ESA: Advanced Agricultural Monitoring and Management Solutions

Programme:ESA

Awards:Up to €500K

Geographical Scope:national

Beneficiaries:public

Key Features:ESA funds space-based agricultural solutions: crop monitoring, soil mapping, emission tracking, afforestation, and sustainability.

Key Information

Funding Opportunity: ESA invites proposals for Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects under the Advanced Agricultural Monitoring and Management Solutions initiative.
Funding Coverage: ESA will cover 50–80% of project costs, depending on SME status and member state approval. Feasibility Studies can have total costs of up to €500k; there is no set limit for Demonstration Projects.
Eligible Applicants: Companies and organisations residing in ESA member states that subscribe to the BASS programme, including the UK.
Key Technologies: Earth Observation (EO), GNSS, Satellite Communications, AI, and data integration tools.
Application Deadline: Proposals must be submitted by 29 August 2025.

Funding Details

ESA offers funding for both Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects under this call:

Feasibility Studies: Provide the preparatory framework to identify, analyse, and define new potentially sustainable services.
Demonstration Projects: Dedicated to the implementation and demonstration of pre-operational services.
ESA will cover 50–80% of project costs, depending on the SME status and member state approval. Feasibility Studies can have total costs of up to €500k; there is no set limit for Demonstration Projects.

Eligibility Criteria

Who Can Apply?

The grant is open to a broad range of entities residing in ESA member states that subscribe to the BASS programme, including the UK:

Start-ups and SMEs in agri-tech or Earth Observation.
Large enterprises with digital agriculture ambitions.
Academic and research institutions.
Non-profits and public sector bodies.

Collaborative consortia are encouraged, especially those that:

Combine technical (space/data) and domain (agriculture) expertise.
Involve end-users such as farmers, food processors, or agri-finance providers.

Applicants should demonstrate both technical capacity and market understanding.

Strategic Importance and Industry Context

According to the UN FAO, global food production will need to increase by 60% by 2050 to feed the planet. Meanwhile, agriculture is already responsible for:

70% of freshwater use
23% of global GHG emissions

ESA sees Earth Observation and space technologies as crucial enablers of:

Reduced environmental impact.
Enhanced supply chain resilience.
Empowered rural communities.

“The agricultural sector is at the forefront of global sustainability efforts. ESA’s goal is to help businesses turn satellite data into practical, profitable tools that serve farmers, consumers, and the planet.”
— ESA BASS Programme Team

Competition Overview

The European Space Agency (ESA) invites applications to its funding call: Advanced Agricultural Monitoring and Management Solutions. This initiative is part of the Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme and focuses on supporting the development of innovative services that integrate satellite data with digital agriculture technologies.

The objective is to create commercially viable services that improve decision-making across the agri-food value chain. As climate change, food security, and sustainability pressures mount, satellite-powered intelligence is increasingly vital for building resilient and efficient agricultural systems.

Scope

What Solutions Are Sought?

ESA is looking for services that combine space-based assets with digital platforms to support:

Precision Agriculture and Monitoring

Satellite-based yield prediction and crop performance.
Nutrient and irrigation optimisation via EO data.
Stress detection (pest, disease, drought) using high-resolution imagery.

Supply Chain and Market Optimisation

Farm-to-fork traceability using GNSS data.
Carbon footprint tracking and emissions reporting.
Resource use optimisation for cost reduction.

Environmental Sustainability

Monitoring of soil health, water use, and land degradation.
Assessment of biodiversity and pollinator activity.
Climate adaptation strategies for different geographies.

Solutions should be scalable, user-driven, and designed with a path to commercialisation.

Timeline and Deadlines

Call Launch: 23 May 2025
Proposal Deadline: 29 August 2025
Informational Webinar: Date to be confirmed

Applicants are advised to contact ESA early to discuss their idea with the programme’s technical officers and confirm eligibility.

Benefits to Applicants

By participating in this ESA call, successful applicants will gain:

Significant funding to validate and de-risk new agri-tech services.
Direct access to ESA’s technical and commercial networks.
Support for end-user engagement and pilot planning.
Credibility and visibility as a trusted innovation partner in the European space ecosystem.
Potential follow-on funding for scaled implementation.

This call also enables UK-based innovators to position themselves within Europe’s fast-growing space-agriculture interface, with applications in climate mitigation, regenerative farming, and food systems analytics.

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