ESA BIC Andalusia, the only European Space Agency business incubator in the region, managed by CATEC, is funded by the Spanish Space Agency (which is part of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities), and co-funded by the Regional Government of Andalusia with support from Seville City Council. It has now officially opened the application period to select new start-ups in the space sector. The call for applications will be open until 31 October 2025 and is aimed at young companies with innovative projects that use space technology or apply it to new products and services.

The programme is aimed at both entrepreneurs who are in the process of setting up a start-up and companies that have been established for less than five years. Projects must be developing innovative products, services or business models with a connection to the space sector, either through the direct use of space technologies, infrastructure or data, or through derivative applications.

During an incubation period of up to two years, selected start-ups will have access to a comprehensive support package designed to accelerate their business development. This includes:

• €60,000 in direct, non-repayable funding, €30,000 contributed by ESA, originating from the European Space Agency, and €30,000 by the Regional Government of Andalusia, for product development or intellectual property protection.
• 80 hours of specialised advice, combining business coaching, legal consultancy on intellectual property and technical support for the development and validation of technological solutions.
• Free access to the ESA BIC Andalusia spaces and infrastructure in Seville, provided by the Seville City Council, throughout the incubation period.
• Support in seeking funding, including access to investors and public funds.
• Participation in networking activities and visibility within the European network of ESA BICs.

Applications may be submitted until 31 October 2025 via the programme’s official website. All necessary documentation, eligibility criteria and required templates are available at: esabic-andalusia.com.

The selection process will be based on criteria such as technical and market viability, degree of innovation, connection to the space sector and the capacity of the promoting team. Projects must demonstrate a clear connection to the space sector, either through the use of space technologies, data or infrastructure in terrestrial applications (downstream), or through the development of technological solutions aimed at the space sector itself (upstream).

Proposals will be analysed by a technical committee chaired by the ESA, with the participation of the AEE, the Regional Government of Andalusia, and experts from the entrepreneurial and technological ecosystem.