CSA on access to European spaceports

The grant opportunity titled "CSA on access to European spaceports" is part of the Horizon Europe Cluster 4 initiative, specifically targeting the enhancement of European space infrastructure and competitiveness. It aims to improve access to European spaceports and increase their appeal for launch systems.

Eligible applicants include legal entities established in EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, and other Associated Countries, including startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, and public-private partnerships. The type of funding is categorized as a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA), specifically under the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant mechanism, with a total budget of €1,000,000 allocated for this opportunity.

The submission process is open through a single-stage submission, with an application deadline set for September 25, 2025. While the submission is typically single-stage, the emphasis on multi-site platforms and interoperability suggests that consortium participation may be beneficial or necessary, though not explicitly required.

The target sector revolves around the space industry, focusing on space transportation, satellite communication, Earth observation, and associated technologies. Specific countries of focus include those with known spaceports, such as France (French Guiana) and Sweden (Esrange), positioning them within the broader context of EU initiatives.

The project is anticipated to target the development and validation of spaceport infrastructure, with the goal of identifying best practices, proposing regulatory standards, and enhancing collaboration among European stakeholders concerning safety equipment and operational interoperability.

Applications must comply with admissibility conditions as specified in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum grant, aimed at one project, with success rates generally expected to fall between 10 to 39 percent across Horizon Europe initiatives.

Overall, this grant seeks to foster the advancement of a robust European space sector, emphasizing autonomy and international cooperation, with a clear focus on practical implementations and collaborative endeavors within the space industry.

The EU Funding Opportunity is the HORIZON-CL4-2025-02-SPACE-11, a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA) under the Horizon Europe (HORIZON) program, specifically the SPACE-HADEA (HORIZON-CL4-2025-02) call. The action aims to establish common regulatory practices and guidelines to improve access to European spaceports and make them more attractive for European launch systems. The expected outcomes include increased stakeholder awareness, a comprehensive overview of technical challenges, an assessment of regulatory paths, and identification of benefits for the European space market, sovereignty, and international cooperation. The project scope involves assessing best practices, proposing common regulatory guidelines, and involving European stakeholders in safety equipment development. The integration of gender dimension is considered if relevant.

The call is a single-stage submission process, opening on 22 May 2025 and closing on 25 September 2025 at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for the topic is 1,000,000 EUR, with an indicative contribution of around 1,000,000 EUR and an expectation to fund one project.

Admissibility conditions require adherence to page limits and layout as described in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible countries are defined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Participation is limited to legal entities from Member States, Norway, Iceland, and other Associated Countries to safeguard the Union’s strategic assets and avoid technological dependency. Projects utilizing satellite data must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. The award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D, with the granting authority funding a maximum of one project. Submission and evaluation processes are outlined in Annex F and the Online Manual, while the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also in Annex F.

Eligible costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021. The legal and financial setup of the grants is described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific conditions detailed in the topic description.

The application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the standard application form (HE CSA). Evaluation form templates, including the standard evaluation form (HE CSA), will be used with necessary adaptations. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide. The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is the Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions include a detailed budget table (HE LS) and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space, HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

There are 14 partner search announcements available.

The submission session is available from 22 May 2025.

This funding opportunity aims to coordinate and support actions that will lead to common regulatory practices and guidelines for European spaceports. The goal is to make these spaceports more accessible and attractive for launch systems. The project involves assessing best practices, proposing guidelines, and involving stakeholders in the development of safety equipment. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and only entities from EU member states, Norway, Iceland, and associated countries are eligible to participate. The project seeks to enhance the European space market, promote sovereignty, and foster international cooperation in the space sector.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are legal entities established in Member States, Norway, Iceland, and other Associated Countries. The opportunity specifies that participation is limited to these entities to safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security and to avoid technological dependency on non-EU sources.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) being HORIZON-AG-LS. The call includes HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (HORIZON-CSA), HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-RIA) and HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required, but it is implied that both single applicants and consortia are possible. The partner search announcements suggest that collaboration is encouraged, but not mandated.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to legal entities established in EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, and other Associated Countries. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may have specific provisions for funding their participants, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The target sector is primarily the space industry, with a focus on facilitating access to European spaceports and increasing their attractiveness for European launch systems. This includes regulatory practices, safety equipment, and interoperability of spaceports.

Mentioned Countries: The mentioned countries are EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the type of action. It includes coordination and support actions, research and innovation actions, and innovation actions, suggesting a range from research to innovation and deployment.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary widely depending on the specific topic within the call:
HORIZON-CSA: around €1,000,000
HORIZON-RIA: ranging from €500,000 to €17,500,000
HORIZON-IA: ranging from €5,000,000 to €11,000,000

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant to cover eligible costs.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This is a Horizon Europe funding opportunity under the SPACE-HADEA (HORIZON-CL4-2025-02) call, aimed at improving access to European spaceports and enhancing the attractiveness of European launch systems. The call encompasses various types of actions, including Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), and Innovation Actions (IA), each with different scopes and funding levels. Eligible applicants are legal entities based in EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, and other Associated Countries. The projects should focus on assessing best practices, proposing common regulatory practices, and involving European stakeholders in the development of safety equipment to strengthen spaceports' interoperability. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the application process involves a single stage with a deadline of September 25, 2025. The initiative seeks to foster the European space market development, enhance European sovereignty, and promote international cooperation in the space sector.