ESA Phi-Lab Spain Launches Second Cut-Off Date for Open Call
ESA Phi-Lab Spain launches the second cut-off date for the submission of proposals to its open call, aimed at fostering innovative and disruptive projects in the field of space technologies that contribute to climate resilience.
The programme, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), and coordinated by the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), aims to promote the development of space-based solutions that contribute to climate resilience, both in the upstream and downstream domains.
Following the success of the first evaluation and selection process, the programme announces a new opportunity to submit proposals that will be evaluated in this second cut-off, scheduled for 24 February 2026. The updated documentation and guidelines for submitting applications can be found on the programme’s website.
Applicants can download the following documents:
- Invitation to Apply to ESA Phi-Lab Spain
- Cover Letter including Requirement Checklists and the ESA Phi-Lab Research Proposal Template
- Draft Research Contract
The submission deadline is 24 February 2026 at 13:00 CET.
All updated documents and detailed guidelines for submitting proposals are available here [link].
The ESA Phi-Lab Spain programme is coordinated by the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), with the support of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) and the Government of Catalonia, within the framework of ESA’s ScaleUp Programme, which aims to foster innovation and the commercialisation of space technologies to enhance climate resilience.
The consortium behind the programme comprises twelve entities, including universities, research and innovation centres, and companies: the i2CAT Foundation, the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia (ICGC), the Fundación General CSIC, the KIMbcn Foundation, Arribes Enlightenment, the University of Valencia (UVEG), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), the Ricardo Valle Institute of Innovation Foundation (INNOVA IRV), the ESA MELiSSA Pilot Plant at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO).
About the IEEC
The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC — Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya) promotes and coordinates space research and technology development in Catalonia for the benefit of society. IEEC fosters collaborations both locally and worldwide and is an efficient agent of knowledge, innovation and technology transfer. As a result of more than 25 years of high-quality research, done in collaboration with major international organisations, IEEC ranks among the best international research centres, focusing on areas such as: astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, and Earth Observation. IEEC’s engineering division develops instrumentation for ground- and space-based projects, and has extensive experience in working with private or public organisations from the aerospace and other innovation sectors.
The IEEC is a non-profit public sector foundation that was established in February 1996. It has a Board of Trustees composed of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC), and the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). The IEEC is also a CERCA centre.