Space hubs (support to start-ups)

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

The challenge is to increase the number of initiatives for start-ups, scale-ups and entrepreneurs in the space downstream and upstream sectors (such as Incubators, Accelerators, Hackathons or AppCamps), provide solutions to accelerate the growth of space scale-ups and the commercialisation of their products, engage small and medium enterprises in space innovation, especially those not traditionally involved in it, and reduce as much as possible the technical and financial entry barriers to SMEs for Horizon 2020 to develop or adopt space-enabled solutions.

To organise effective and sustainable initiatives at European level for:

• supporting start-ups, scale-ups and entrepreneurs in the areas of applications, notably with regard to EGNOS/Galileo and Copernicus;
• spinning-in/-out and solutions in support of the commercialisation of space.

Actions should be complementary to other actions developed at EU level (such as the European Innovation Council pilot, Copernicus and Galileo Masters, Copernicus Accelerator, Copernicus and Galileo Incubation initiatives, European Institute of Technology (EIT) Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs)) and should aim to build bridges between local and European initiatives.

Actions implemented under this topic should also support start-ups, scale-ups and entrepreneurs in accessing finance, as well as blended funding to enhance financial sustainability and viability of businesses within the space sector.

Actions should, moreover, support the work of the Copernicus Academy.

They should also integrate training/raise awareness on the data, information, resources and tools available within the DIAS and embrace best practices from these environments, as an enabling element in support of the development and scaling-up of start-ups.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of EUR 1 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

• Generation of new initiatives at local level (such as Incubators, Accelerators, Hackathons, Appcamps) complementing those at EU level;
• Creation of new start-ups and applications notably through awareness raising activities and initiatives to facilitate technology transfer;
• Generation of new services oriented solutions allowing innovative financial support frames;
• Growth of scale-ups in Europe;
• Increased access to finance and funding opportunities;
• Enhanced financial sustainability of start-ups and scale-ups;
• Increased survival rates of start-ups;
• Increased commercialisation of scalable and cost-efficient solutions.