UK opens funding call for SATCOM tech

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has launched the third phase of its ‘Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit’ (C-LEO) funding call to develop innovative satellite communications (SATCOM) technologies.  

Baroness Liz Lloyd, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the UK Department of Science Innovation and Technology, announced the C-LEO call during her opening speech at Farnborough International Airshow in the UK on 20 July. 

Lloyd said that this call is part of a wider package to support innovation in the UK space sector and to complement the space-based efforts of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) following the release of the Defence Investment Plan (DIP).  

The DIP highlighted SATCOM and space domain awareness as core pillars of the MoD’s space strategy for the next ten years. 

The announcement comes ahead of the release of the UK’s new Space Strategy, which is widely expected to be within the coming weeks. Lloyd told attendees at Farnborough that the upcoming strategy would retain a focus on SATCOM, domestic launch capabilities, in-orbit servicing, and space domain awareness. 

Five technologies are sought 

The newly announced C-LEO funding call – outlined in depth by UKSA on the UK Government website – seeks proposals that focus on one or more of the following technologies: 

• Active antennas 
• Networking and routing 
• On board “regenerative” processing 
• Optical links 
• User terminals 

To be eligible to apply for funding under this call, companies must be UK-registered entities. Applications should include solutions between technological readiness levels (TRL) four and six, with a view to progressing these to TRL 7 using the funding.  

A total of GBP42 million is available under this call. This is drawn from a wider GBP160 million budget that covers all the C-LEO calls up to 2030.  

What is the C-LEO call application process? 

Companies interested in this call have until 7 September to submit their application.  

UKSA anticipates it will negotiate and sign funding agreements by April 2027, with the work expected to conclude in early 2030. 

A wider package of space opportunities 

Beyond the C-LEO call, UKSA has several other opportunities for industry available, with application deadlines in the next few months. These opportunities are as follows: 

• A small satellite mission concept study (GBP750,000), with proposals due by 31 July 
• The second call of the Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (up to GBP37 million), with expressions of interest due by 21 August 
• The third call of the National Space Innovation Programme (up to GBP20 million), with proposals due by 21 August 
• The Earth Observation Missions and Technology innovation call (up to GBP1.4 million), with an application deadline of 1 September