ESA BIC Sweden has a Permanent Open Call. This means we are always open for business and you can apply to us. However there are a few fixed dates during the year when we decide who can join and you will find info on our starting page.

To apply simply do the following:

1. Download the documents below and especially read the Open Call document.

2. Complete and send us your Business Application Proposal (BAP) following documents; 1. Cover Letter, Business Plan, and 3. Incubation Proposal plus related appendices as needed. Send your complete Business Application Proposal by email to: application@esa-bic.se

3. If you have any questions about anything - just email us at info@esa-bic.se and we will help you!

The ESA BIC Sweden Open Call:

Apply before 24:00 hrs on February 24th, 2025
The complete Business Application Proposal consists of three parts. Use the Application Templates below:

1. Cover Letter Template

2. Business Plan Template

3. Incubation Proposal

Support templates & reference documents to the Application:

Tables & Figures
Innovation Readiness Level
Space Connection Assessment

Draft contracts:

ESA BIC Sweden Draft Incubation Contract 

Local Incubator agreements:
ESA BIC Draft Incubator Agreement - Arctic Business Incubator

ESA BIC Draft Incubator Agreement - Uppsala Innovation Centre

ESA BIC Draft Incubator Agreement - Innovatum

ESA BIC Draft Incubator Agreement - Ideon Innovation

Here are some important ESA pages for searching and locating for IPR and Technology
ESA - IP for commercialisation
Slides on “How to Apply to ESA BIC Sweden”

Locate ESA or Space technology for You

Here are links to relevant resources:

• ESA website for Intellectual Property that can be used

• Where and how to access Earth Observation data (pdf)

• ESA website on Earth Observation (EO) for newcomers

• ESA database on ESA EO data available to access

• Website listing of service providers of EO Data

• ESA Nebula library w. lots of space related HW/SW

• ESA open source software repository

• EUSPA Cassini website (hackathon, accelerators, info, etc)

• EUSPA Space Academy (online learning platform, workshops, etc)

ESA, EUSPA, NASA, and other groups offer many hackathons
and case competitions for you to join and gain support from.

Let's launch your business

A step-by-step guide to take your business off the ground

1. Why should I join?

3. Who can apply?

All the requirements are Fully described in application documents

4. Fields of application example

5. Space connection

Introduction

To be accepted for incubation in an ESA BIC, the applicant must present a business idea with a valid space connection. Below is a guideline that will help you and all parties to assess the space connection of your business idea.

For the applicant to the ESA BIC Sweden

Please contact ESA BIC Sweden to discuss the space connection in advance of submitting your application.

Applications for the ESA BIC Sweden are typically considered with the following types of space connections (please use the check-boxes to indicate in which category your idea falls):

Downstream – Your idea is about utilising space systems or exploiting space technology in a non-space domain, in one of the following areas:

       Applications:

•        Satellite Navigation

•        Earth Observation

•        Satellite Communication
  

       Technology Transfer:

•         Hardware

•         Software or Firmware

•         Knowledge, processes

•         Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

Upstream – Your idea is about exploiting new technology in the space domain, or you intend to be active as a supplier to the space sector, in one of the following areas (including systems, sub-systems, components, and services):

•        Launchers

•        Satellites

•        Ground systems

•        Human spaceflight

 If the space connection of your business idea is in one of the above areas, please continue the initial assessment below. Otherwise please contact ESA BIC Sweden for clarification and guidance.

Assessment of the Space Connection

Below follow the main criteria against which the space connection will be evaluated. To do the initial assessment please proceed as follows:

• First, go to the relevant section “Downstream” or “Upstream”.

• Read the text carefully and answer the questions clearly and concisely. Note that further details of your space connection should be described in the application. This document should just contain the key arguments.

• When finished, send the initial assessment to the ESA BIC Sweden. Preferably, this should be done well in advance of submitting the application such that guidance can be given by the ESA BIC Sweden, if needed.

• Normally the ESA BIC Sweden should be able to advise whether the space connection is sufficient. Note that the ESA BIC Sweden Tender Evaluation Board still may reject an application if it deems the space connection to be insufficient.

