26/09/2025
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On 23 June the ESA Discovery & Preparation held its first live session about OSIP Open Discovery Ideas Channel, ESA’s main entry point for early innovation. Watch the recording of the presentation, and find out more about how the channel works and your opportunities to work with ESA on very early technologies. Check the Q&A section for more information on how to share your idea and increase your chances to get selected.
During the event ESA Discovery & Preparation team gave an introduction into the OSIP Open Discovery Ideas Channel, what types of ideas they are looking for, what the selection process looks like and useful tips for a successful idea submission. Participants raised many interesting questions, with the answers included below.
Your questions answered
What types of ideas is ESA looking for?
ESA Discovery & Preparation focuses on novel, disruptive, high-risk potentially high-reward ideas rather than incremental advancements of current technologies.
Do I need to use a standard template to submit an idea?
On the OSIP Open Discovery Ideas Channel page, once you click on “Submit your idea” you will be asked to log in or create your account and it will open automatically the online submission form.
How do I register on OSIP?
Go to OSIP (ideas.esa.int) and in the top right corner you will find the register and log in buttons.
How long should my idea be?
ESA is looking for short ideas – one or two paragraphs explaining the concept. As a general rule, keep it short and simple. If relevant, you can also add some links to relevant experiments conducted previously.
Do I need to be a citizen of an ESA Member State for my idea to be considered?
There is no nationality requirement, but the host company or institute needs to be registered in a Member State or Cooperating State.
Who is performing the evaluation of ideas?
Each idea is evaluated by a panel of ESA experts. ESA Discovery & Preparation team aims to bring in domain experts from within the agency for each of the ideas proposed.
Is there a best time to submit my idea?
You can submit your idea anytime. Evaluations usually happen the third Friday of each month. ESA Discovery & Preparation team always gives each submission time for iterations before the final evaluation, so there is not a best time throughout the month to submit.
Why can’t ideas be resubmitted?
The exact same ideas cannot be resubmitted, as they have already been reviewed and received feedback from experts. Asking reviewers to reassess same ideas would not add value to the review process, as each idea is given time for iterations with ESA experts to ensure it receives an adequate level of support and the author can refine it enough before going into the evaluation stage.
Where can I check for existing activities to make sure my idea is novel and was not researched before?
There are various sources where you can check if a similar idea is already in the works:
- OSIP (for current ideas in the selection process)
- esa-star Publication System (for all the contracts signed under Discovery & Preparation)
- Activities portal (for all ongoing activities)
- Nebula library (for all previously closed activities)
We also strongly encourage you do a literature check before submitting your ideas. For new campaigns initiated by ESA, relevant sources are also included in the description.
When submitting an idea, which ESA R&D programme should I choose?
When you submit an idea through the Open Discovery Ideas channel the selection is automatic. You can also check the currently open channels and campaigns by innovation area in OSIP.
How can I get in contact with an ESA Technical Officer?
When you submit an idea through the Open Discovery Ideas channel your ESA idea coach will try to match you with an ESA expert in your field of interest. You can also contact ESA experts directly, for example reach out to contacts you might have made during past conferences or presentations.
Can you suggest a good networking platform?
OSIP is a great networking platform if you choose to make your idea public. You can also use esa-match, if you announce on the platform what you are looking for and what are your capabilities.
How long does the group discussion phase last?
This phase is very important, and ESA is trying to match each idea with the right expert. The exact timing depends on the complexity of the idea, with more complex submissions usually taking longer in this particular phase. At this stage feedback is the most important aspect.
How can I build a good proposal from my idea, once it was selected?
When you submit your idea, we have only one criterion of evaluation, its innovation potential. At the proposal stage there are multiple criteria.
For potential studies and early technology development activities the most important criteria are:
- The capacity to complete the project
- The innovation potential and technical quality
- The programmatic aspect and suitability for implementation
For co-sponsored research ESA is looking for:
- Good formulation of the research question
- A realistic budget planning
- The inclusion of potential risks in the full proposal
If my idea is selected and receives funding, how can I use the budget allocated?
Your allocated budget can be used on different costs on a project-related basis. It will be discussed at the beginning of the activity, based on what is mentioned in the proposal. For most activities, it is used mainly for manpower. In the case of Early Technology Development, some costs are associated with materials needed for the activity.
Is there a way to make the time-to-contract shorter?
ESA is currently working to simplify the procurement and ensure a streamlined contractual process for all participants. Submitting your idea quickly, without keeping it in draft mode for a prolonged period of time, refining it based on feedback from experts, and having a quick full proposal maturation will all help shorten the time to contract.
Can ESA be a co-founder for my activity?
ESA funds max. 50% and up to 90k EUR of the activity, but only in case of the co-sponsored research scheme. For studies, the budget ranges from 20,000 to 100,000 EUR, with up to 100% funding. For early technology development activities, the budget is 90,000 to 175,000 EUR, also with up to 100% funding.