Copernicus SpaceLeap Challenge

Potential of Copernicus to foster international users and providers in partner countries

The Challenge 2022

ESA seeks entries that can demonstrate societal benefits from Copernicus and Copernicus’s potential to foster international EO market development for space-based information products and services.

The ESA Copernicus SpaceLeap Challenge is a special initiative for participants from countries implementing Copernicus Cooperation Arrangements and other selected countries outside of Europe, in particular participants from the EU Eastern Partnership region (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan).

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Eligibility 2022

The ESA Space LeapChallenge accepts proposals only from enterprises, scientific institutions, and individuals of legal adult age having a permanent residency, their headquarters or nationality in countries that have signed a Copernicus cooperation agreement on Copernicus data access and Earth observation data exchange. Namely: the United States, Australia, Ukraine, Chile, Colombia, Serbia, African Union, India and Brazil. Plus Eastern Partnership Countries: Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Rewards 2022

Cash Prize

The TOP 3 solutions will receive a cash prize worth EUR 5,000 each.

Networking

Get a chance to network in view of the forthcoming Horizon Europe call on “Designing space-based downstream applications with international partners”.

Additional Reward for the Overall Winner 2022

Cash Prize

EUR 10,000 if your concept gets selected as Copernicus Masters 2022 Overall Winner

Evaluation Criteria 2022

The successful applicants will have demonstrated a sound understanding of Copernicus application areas, user engagement and relevance to Copernicus’s international cooperation efforts. Seed-stage international founders with demonstrated ideas for commercialisation and product scale-up plans are particularly welcomed.

Background

Necessary teamwork and skill set and their credibility in selected frontier technology domains. Team composition and demonstrated technical competence balance of EO and other tech domains to achieve desired innovation impact.

Solution Description

Clarity and applicability of the solution to the specific problem to be solved. Relevant market analysis.

Technical Feasibility

Demonstrated technical credibility and possibility of implementation at scale. Soundness of the engineering approach.

Copernicus Innovation

Relevance and use of Copernicus technologies and applications. Potential to deliver new, tailored information services to satisfy identified user markets in respective countries. Potential to improve current products or services. Specific relevance to new technology trends, new user needs or behaviours and new business models.

Market Potential

Potential of the solution to open growth opportunities in new markets while leveraging Copernicus’s international cooperation potential. Solutions specifically tailored to support green and digital transformation objectives in line with the Space for Green Future Accelerator, especially topics related to green economy and environmental management challenges.

About the European Space Agency (ESA)

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. To contribute to the success of Copernicus, ESA is exploiting its 35 years of expertise in space programme development and management. While the Copernicus programme is politically led by the European Union (EU), ESA is the overall coordinator of the Copernicus Space Component and will, inter alia, ensure the uninterrupted delivery of data from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and an important number of Copernicus Contributing Missions at a national, European and international level. Following the launch of Sentinel-1A on 4 April 2014, the Copernicus programme has entered its operational phase, serving users with an ever-increasing mix of satellite imagery and other data.