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Call key data
INNOVDEPLANT
Funding Program
Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions (PPPAs)
Call number
PPPA-2024-INNOVDEPLANT
deadlines
Opening
25.07.2024
Deadline
30.10.2024 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 1,450,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 1,450,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
The expected outcomes of this pilot project will allow EU to reduce the dependencies from non-EU countries for the critical space technologies relevant to reflectors and deployable antennas and accelerate time to market. The identification of novel non-dependent materials, techniques to re-use parts, materials from end-of-life assets and antennas for assembly and manufacturing on orbit will contribute to increase EU sovereignty and allow unrestricted access to key, critical space technologies. The pilot project is expected to contribute to the above-mentioned challenges and considerations. This will contribute to developing, deploying global space-based services applications and data and contribute to fostering the EU's space sector competitiveness.
Call objectives
The areas of R&I, which needs to be addressed to tackle the above-mentioned expected outcomes are:
- the development of novel techniques and manufacturing technologies for deployable antennas. This shall include efforts in the development of low-cost (e.g. re-usable and commercial off-the-shelf) and short manufacturing-time reflector moulds that are also compatible with larger diameters, at or above 5 meters;
- the replacement of materials needed from outside the Union by developing novel materials and surfaces to ensure equivalent current performance or improved levels in terms of losses, depolarization, bandwidth, efficiency of reflector antennas. That includes paving the way for high data rate transmission by means of antennas operating in frequency bands higher to Ka-Band up to Q/V-Band as well as developing and testing novel materials for demonstrating quality and performance up to technology readiness level 4;
- the identification of methods to retrieve the useful materials or components from end-of-life antennas for reuse in the assembly or manufacturing of new hardware on orbit;
- the definition of concepts for on-orbit assembly of large antennas or re-use of antennas from end-of-life satellites on new assets and the evaluation of trade-offs of various architectures relevant for Earth Observation, Telecom. This shall include the process verification steps (e.g., with support of simulations) related to the assembly process, assuring the necessary level of quality and performance.
Proposal should address all areas.
Proposals are expected to promote cooperation between different actors (industry, SMEs and research institutions) and consider opportunities to quickly turn technological innovation into commercial use in space.
Proposals under this topic should explore synergies and be complementary to already funded actions in the context of technology development at component level as well as developments in the scope of the co-Programmed European Partnership on Globally Competitive Space Systems (‘Space Partnership’). In particular, it is expected that projects make use of existing European technologies and/or building blocks at component level contributing to European non-dependence and strengthen competitiveness. Furthermore, proposed activities should be complementary to national activities and activities funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).
In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
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Expected effects and impacts
Deployable antennas are a key element of satellites enabling them to receive and transmit data. They are relevant for all types of space applications such as navigation, Earth observation, science and defence. Technology deployed on space antennas may find applications also in the civil, terrestrial market.
A number of challenges and considerations affect current deployable antennas for space applications, hereunder the following:
- the Union’s dependency on third countries for specific materials and technologies relevant for antennas, especially large deployable antennas with a diameter at or above 5 meters. That is particularly critical as this technology is also affected by third country export restrictions that are limiting the unrestricted access of Union space industry and therefore that industry’s ability to support Union sovereignty.
- the need for the space sector to rely on space qualified technology with high level of quality, reliability, robustness, suitability to space harsh environment demonstrated by in-orbit space demonstration and validation. This approach has an important impact on the final technology cost and time to market.
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Expected results
Research and innovation actions (RIA) — Activities that aim primarily to establish new knowledge or to explore the feasibility of a new or improved technology, product, process, service or solution. This may include basic and applied research, technology development and integration, testing, demonstration and validation of a small-scale prototype in a laboratory or simulated environment
Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Iceland (Ísland), Norway (Norge)
eligible entities
Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
No
Project Partnership
In order to achieve the expected outcomes, and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security, and in accordance with Article 197(3) Financial Regulation, this action is implemented with regard to the following eligibility and participation conditions:
- the eligible legal entity is established in an EU Member State, Norway and Iceland and its executive management structures are established in that Member State and/or country;
- the eligible legal entity commits to carry out all relevant activities in one or more EU Member States, Norway and Iceland; and
- the eligible legal entity is not to be subject to control by a third country or by a third country entity.
For the purpose of these conditions, ‘control’ means the ability to exercise a decisive influence over a legal entity directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediate legal entities.
Eligibility conditions with regards to the consortium composition follow the HE RIA rules. The reference to third country above shall be understood as any country other than EU Member State, Norway or Iceland.
Specific cases:
Exceptional funding — Entities from other countries (not listed above) are exceptionally eligible if the granting authority considers their participation essential for the implementation of the action.
International organisations — International organisations are eligible. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them.
Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons.
EU bodies — EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium.
Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. Please note that if the action will be implemented by the members, they should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible).
other eligibility criteria
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
Proposals must be submitted before the call deadline.
Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section. Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals (including annexes and supporting documents) must be submitted using the forms provided inside the Submission System ( NOT the documents available on the Topic page — they are only for information).
Your application must be readable, accessible and printable.
Proposals are limited to maximum 70 pages (Part B). Evaluators will not consider any additional pages.
A compulsory questionnaire on the declaration of ownership and control is to be filled by all project participants as part of the application. All declarations must be assembled by the coordinator and uploaded in a single file in the portal submission system. For successfully evaluated proposals that enter into Grant Agreement Preparation, an assessment of the ownership and control shall take place by the granting authority. Failure to demonstrate condition (c) above shall result in non-eligibility of the participant.
Call documents
PPPA-2024-INNOVDEPLANT Call documentPPPA-2024-INNOVDEPLANT Call document(278kB)
Contact
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