- Category: Latest News
- 2025-07-04
The European Commission has launched the 2025 Horizon Europe Space Research Call under Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space, with a total budget of €139 million. Open until 25 September 2025, the call is designed to support research and innovation across the entire European space value chain, reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy and industrial capacity in this critical sector.
This new round of funding, managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), includes 20 distinct topics. These span a broad range of domains, from launch systems and in-orbit services to Earth observation, satellite communications and advanced space technologies. The call reflects the EU’s continued investment in maintaining its leadership in space, while ensuring resilience and sustainability across strategic areas.
Details of the call and application process are available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.
Supporting the Full Space Value Chain
The 2025 call addresses both the upstream and downstream space sectors, aiming to strengthen European capabilities across key space domains. Topics are grouped under thematic areas, or headings, including:
- Heading 1 – Accessing Space
- Heading 2 – Acting in Space
- Heading 3bis – Using Space on Earth – Telecommunications and Earth Observation
- Heading 4 – Using Space on Earth – Earth Observation
- Heading 8 – Boosting Space through non-dependence
- Heading 9 – Boosting Space through international cooperation.
This structure ensures that actors from industry, research and academia can contribute to a wide array of innovation priorities, from infrastructure development to end-user applications.
A Focus on the Evolution of Copernicus Services
A major focus within the call is the further development of the EU’s Copernicus programme, with six targeted topics receiving approximately €8 million in total funding. These address key areas of environmental monitoring and service evolution:
- The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)
- The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS)
- Monitoring and verification support for CO₂ emissions (CO2MVS)
- The Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS)
- The integration of AI and machine learning into Copernicus services
- Innovative EO services for maritime litter and pollution detection
These topics aim to ensure that Copernicus remains at the forefront of Earth observation capabilities, while supporting EU climate objectives and technological leadership.
Upcoming Call on Downstream Applications
A second, complementary call will be launched on the 14th October 2025, focusing on the market uptake of downstream space-based applications. Managed by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), this call will have a budget of €15 million and a deadline on the 10th February 2026.
It will support projects that foster the operational use of space data in sectors such as agriculture, energy, mobility, emergency response, and urban development, accelerating the impact of EU space investments on the economy and society.
Accessing the Portal and Applying
All relevant documentation, including proposal templates and guidance materials, is available on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal. Applicants must register through the portal to submit proposals and can also access tools for finding partners and reviewing eligibility criteria.
These calls represent a key opportunity for stakeholders across Europe to contribute to the resilience, innovation and competitiveness of the EU space ecosystem both upstream and downstream.
Space Y encourages all interested members and partners to explore these funding opportunities and participate actively in building Europe’s space-enabled future.
To know more visit: https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/news/horizon-europe-eu-space-research-call-2025-open-submission-2025-05-28_en