Data
deadline: July 1st
Smart Space & Safe Space (S4)
Space x Data call for proposals current state: OPEN
SMART SPACE & SAFE SPACE (S4)
ESA Call for Proposals:
BIG QUESTION:
“What if autonomous space systems could deliver trustworthy, meaningful decisions when most needed?”
Autonomous capabilities in space are advancing rapidly, yet their operational deployment remains limited. Individual technologies—such as onboard intelligence, sensing, communications, and assurance—continue to mature, but rarely in combination and rarely under realistic operational constraints.
The fundamental difficulty lies not in any single technology, but in enabling complex, multi layered systems that span multiple technical domains and operational layers.
Addressing this challenge is essential to enabling scalable, autonomous space systems that can operate reliably across missions, actors, and domains.
We are looking for ambitious proposals tackling the joint bottlenecks of intelligence and trust in the deployment of time critical autonomous decision making in space systems.
The S4 Programme Approach
S4 targets the combined challenge of intelligent onboard decision-making and the ability to rely on such behaviour in real operational contexts. Key technical areas of interest may include, but are not limited to:
- Autonomous decision making under assurance constraints, linking onboard intelligence with runtime verification and monitoring
- System state interpretation from heterogeneous data, including uncertainty handling, that supports dependable behaviour
- Planning and prioritisation with decision traceability, enabling auditable, mission aware optimisation
- Time critical autonomous responses, where latency or operational conditions preclude continuous human oversight
- Distributed autonomous operation, maintaining integrity and coordinated behaviour across multi actor and multi orbit architectures
Successful Proposals
Competitive proposals are expected to:
- Take current or near-term onboard compute and energy constraints as a baseline
- Develop autonomous (Smart) and trust enabling (Safe) aspects at system level
- Leverage and extend established Swiss system level capabilities and infrastructure
- Enable a clear step change beyond the current state of the art
While full deployment is not expected within the programme duration, S4 is explicitly orientated toward outcomes that influence how autonomous space systems are designed, evaluated, and brought into use.
Deadline: July 1st 2026 (23:59 CET)
FAQ
Can I request a preliminary check before submitting my application?
To have your proposal reviewed and to assess its viability in relation to the call criteria, please contact Jennifer Wadsworth – jennifer.wadsworth@psi.ch.
How can I stay informed about upcoming calls and updates?
The best way to stay updated on ESDI’s open calls and other news is by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on LinkedIn.
Is Quantum x Space the only call available, or will Phi-Lab Switzerland offer other calls in the future?
Phi-Lab Switzerland has two additional calls planned: one on materials, scheduled for autumn 2025, and another on data, planned for 2026. This list may expand over time. To ensure you never miss an update, we recommend subscribing to our newsletter.
Who can I contact for questions regarding intellectual property, equity, or other contractual matters?
For any inquiries related to intellectual property, equity, or other contractual matters, please contact Markus Schoelmerich at markus.schoelmerich@esdi.ch.
Is there someone available to answer technical questions or provide expert guidance during the application process?
The ESDI team is available to support you with any technical questions you may have. Additionally, we collaborate with partners who possess specific expertise to ensure your questions are answered thoroughly. The first point of contact for technical inquiries is: markus.schoelmerich@esdi.ch.
What is the earliest possible start date (T0) for my project?
The earliest possible start date (T0) for your project is once the contracts are signed, which we expect to happen by 2026.
Questions Regarding Funding Details
For any question according to the funding please check the attached document: ” Funding overview” or check the OSIP webpage or contact: markus.schoelmerich@psi.ch.
What is the expected TRL at the end of the 24 months?
Regarding the expected delivery, we don’t necessarily expect a market-ready product at the end, but a path to commercialisation in the future should proposed. While TRL is a useful guide, it’s not the only factor. A project is expected to demonstrate a 10x improvement in compactness, performance, or reliability to transform quantum sensing from laboratory instruments into commercially viable products for applications in space.
Could this be considered a “consortium” under the call's definition, even if all partners are within the same legal entity?
In principle, yes. However, we encourage assembling a consortium with a variety of expertise and skills, ideally from different institutions or sectors, to enhance diversity, which aligns with the goals of the call.
Is it acceptable to submit a small-scale proposal led by a single lab focused on a specific contribution, in response to needs identified during the profile-seeking session?
While small-scale, focused contributions are valuable, the call is primarily structured around full project proposals submitted by consortia. If you are considering a single-lab proposal, we encourage you to position it as part of a broader consortium effort, ideally as a targeted contribution addressing identified needs from the profile-seeking session. You may also consider collaborating with other teams to form or join a consortium where your expertise can be integrated. For this matter we will be happy to put you in contact.
In the case of multiple labs collaborating, should internal cost allocations be treated as subcontracting, or is there a different mechanism expected for internal cost-sharing within the same legal entity?
A collaboration between several laboratories within the same legal entity can still be considered a consortium under the call’s definition, provided that multidisciplinary competences are clearly demonstrated. However, we strongly encourage forming consortia that include partners from different institutions or sectors (e.g., industry, research organizations). This approach aligns with the call’s emphasis on cross-sector innovation and multidisciplinarity. If your proposal remains within a single institution, ensure that the complementary expertise of the labs is well articulated and clearly defined in the proposal.
Contact us
We appreciate your interest in ESDI. Kindly complete the form, and we will respond to your inquiry promptly.
For questions related to open calls, please visit the call page on the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP).
Dr. Jennifer Wadsworth
Head of Phi-Lab
PSI
