You will be able to use space technology for terrestrial applications in your new startup with high potential to be successful and create wealth.
Here's how it works
Together with our first-class partners, ESA BIC Norway is the place for entrepreneurs from research centres, universities, space and non-space business seeking to realise their innovative ideas and transfer technologies from space to other areas of the economy.
Next deadline Spring 2024!
Contact us for more information about the next deadline
Let’s launch your business
A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS OFF THE GROUND
1. Why you should join?
You will get both technical support and business advice, as well as access to funding and mediation to loan schemes.
You will be able to develop a new startup, with high potential to be successful and create wealth, based on your terrestrial technology to target space applications.
You will be a part of the new space-related startup community
You want to be an excellent entrepreneur in the space industry
2. What do you get?
Funding of €50.000 for product development and IPR (from ESA and Innovation Norway)
Accepted to ESA BIC Norway for up to 24 months
Technical support up to 80 hours through Technical partners
Access to ESA IP for commercialisation
Access to the International ESA BIC’s community and international ESA events
Access to office facilities, experts and investment capital
3. Who can apply?
Innovative idea based on space technology, or innovation intended for space usage
A company that is not more than five years old (or apply as person but create company if approved to the incubation program)
ALL THE REQUIREMENTS ARE FULLY DESCRIBED IN THE APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
4. How to apply?
Please identity your own space connection out of the following three types: 1) An upstream space connection; 2) A downstream space connection; or 3) A technology transfer. For more detailed information about the three types, download and read the document below.
UpstreamYour idea exploits or introduces 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 spaceflights
DownstreamYour idea is about utilising space systems or exploiting space technology in a non-space domain (e.g. on Earth) in one of the following areas:
- Satellite Navigation
- Earth Observation
- Satellite Communication
Technology transferVisit ESA Space Solutions and ESA IP for commercialization websites and search for technology you can use. Access to EO data here. Examples include:
- Hardware
- Software or Firmware
- Knowledge, processes
- Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Still unsure about your space connection?
Please download the full documentation to learn more.
APPLY FOR FUNDING DECISION TO INNOVATION NORWAY OR THE NORWEGIAN SPACE AGENCY
If you’ve confirmed your space connection by checking our criteria in step one (01), you can now move onto step two (02): Apply for local incentives from Innovation Norway or The Norwegian Space Agency.
Innovation Norway and The Norwegian Space Agency are our co-funding partners and it is required that you receive a positive funding eligibility decision in order to enter our ESA BIC Norway program.
It is required that you receive Commercialization Grant or similar from Innovation Norway, or Nasjonale Følgemidler from the Norwegian Space Agency in order to be accepted to ESA BIC Norway. The grant needs to be valued a minimum of €25.000 to maximize the incentives from ESA.
If you have successfully completed the first two steps, your company are not more than five years old and a citizen or a registered company from an ESA membership country, then you are set to start filling in the application for ESA BIC Norway.
1. Download the documents below and read them through carefully
2. Complete and send us the Business Application Proposal (BAP) following documents; (i) Cover Letter, (ii) Incubation Proposal and (iii) Business Plan and related appendixes as needed.
You will find information on where / how to send us these documents as instructed in the BAP Template Cover Letter.
Download all the including documents for ESA BIC Norway- Permanent Open Call 2023 here
Documents for ESA BIC Norway Permanent Open Call 2023
The ESA BIC Norway Permanent Open Call (POC 2023) includes:
(o) ESA BIC Open Call Template v1.3
(i) ESA BIC Application Template – Incubation Proposal v5.0
(ii) ESA BIC Application Template – Cover Letter and Requirements Checklist v5.0.1
(iii) ESA BIC Application Template – Business Plan v5.0
(a) Innovation Readiness Level
(b)ESA BIC Application Template – Tables & Figures (for v4.0 and v5.0)
If you have any questions – just email us at post@esabic.no and we will help you.
5. Frequently asked questions
1) How do I know if my product or service needs space technology and where can I find space technology?
The space relationship is a very important requirement in order to join the ESA BIC. For investigating patents, please take a look at the ESA Space Solutions website. Here you can find some space technologies.
2) May the funding from the ESA BIC Norway Program be used to pay rent for office space?
No. The incentive can only be used for IPR and product development.
3) Is it mandatory to have one person permanently located at one of the BIC-offices?
In our vision, an incubator is more than just a place to work. It is also a place to meet other incubatees and partners, to share knowledge and attend events. So while we will not force you, we do strongly encourage you and your team to be present at either Kjeller, Oslo, Tromsø or Stavanger at least a few days per week.
4) What is the procedure when I apply for a position in the ESA BIC Norway programme?
After you applied, and your application meets the basic requirements, you will receive an invitation within a week. The invitation is to give a presentation to the Tender Evaluation Board (TEB) which will be held around three weeks after the deadline. The results of the TEB will be given to you three weeks after the TEB. If you are selected you will receive an invitation for negotiations for the ESA BIC Norway programme.
Locate ESA Technology
VISIT ESA IP FOR COMMERCIALISATION WEB AND SEARCH FOR TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN USE
Would you like to know more? Please fill out the form below and we will send you more information on how to start your application.
We look forward to hearing from you!