Downstream: Application/Technology Transfer
Criterion 1. “We need space”

Firstly, the reviewers of your application need to understand that “space” is actually needed. In other words, they must be convinced that

• Space provides a feasible solution to solve the problem, and

• Space offer a technical, cost, or other advantage compared to other non-space or existing solutions.

When analysing the need for space, you must understand the requirements for the product/service that you plan to bring to the market and to what degree both your own and any existing alternatives meet these requirements.

Please provide a very brief explanation to the reviewers of your application why space is needed:

<We need space because…>

Criterion 2. We need more …
Furthermore, for the ESA BIC Sweden to support your business idea, the space-based solution must be more than what is obvious or already commonly in use. Generally, we expect that some innovative step is taken, for example that data is being analysed or combined with other sources to generate new information, or that software or hardware is being integrated to provide a new technical solution.

There are some space connections that are normally not considered sufficient, for example:

• If the business idea builds on “re-packaging” of space-related data, software, or hardware, we consider the space connection too weak.

• In case the business idea is related to re-using a technology/product/service that has been commercialised by another ESA BIC start-up, this will not be considered a sufficient space connection on its own.

• Likewise, if the proposed technology transfer from space has already taken place in the non-space domain that is targeted, additional arguments would be needed.

• We will normally not support the development of yet another Location Based Service for mobile phones.

• We will normally not support development of applications using Earth Observation data merely as background maps or similarly, with no or only little additional processing taking place.

Cases where the technical solution is standard but the novelty is rather in the business model, or where a market segment is addressed in which space is still not used in a way that may be standard elsewhere, may still be acceptable.

Please describe very briefly for the reviewers of your application why your solution is “more” than the state-of-art and what the specific innovation is.

 <We do more…>

Criterion 3. Space is available
In order for the ESA BIC to be able to support your start-up, you also need to make sure that the space you need is available in practice. Data, services or products are often commercially available or even available for free, however – especially for IPR including technologies – it happens that licenses need to be negotiated.

In some cases, the price for using space technology or data can be a limiting factor for your business idea. The price is not assessed as part of the space connection, but instead when evaluating your business case. However, you are advised to already now consider whether the price could substantially impact your business. For example, while you may use Earth Observation data provided by any party, raw or in a processed form, the price difference may be significant.

In any case, incubation may not start before access to the data, services, IPR or technology you need is granted.

If you intend to use an ESA patent or other IPR/technology with space origin, you need to investigate and confirm in advance that the IPR/technology provides advantages with respect to the state-of-art. For ESA patents, please contact the ESA patent office at patent@esa.int who will provide assistance. A positive statement from the ESA patent office is required with the proposal if you plan to use an ESA patent, although it is not sufficient on its own for your company to be accepted to the incubation programme.

Please indicate the status of availability:

• Available for free

• Commercially available:                                               a) Price is known

                                                                               b) Price is unknown or needs to be negotiated

• Availability is unknown or needs to be negotiated

• In case of IPR including technologies, the owner has been contacted and a positive statement has been received regarding access to IPR 

 Please describe very briefly for the reviewers of your application the status of availability:

<Space is available…> 

Upstream
For upstream business ideas the space connection is normally obvious. In the proposal to the ESA BIC Sweden you will have to explain how the business idea can be realized. There are however situations when it is not immediately clear that a proposed technology, service, etc. would be useful in a space context, for example:

• New types of systems, sub-systems or components that provide new functions (i.e. not merely replacing existing technology with something better),

• Technology and services intended to be used onboard the International Space Station (ISS) or related to other human spaceflight activities.

In such situations we request that a Letter of Interest from a potential customer or user is provided together with the proposal. This letter should:

• Confirm the usefulness of the proposed technology, service, etc., in a space context,

• Declare the customer’s/user’s intention to participate in trials during the incubation,

• Preferably contain a statement of becoming a customer if the development of the idea is successful.

If in doubt, please contact ESA BIC Sweden to understand whether a Letter of Interest is advisable.
(Note that such a letter is always useful and that it is never too early to engage potential customers!) 

Contact ESA BIC Sweden: