Deadline Date: September 03, 2026
The European Commission is seeking grant applications to secure and diversify its access to space by promoting innovative solutions that ensure autonomy, reliability, and expanded commercial capabilities.
The focus areas of this initiative include reinforcing EU strategic autonomy by reducing non-EU dependencies for accessing space, providing the EU access to space necessary for EU space missions through state-of-the-art and innovative solutions, diversifying access to space providers in the EU, contributing to expanding commercial access to space offers and services in the EU, and reinforcing access to space to ensure that Europe maintains and improves autonomous, reliable, and cost-effective access to space.
The integration of the gender dimension in research and innovation content should be addressed only when relevant to the objectives of the research effort. Funding for projects under this topic ranges from €10,000,000 to €15,000,000, with a total budget of €22,590,000.
To achieve these goals, the EU seeks to improve the resilience of its access to space for the implementation of its space programme, encouraging new entrants to participate in this effort. Projects are expected to support EU launch service providers in establishing launch pad facilities within EU territory, enabling the provision of EU launch services. The development of necessary ground facilities is a key component, including launch integration, storage and operation facilities, launch pads and complexes, control and command centers, payload processing and integration facilities, tracking systems, safety measures, and propellant storage.
EU launch service providers should be part of the project consortium and serve as the ultimate users of the resulting facilities, utilizing EU launch vehicles to provide EU launch services. Proposals should explore synergies and complement past actions related to ground segments for launch services, particularly those addressed in previous Horizon Europe topics. All activities must align with ongoing and future national and ESA initiatives, especially those outlined during the ESA Council Ministerial Meeting in November 2025.
Participation is open to any legal entity, including entities from non-associated third countries or international organizations, provided that the conditions set forth by the Horizon Europe Regulation are met.
For more information, visit European Commission.
