Can I apply to ESA Business Incubation Centres?

By country

• Can a company from an EU country apply?Yes
• Can a company from Poland (a Widening country) apply?Yes
• Can a company from the UK apply?Yes
• Can a company from Switzerland apply?Yes
• Can a company from Norway apply?Yes
• Can a company from Israel apply?NoOrganisations in Israel can't apply: it is open to .
• Can a company from Ukraine apply?NoOrganisations in Ukraine can't apply: it is open to .
• Can a company from Türkiye apply?NoOrganisations in Türkiye can't apply: it is open to .
• Can a company from Canada apply?NoOrganisations in Canada can't apply: it is open to .
• Can a company from Japan apply?NoOrganisations in Japan can't apply: it is open to .
• Can a company from South Korea apply?NoOrganisations in South Korea can't apply: it is open to .
• Can a company from the United States apply?NoOrganisations in the United States can't apply: it is open to .
• Can a company from India apply?NoOrganisations in India can't apply: it is open to .

By organisation

• Can a founder without a company yet apply?Yes
• Can a startup apply?Yes
• Can an established SME apply?NoCompany age outside the limit: company registered at most 5 years ago.
• Can a mid-cap company apply?NoNot open to a mid-cap. For founders and young companies.
• Can a large company apply?NoNot open to a large company. For founders and young companies.
• Can a university apply?NoNot open to a university. For founders and young companies.
• Can a research organisation apply?NoNot open to a research organisation. For founders and young companies.
• Can a company apply on its own, without partners?Yes

By stage

• Can I apply with an idea or early research?Yes
• Can I apply with a proof of concept?Yes
• Can I apply with a prototype?Yes
• Can I apply with a pilot with real users?Yes
• Can I apply with a product on the market?Yes

The rules in full

Where you must be based

, plus AT, BE, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, LV, LT, NL, NO, PL, PT, ES, SE, CH, GB

You apply to one ESA BIC in a country that hosts one, and usually must register and base the company in that centre's country or region.

Who can apply

a founder without a company yet, a startup or an SME

For founders and young companies. You can apply with an idea, but only a registered company can sign the incubation contract.

Alone or with partners

Alone

One startup applies alone to one centre. Some centres ask for a team of at least two founders.

Stage

No set TRL

No network-wide TRL band. Centres look for early-stage products not yet on the market; some want a prototype in progress.

Company age

at most 5 years

Also required

Space link

What you get

grants or services, up to €50k

ESA's headline is €50,000 equity-free for product and IP development. Some centres pay more with local co-funding (ESA BIC UK lists £51,720; ESA BIC Portugal up to €60,000).

Funding rate

Equity-free incentive, paid under the centre's incubation contract