ESA Business Applications Space Solutions (BASS)

BASS — Sustainable Wetlands

Funds space-enabled wetland and biodiversity projects that strengthen climate adaptation and ecosystem care.

Eligibility · Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland +15 more

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The BASS Sustainable Wetlands 2026 call is a competitive thematic kick-start opportunity operated by ESA's Business Applications Space Solutions (BASS) programme. It funds six-month feasibility studies for space-enabled services that advance wetland sustainability and biodiversity. ESA co-funds 75% of total activity costs up to a maximum of €75,000 per contract, with total project budgets capped at €100,000. The application deadline is 9 June 2026. Eligible topic areas include climate change monitoring, pollution control, biodiversity tracking and biodiversity credits, water management, carbon sequestration, sustainable land use, and community livelihoods connected to wetland ecosystems.

Eligible applicants include companies, universities, research organisations, and non-profits registered in Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom. Norway does not participate in this specific call. The call is competitive — proposals are ranked and selected; not every eligible submission is funded. Applicants must provide 25% of total project costs as match funding. Selected applicants receive technical guidance from ESA and the right to use the ESA brand in communications, in addition to the financial award.

The programme targets organisations that can demonstrate both a credible space technology dependency — using satellite Earth observation, navigation, or communications as integral components — and a commercially viable service concept for wetland management clients such as environmental agencies, conservation bodies, or carbon credit platforms. Because the output is a feasibility study, applicants should be prepared to advance to a subsequent proof-of-concept or demonstration phase if the study confirms market and technical viability. The competitive nature of the call means applicants with documented customer or stakeholder engagement have a stronger standing than those with conceptual proposals alone.