Reading’s Space4Climate supporting climate service applicants for UK Space Agency’s funding call
The UK Space agency has issued a funding call to help boost commercial climate services development in the UK.
Projects using satellite Earth Observation data to progress pre-commercial climate services, will be able to bid for a grant of up to £55,000, the aim is to help the climate service sector grow.
This is the second funding call the UK Space Agency has made in recent times concerning UK climate service development. Reportedly, the intention is for another call to be made in 2024-25.
Reading-based Space4Climate is currently supporting the process through encouraging applications from the climate data for space community. The company is also helping by sifting viable applications and offering support to successful bidders.
The funding was announced at the first Global Space Conference on Climate Change (GLOC2023), in Norway, an event that the UK Space Agency sponsors.
The small number of grants will be offered to companies that deal in at least one of the following areas : service development in the pre-commercial stage but with an identified potential market or user community, development of an existing climate-related application or service for new uses of space data, the scoping of new services and the production of a business plan.
UK Space agency has also made clear that grants can be used to collaborate with other organisations or entities to fill or bridge skills or data gaps. For example, applicants might buy access to data or consultancy time to develop a climate service demonstrator.
Head of Earth observation and climate at the UK Space Agency Beth Greenaway said: “The UK has some amazing innovation and ideas for using satellite Earth Observation technology to tackle climate change challenges across the world. We’re sponsors at the first Global Space Conference on Climate Change and investing in many areas of space-enabled climate activities to enhance the UK’s climate services offering, with a clear focus on enabling action.
“This new funding call responds to feedback from the community that a small grant will help to develop their ideas, scope the business case, buy in some expertise, for instance. It could help to establish a viable, self-sustaining climate service for a specific user group. I am looking forward to some exciting proposals.”
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