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ACCESS: ESA’s New Funding Pathway - What’s Changing and How Much Support Is Available

ESA has officially begun rolling out ACCESS, a major overhaul of its commercial funding landscape. If you previously engaged with BASS or ScaleUp, consider ACCESS your new home - a single, streamlined route designed to help companies move from idea, to prototype, to market deployment with far more clarity.


ACCESS doesn’t just tidy up the old system. It comes with a significant financial commitment behind it, and a refreshed focus on commercial impact.


Here’s what the shift means - and how much funding is on the table.

A Single Commercial Pathway Backed by €306 Million, ACCESS (Accelerating the Competitiveness and Commercialisation of the European Space Sector) unifies ESA’s earlier programmes into one joined-up journey.


ESA has allocated €306 million to ACCESS overall, split across two major elements:

€169 million → ScaleUp Element

€137 million → BASS Element (Business Applications & Space Solutions)


These aren’t abstract numbers - they are a clear signal that ESA is doubling down on helping companies build real commercial services using space assets.



How ACCESS Works: Two Elements, One Pipeline


1. ScaleUp Element (€169m)

This covers early innovation through to growth stage. It includes:

  • ESA Business Incubation Centres (BICs)

  • Phi-LabNET

  • Technology transfer

  • Investor readiness and scaling support

  • ScaleUp is all about building strong, investable companies from the ground up - whether they originate inside or outside the space sector.


2. BASS Element (€137m)

This continues the familiar Feasibility Studies and Demonstration Projects, now with a more strategic slant. BASS supports:

  • Downstream services using EO, SatCom, SatNav, or other space assets

  • Both space and non-space companies

  • Projects aligned with national priorities, safety, security and sustainability


BASS remains the main route for commercial services (not hardware) that use space in a practical way - from agriculture analytics to logistics, energy, transport, health, climate, and beyond.


What’s New Compared to the Previous ESA Funding System?


ACCESS changes the landscape in four important ways:


1. A single pathway instead of fragmented programmes

No more jumping between BASS, ScaleUp, thematic calls, or parallel routes. ACCESS provides one coherent journey from concept → feasibility → demonstration → market entry.


2. A stronger push toward commercial outcomes

ESA is placing more emphasis on:

  • Real customers

  • Clear value propositions

  • Revenue potential

  • Demonstrable market pull

ACCESS is built for businesses who can deliver real-world impact, not just technical novelty.


3. More investor visibility and smoother scaling

With all commercial support aligned under one programme, investors can more easily understand where a company sits in the funding pipeline.


4. A sizeable, long-term budget commitment

The €306m allocation is not just reassurance - it allows ACCESS to support a much broader range of companies and de-risk the journey to market.


What’s Still Coming Down the Track

Some key operational details are still being finalised:

  • Exact co-funding rates

  • Application rules

  • Call schedules and themes

  • Full transition from legacy systems


ACCESS is live in principle, but still settling into its full operational mode.


So What Should Companies Do Now?

Even with a few details pending, companies absolutely should not wait.

If you fitted into:

  • BASS

  • ScaleUp

  • Feasibility Studies

  • Demonstration Projects

…then you almost certainly fit into ACCESS.


The best preparation right now is to sharpen your story:

  • Who is the customer?

  • What problem are you solving?

  • What is the commercial model?

  • Which space asset are you using and why?

Laying the groundwork now means you’ll be ready the moment the full ACCESS application framework opens.


Need Guidance on Where Your Idea Fits?

Tin Rocket continues to support companies navigating ESA’s evolving landscape. Whether you’re adapting a previous APQ, shaping a new concept, or simply trying to understand how the funding structure has changed, we can help you position your idea effectively.

Visit business.esa.int for official updates - or speak to Ken here if you want the practical interpretation of what ACCESS means for your business.


ACCESS is here, the budget is real, and the opportunity is wide open.

 
 
 

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