector), Europeanas resourceswell foras criticalestablished technologies.companies and organisations with collaborative proposals also welcome.

The UK subscribedSpace Agency committed €83m at the 2022last European Space Agency (ESA) Council of Ministers toMeeting thein ESANovember General2022 Supportof Technologywhich Programme. €15m Thiswas programmeallocated coversto allElectrical, technologyElectronic projectsand (withElectro-mechanical the(EEE) exceptionSovereignty ofComponent Telecomsactivities, payloads).  

Proposals€23m andfor bidsENDURE may(European beDevices madeUsing byRadioisotope consortia,Energy) acrossactivities industryand with€5m orfor withoutSOLARIS academic(Space institutions’Based involvement.Solar Power) activities.

These mayactivities includecan involvementbe offound companieson andthe organisationsESA fromSTAR other– ESAwhich Memberis States.a However,competitive shouldITT aProcurement consortiumplatform. includeThese anITTs entityare fromissued anotheron Memberthe Stateprocurement thatsystem participantare willinitiated needvia tothe secureGSTP theircompendia, delegate’swhich supportare forgenerated theirby financialESA share. 

Thereon area two3 routesyearly throughbasis, whichfollowing GSTPdiscussions projectswith aredelegates, initiated:

1.industry Non-Compendia

Activities(including thatacademia) areacross proposedESA directlymember bystates companiesand orESA researchtechnical organisations,officers. non-compendiaTo activities.view Thesedocumentation proposalson mustESA beSTAR supportedyou bywill theneed Memberto State;register unsolicitedto applicationsgain directlyaccess to ESAthe willplatform notvia behttps://esastar-emr.sso.esa.int/

The considered.most Theserecent consisttriennial ofcompendia smallerwere De-Riskissued in November 2022, and contains 143 activities (upcovering to10 €250k,Competence withDomains. upFollowing toa €200kUK beingSpace supportedAgency byGSTP UKSA)Call, andwhich Buildingclosed Blockon activities17 (upApril to2023, up26 topotential €1m,ITT withactivities upwere toselected €500kand are being supported by UKSA).the TheseUK, areto notthe subjectvalue to€15.9m. IndustrialThese PolicyITTs Committeewill (IPC)be approval.  

Elementreleased 1over De-riskthe Follow-On,next Elementtwo 2years and 3by activitiesproviding alsoour fallsupport intoit thisallows categoryany butUK theyentity are(including subjectcollaborations) to Industrialbid Policy Committee approval. 

Calls for non-compendiathe activitiesITTs arewhen issuedreleased. quarterly. Further information andregarding thethese applicationsupported processactivities can be found viain the InformationUK &Space GuidanceAgency link. 

PleaseGSTP noteSupported thatCompendia theActivities informationdocument, providedwhich willincludes beindicative treateddates as(as commerciallythey sensitivebecome butknown) mayas beto usedwhen within the UKcompetitive SpaceITTs Agencywill tobe enhancerelease.

The awarenesscompendia consist of UKthe capabilities.following Thetechnology relevantareas

• Generic partiesTechnologies willconsidering becritical fullyelements.
• Artificial consultedIntelligence priorfocusing toon publicationguidance ofnavigation anyand partcontrol of(GNC), on the informationedge containedartificial therein.

  2.intelligence, Compendia

  Activitiesand proposedautonomous bymission ESA,operations.

• Digitalisation theserepresenting areall listedthe indifferent themedelements compendia.of whicha arespace availablesystem onlinedigitally, onwith ESA’sa onlineparticular tenderingemphasis on model-based system ESAengineering, STAR,simulation, withdigital thespacecraft mostand recentdata compendiamanagement.
• Quantum beingTechnologies publishedthat indevelop Novemberthe 2022underlying theory, techniques and Marchtechnologies 2023.  

  Thereon arequantum aprocessing, totalthat ofenhances 143the activitiesperformance, inpayload theand/or currentmission compendiaplanning.

• Cybersecurity andwhich theyaddresses arethe categorisedcontinuing asevolution followsof -the Genericcybersecurity Technologies,threat-mitigation Artificiallandscape Intelligence,and Digitalisation,the Quantumchallenges Technologiesof securing space activities and Cybersecurity.their Activitiesground whichand havespace-based attractedassets.

In theaddition interestto ofthe oneCompendia orissued morein MemberNovember States. 

