Updated Call for Commercial Partnerships (Closed)

What’s new? 

With an improved set of documentation, applicants will find it easier to understand the commercial partnership process, what we are looking for and prepare applications by using the:

• Eligibility Checklist
• Pitching Sessions
• Improved Acceptance- and Evaluation Criteria
• Focus on Competitiveness
• Optimised 5-Phase-Approach

Eligibility Checklist

Preparing an application with our Activity Pitch Questionnaire (APQ)? Make sure to run through the Eligibility Checklist before you submit:

• Did you provide all requested documentation?
• Are you based in an E3P Member State?
• Is your proposal compliant with ESA’s Programmatic and Legal Frameworks? For example we cannot promote the use of alcohol, tobacco, or weapons.
• Is your proposal in scope with our Exploration Programme?

When in doubt, reach out via our contact form.

Pitching Sessions

Once your APQ passed the eligibility check, we invite you to pitch your idea to our Partnership Panel. This is not obligatory but we think it’s a great way to get to know each other and for you to get some initial, non-binding feedback.

If the APQ and Pitching Session go well, we invite you to submit a full proposal where you can specify your idea in more detail.

Improved Acceptance- and Evaluation Criteria

When preparing the full proposal, make sure to keep in mind the acceptance- and evaluation criteria and address the points in your proposal to make sure we get the right understanding.

High-Level Overview of Accpetance Criteria:

• Novelty of idea
• Identified customer base / target markets proven by letters of intent
• Experience, heritage and capabilities in proposing team
• In-kind contributions only / no exchange of funds
• Non-exlusivity of ESA utilisation
• Nonmonopolistic approach

High-Level Overview of Evaluation Criteria:

• Suitability of the consortium / project team
• Strategic, business, technical and planning feasibility
• Maturity of the business plan
• Partnership benefits
• Legal & ethical compliance

Focus on Competitiveness

As intergovernmental organisation it is important for us to ensure fairness and competitiveness in European industry. We aim to strike a balance between enabling new market opportunities, and avoiding the distortion of existing marktes. Make sure to include these aspects in your application:

• Current status of target markets (new or existing) and growth potential;
• Total market available;
• Rate at which the market is growing;
• Number of competitors in a particular market;
• Intensity of competition;
• Proposer’s position on the market.

Optimised 5-Phase-Approach

Successful applicants run through five consecutive phases with decision gates before the signature of a partnership agreement with ESA. The time for completion of all phases depends strongly on the the type of partnership, the quality of the documentation submitted by the applicants as well as on the overall complexity of the project.