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The Business in Space Growth Network (BSGN) is an ESA initiative designed to accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative, industry-driven solutions leveraging the space environment and resources. It is part of the Human and Robotic Exploration (HRE) directorate.
BSGN supports companies and organisations exploring microgravity-driven opportunities in two main domains: research and production in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and the emerging lunar resources value chain enabled by in‑situ resource utilisation (ISRU).
Our goal is to help turn promising ideas into credible commercial opportunities, from early technical validation through to market-oriented demonstration and growth.
To read more about the BSGN, visit here.
The Business in Space Growth Network (BSGN) supports companies developing products and services that leverage the space environment by strengthening both their technical and commercial capabilities.
It helps project teams build the necessary expertise across the full value chain, from technical development to sales and marketing, while ensuring a strong focus on commercial viability, customer-oriented design, and the ability to form effective partnerships.
To move projects forward, BSGN provides tailored support such as industry accelerators focused on specific markets and ESA co-funding for selected projects. It also facilitates connections across the value chain through matchmaking, engagement with partners and investors, and increased visibility via events and communications.
Overall, this support enables projects to mature technologically, strengthen their commercial positioning, and become better integrated into the wider ecosystem required for implementation.
The BSGN has a global outlook but is primarily focused on supporting entities from Member States that are subscribed to ESA’s European Exploration Envelope Programme (E3P).
ESA may in general be able to support you with respective mechanisms if you / your company are based in an ESA Member State. If you are not based in an ESA Member State, you can consider partnering with an entity from an ESA Member State and apply as a consortium. Note that the prime contractor vis-a-vis ESA always must be from an ESA Member State.
BSGN does not require a fixed Technology Readiness Level (TRL). Instead, it welcomes projects from a wide range of maturity levels, provided they demonstrate a clear commercial ambition and a credible path toward development and implementation. Applicants can include start-ups, SMEs, large companies, and consortia, as well as university-led projects planning to spin out, with the requirement that the project lead is (or will become) a commercial entity.
Rather than a strict TRL threshold, projects are evaluated on their overall readiness and potential—covering aspects such as product–market fit, technical innovation, relevance of the space environment, execution capability, and a clear plan for maturation and validation.
This approach allows both space and non-space actors to participate, including those bringing strong terrestrial expertise and transitioning it toward space-based applications.
Yes. BSGN is specifically designed to engage new actors, including non-space companies, and to connect terrestrial industries with space capabilities. The network focuses on key market segments such as life sciences, advanced materials and in-space manufacturing, agriculture and food, and space resources, where space can unlock new commercial opportunities.
BSGN is therefore open to companies that may not have prior experience in the space sector but have products, technologies, or ideas that could benefit from the space environment. The emphasis is on commercial use: projects should show how space can enhance their value proposition and enable the development of viable, market-driven products or services.
The Business in Space Growth Network includes 4 Industry Accelerators focused on different market segments and supporting industry-driven projects from pre-market stage to beyond. They provide technical and commercial maturation support and ESA co-funding to execute experiments and demonstrations.
The BSGN includes three industry accelerators in LEO environment:
- Life Sciences – managed by MEDES
- Advanced Materials and In-space Manufacturing – managed by the Satellite Applications Catapult
- Agri-Food
In addition, one Industry accelerator is focused on lunar environment: Space Resources – managed by ESRIC.
Explore the BSGN Industry Accelerators here.
Companies can apply when an open call from a BSGN Industry Accelerator is launched via ESA’s Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP), ESA’s platform for publishing funding opportunities and calls for proposals. In parallel, these opportunities are promoted through BSGN communication channels.
Interested companies can submit an application and go through a structured selection process to identify the most relevant and viable projects.
Shortlisted applicants are then invited to join the accelerator cohort and receive targeted technical, commercial, and funding support to develop their project toward implementation.
The BSGN service providers mentioned on The Ecosystem pages are a network of companies and organisations offering services that enable the development and delivery of space‑enabled projects, ranging from access to space platforms and in‑orbit testing to engineering, research, and business support.
These providers form the supply side of the ecosystem, making their capabilities visible to companies seeking to run experiments or develop products using the space environment, and helping connect demand with the right technical and commercial solutions across the value chain.
Explore the ecosystem service providers here.
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