ESA Business Applications Space Solutions (BASS)

BASS — Digitalisation of the Water Sector

Funds water resilience projects using space-enabled data and digital tools.

Eligibility · Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland +16 more

The BASS Digitalisation of the Water Sector 2026 call is a non-competitive opportunity for proof-of-concept studies and pilot projects, operated by ESA's Business Applications Space Solutions (BASS) programme. The call deadline is 30 August 2026. ESA provides zero-equity co-funding at a rate of 50–80% of total project costs, with the exact rate dependent on the applicant's SME status and Member State approval. The call addresses two distinct topic strands: Water Sustainability, covering water quality monitoring, availability management, sanitation, and industrial discharge monitoring; and Water Resilience, covering infrastructure monitoring, non-revenue water losses, sewage failures, and drought and flood resilience. All funded activities must use satellite Earth observation, satellite navigation, or satellite communications as integral components.

Eligible applicants include organisations registered in Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or Canada. Companies, universities, research organisations, and non-profits are all eligible; individual applicants are not. Because this is a non-competitive call, submissions that meet the defined criteria are funded without being ranked against competing proposals. ESA also provides technical and commercial guidance, access to its partner network, and use of the ESA brand as part of the support package.

Applicants should clearly identify which of the two topic strands — Water Sustainability or Water Resilience — their solution addresses, as the call distinguishes between them. Organisations with existing relationships with water utilities, municipal water authorities, or environmental regulators are best positioned, given that customer engagement is an implied requirement for demonstrating market viability. The 30 August 2026 deadline gives applicants additional time compared to other active BASS thematic calls, making this call suitable for organisations currently building their feasibility case or customer validation evidence.