An2022 an additional CompendiumEEE forSovereignty theComponent newCompendia componentfocused Electrical,on Electronickey missions and Electro-mechanicalapplication (EEE)enabling Sovereigntyand high-return key technologies that sit within six technology lines was issued in March 2023 whichand containsrequests 13for proposedsupport activities.  

Infor additionthese activities are currently being reviewed with the supported activities being added to thesethe compendiaUK aSpace Agency GSTP Supported Compendia Activities document containingover potentialthe activitiescoming forweeks.

Alongside these sit the SOLARIS Space(Space Basedbased Solarsolar Powerpower) Specific Area wasof alsoInterest publishedPotential Activities document, which contains a several activities, some of which will be released this year and isothers beingonce treatedthey byhave thebeen UKSAfinalised. inSupported theactivities sameare wayalso asbeing added to the compendiaUK listedSpace above. Agency GSTP Supported Compendia Activities document.

FollowingPlease thenote issuethat ofwe thewill Compendianot Memberbe Statesissuing wereanother invitedCompendia toCall subscribeprior funding to individualthe activitiesnext toEuropean ESA.Space TheAgency UK(ESA) issuedCouncil callsof Ministers Meeting in MarchNovember 20232025.

Another forroute theto firstsecuring compendiasupport (issuedthrough inGSTP Novemberis 2022)through andthe inElement June1 2023frameworks, forwhich thehave EEEextensively compendium,used invitingbut applicantswere predominantly introduced to indicateencourage theirsmaller interestcompanies, including those who are considering working in thesethe activities.  space sector.

These callsare have-

1. De-risk nowframework concluded- andThis theenables UKcompanies hasto selectedapply thefor activitiesan thatinitial areactivity beingto supported.de-risk Thistheir informationproposed canlarger beproject foundwith ona thissmall webfully page,funded andactivity itof isup updatedto regularly€200k, withwhich expectedmust releasebe datesdelivered onwithin ESA9 STAR.  

   ANYmonths. UKIf entitythe maycost bidof forthe activity exceeds €200k the activities,shortfall upwill need to thebe valuesourced supportedfrom elsewhere by UKSA,the onceapplicant releasedas onthe ESAvalue STAR,of asthe thisactivity iscan abe competitiveup tenderingto process.€250k.  TheseOn activitiessuccessful maycompletion alsoof the initial activity applications should then be supportedsubmitted byvia otherthe memberGSTP states,application thereforeprocess therefor isthe nofollow-on guaranteeactivity thatand ashould UKinclude entitya willrecommendation befrom the winningESA bidder.technical Theofficer. bidsThis aremay reviewedbe bydelivered ESA’sin Technicalup Evaluationto Boardstwo phases and membermatch statesfunding areof notup involvedto in50% selectingwill be required – this is subject to discussion with the successfulUK candidate.  Space Agency GSTP team.

2. IfBuilding youBlock areframework considering– biddingThis forprogramme anis ITT,used asto aprepare consortium,and pleasedevelop noteenabling thatcapabilities UKSAfor willspace onlyrelated supportsystems and the UKassociated elementsub-systems. These projects must be completed within 18 months and proposals of anyup bid,to if€500k youcan arebe collaboratingsubmitted withfor anotherthis memberframework. state(s). 

   FurtherIf informationthe regardingcost of the applicationactivity processexceeds andthis allamount, relevantthe documentationdifference canwill need to be foundprovided onby the applicant. Projects within this webframework page. can be up to €1m.

PleaseApplications noteare thatalso thewelcomed UKfor willElement not2 be– issuingMake anotherand CompendiaElement Call3 prior– toFly, thethese nextare Europeanboth Spacepermanent Agencyopen (ESA)calls Councilbut ofrequire Ministersmatch Meetingfunding infrom Novemberthe 2025.outset.

Should you have any enquiries, please contact the GSTP team, at GSTP@ukspaceagency.gov.uk

General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) Information Events

The UK GSTP Team is running Teams Live events to provide an overview of GSTP, the opportunities it provides, and how to apply for funding.

Non-CompendiaWebinar Process1: WebinarNon-Compendia Dates:process

1. When: Tuesday 266 MarchFebruary, 2024,2:00 1pm- 3:00pm

   Location: Teams Live Event

   Please use this link to 2pm. Dialdial into thisthe event on the day

2. Tuesdayday.

   Webinar 2: Compendia process

   When: Wednesday 7 MayFebruary, 2024,2:00 2pm- to3:00pm

   Location: 3pm.Teams DialLive intoEvent

   Please use this link to dial into the event on the dayday.