Unlocking Space for Business

Programme Overview   

Unlocking Space for Business plays a key role in enabling the government’s ambition to accelerate innovation and investment through world-class science, research and development. Unlocking Space for Business is delivering a range of government initiatives to support the realisation of business, operational and environmental benefits from innovative uses of satellite data and services for end-user businesses in the financial services and transport and logistics sectors.

Since launching in October 2023, the programme has engaged over 300 organisations through initiatives, including in-person networking events, customised exploration workshops and learning and development webinars. 

Information hub

Learn more about how businesses in the financial services and transport and logistics sectors can unlock value from satellites, with examples of activity from across the world.

Find out more about the key learnings from the Unlocking Space for Business programme including demonstration of the value of satellite data propositions, case studies and programme insights.

Exploration workshops

The programme has now held over 40 exploration workshops with end-user organisations interested in exploring potential opportunities to leverage satellite data and services.  

These customised workshops provided organisations with dedicated support to help explore value propositions, prioritise areas most relevant to their current business needs, understand the supplier ecosystem and develop a forward-looking delivery plan. 

These exploration workshops have now concluded.

Learning and development

The programme held a series of bite-size learning and development webinars for current or potential users of satellite data and services within the financial services and transport and logistics sectors.  

These interactive sessions explored topics relating to the procurement and integration of different types of satellite data and services and discussed specific use cases for financial services and transport and logistics sectors. 

Short summary videos are available to watch below:

Watch the sessions for the financial services sector.

Watch the sessions for the transport and logistics sector.

Funded projects

The Unlocking Space for Business programme has provided funding for twelve feasibility study projects through Contracts for Innovation (previously Small Business Research Initiatives). 

Contracts are up to £200,000 each and aim to develop innovative and commercially viable feasibility studies that combine ground-based and satellite services for the transport, logistics and finance sectors. Each project will run for 6 months to July 2024. 

Unlocking Space for Business has also provided grant funding for pilot projects, which will trial new solutions that use satellite data and services to support transport, logistics and financial services. 

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.

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 and 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.

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.

A live webinar took place on 6 November to launch Unlocking Space for Business, looking at what the programme involves and how it could benefit you.

Watch the Unlocking Space for Business live launch webinar.

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 Unlocking Space for Business by the UK Space Agency.

Other UK Space Agency initiatives

Business Applications and Space Solutions Programme (BASS) (ARTES) 

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.