How to apply to NAVISP Element 2 Open Call
This guide explains the steps for initiating a NAVISP Element 2 project. Select a step below to open its details, or select a box in the diagram to jump straight to it.
📖 Handy vocabulary
- Member State: An ESA member country, or a country with an association agreement (e.g., Canada).
- Prime Contractor (Prime): The lead company responsible for the proposal, contract, and communication with ESA.
- Subcontractor (Subco): A partner carrying out part of the project under the Prime. Can be a company, university, research institute, or public institution.
- National Delegation: Representatives of a Member State who decide whether funding will be allocated to a project.
- Authorization of Funding (AoF): Formal confirmation from a National Delegation that it is willing to fund part of a project. Previously called Letter of Support.
- OSIP: ESA's Open Space Innovation Platform, used to collect and assess new project ideas.
ESA's Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) hosts Campaigns and Channels to collect new and innovative ideas. Submission in OSIP is the first step for NAVISP Element 2 projects and is the basis for ESA's initial assessment of ideas.
Projects include a Prime Contractor (prime), as well as possible Subcos in the same Member State or in other Member States. Universities and Research Institutes are eligible to be subcontractors in NAVISP Element 2.
Those submitting ideas can expect to receive requests for clarification from the NAVISP team through the OSIP platform.
✔ What you need to do
- Confirm your eligibility as a registered business in a Member State.
- Register in OSIP (lightweight, email confirmation only).
- Submit to the NAVISP Element 2 OSIP Channel.
💬 Common mistakes
- Prime is not an eligible incorporated business in a Member State (Universities and Research Institutes cannot be a Prime in Element 2).
- Vague commercial or technical focus for the project.
- Highly ambiguous or unclear path to market.
- Lack of context regarding the starting point for the technical developments of the project.
🟢 What good looks like
- The project has a clear PNT component and commercialization potential.
- Total budget per partner, including ESA co-funding request, is clear, as well as the timeline.
- The project's technical ambitions are clear, including starting and finishing technical readiness level.
🎯 Quick self-check
The National Delegations from each participating member state are responsible for deciding which projects they are willing to fund. They formalize these decisions with a letter to ESA indicating funding approval for the project — the Authorization of Funding. Multi-country projects require one such letter for the scope of work carried out in each participating country.
Applicants are encouraged to contact their National Delegation to pitch their ideas in parallel with submission to ESA. The final decisions for funding will involve coordination between the National Delegation and ESA.
✔ What you need to do
- Prepare a presentation for the National Delegation(s), including funding request and timeline.
- Contact the National Delegation(s) to present the project and collect their feedback.
💬 Common mistakes
Lack of compelling arguments of the benefits and return-on-investment for the Member State(s).
🎯 Quick self-check
When ESA has processed the OSIP application and the Authorization(s) of Funding have been sent to ESA by the National Delegation(s), the NAVISP team will invite the applicants to submit a Full Proposal. The Full Proposal is an expansion of the idea outlined in OSIP, with more detail provided especially regarding project execution, finances, and deliverables. The Full Proposal is a contractual document that describes the scope of work to be conducted under contract.
Please see the Full Proposal page for detailed information on what should be included.
After submitting your Full Proposal to ESA, the ESA Contract Officer should be in touch within ~2-4 weeks with a list of written points for clarification and an invitation for a Negotiation Meeting to go through the points. Written responses are expected prior to the Negotiation (Nego) Meeting, and the replies will be discussed during this meeting.
The Negotiation Meeting flow is typically:
- Introductions
- Short (~10-15 minute) presentation of the project by the Prime/Subcos
- Discussion of negotiation points and follow-up of the written answers provided by the Prime/Subcos, with decisions regarding resolutions and follow-up actions logged in the meeting minutes
- Runthrough of the draft contract by the ESA Contract Officer
- Decision regarding a tentative Kick-Off date (subject to successful completion of signature process before this date)
The Contract Officer will also ask for reference document numbers for the Negotiation Meeting Minutes (the MoM) and for the company/project presentation. In the absence of a dedicated company numbering scheme, the following designators are suggested:
- NAVISP2-MOM-XXX-YYY-NEGO
- NAVISP2-PRESENTATION-XXX-YYY-NEGO
Where XXX is a three-letter abbreviation of the prime contractor company name and YYY is the assigned NAVISP project designator, i.e. NAVISP-EL2-YYY.
✔ What you need to do
- Correspond with the ESA Contract Officer to confirm reception of points and meeting time.
- Provide any missing documentation if requested.
- Prepare written responses to negotiation points.
💬 Common mistakes
Unclear/ambiguous answers to the written clarification points.
🎯 Quick self-check
When a final draft of the Nego MoM is agreed upon and shared with the prime by email by the ESA Contract Officer, the prime can digitally sign and send to ESA. ESA representatives will sign both the Negotiation Meeting minutes and the contract and send to the prime for countersignature. Once the counter signature is sent, the project can be kicked off with the formal Kick-Off meeting. The flow for the signing project is as follows:
Note that any Advanced Payment Request in the contract may be processed immediately upon completed contract signature. Please see the esa-p guide on how to submit and approve an Advanced Payment Request.
Once the signed contract has been returned to ESA, project Kick-Off can commence. Please see the Run Project page for detailed information on how to run Element 2 NAVISP Projects.