RFPs: Advanced Agricultural Monitoring and Management Solutions

Aims

• The opportunity aims to support the development of innovative services that leverage space technology to enhance agricultural monitoring and management.

The Challenge

• Agricultural monitoring and management are essential for sustainable farming practices and regulatory compliance. Innovative solutions leveraging space technology can enhance crop classification, soil property mapping, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and afforestation monitoring. The growing market for these solutions is driven by increasing food demand, precision farming techniques, and technologies like AI, IoT, and big data, which enable real-time monitoring and optimised resource allocation.

Topics

• The Advanced Agricultural Monitoring and Management Solutions initiative focuses on leveraging space technology to enhance various aspects of agricultural management. Key topics include:
  • Crop Classification: Advanced data analysis can improve the classification of grass types and mixed crops, aiding in better agricultural management and regulatory compliance.
  • Soil Property Mapping: Accurate soil property maps help manage fertilisation and understand soil health, leading to better agricultural practices and reduced environmental impact.
  • Greenhouse Gas Emission Mapping: Identifying areas with high emissions of greenhouse gases from soils supports carbon emission reduction strategies.
  • Peatland Delineation: Mapping carbon-rich soils accurately helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying areas that should be exempt from farming.
  • Afforestation Monitoring: Monitoring afforestation projects and existing forests involves classifying tree species and assessing biomass and carbon uptake.
  • Bare Soil and Plant Cover Ratio: Determining the ratio of bare soil to plant cover ensures compliance with regulations requiring sufficient plant cover.
  • Catch Crop Monitoring: Monitoring catch crops is crucial for maintaining soil health and complying with agricultural regulations.
  • Grazing Activity Detection: Detecting grazing activities and livestock presence helps manage land use and ensure adherence to regulations.
  • Management of Buffer Zones Surrounding Water Bodies: Maintaining buffer zones around water bodies protects water quality and prevents contamination from agricultural runoff.
  • Risk Assessment: Evaluating and managing risks associated with agricultural practices using advanced data analytics, weather monitoring, and historical agricultural data.

What they offer?

• They offer funding and support to companies, both for business case assessment and for the development of new, space-based services. Their offer includes:
  • zero-equity funding
  • technical and commercial guidance
  • access to their network and partners
  • ESA brand credibility

What they look for?

• ESA invites tenders to develop and deploy innovative solutions that enhance agricultural monitoring and management. They encourage companies to conduct Feasibility Studies or Demonstration Projects to address the challenges in the agricultural sector. They are seeking business ideas that demonstrate:
  • Clear market opportunities and customer needs
  • Commercially viable service concepts
  • Feasible technical solutions
  • Effective use of space data or technology
  • Teams with strong business, technical, and financial expertise

Eligibility Criteria

• To qualify for funding, your team must be located in one of the following countries:
  • Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Lithuania, or Slovakia.
  • If your company is based in Greece, Spain, or Canada, eligibility for funding requires that your idea is related to 5G technologies or includes a significant element concerning Safety and Security.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Teams based outside these Member States are not eligible for this funding call.

For more information, visit ESA.