Frequently asked questions

The research project proposal must be submitted by (a team part of ) a legal entity or a consortium of legal entities (SMEs, larger industries, Research Organisations, Universities). You can only apply as a legal entity. In order to be considered eligible, your legal entity must be registered in Austria or your activities must have a strong impact on Austria (Cooperations, Partnerships, economic return, etc.).

To answer this question, we offer and recommend the pre-proposal support. Please fill in the “Pre-Proposal Application” and arrange a first meeting with us.

We recommend applying for the pre-proposal support 6 weeks before the submission deadline (cut-off date). It is not mandatory but recommended.

ESA Phi-Lab Austria aims to select on average about 6 Projects per year (app. 3 per Tender Evaluation Board) but there are no constraints as to the number of projects accepted at each selection round. What is critical to be accepted is to meet the evaluation criteria. The permanent Open Call for ESA Phi-Lab Austria has 2 cut-off dates per year. Exact dates for the upcoming deadlines can be found on the esaphilab.at

ESA Phi-Lab NET intends to bridge the gap between research and commercialisation. ESA Phi-Lab Austria has a strong focus on disruptive innovation and commercialisation of upstream hardware and software. ESA Phi-Lab Austria supports projects in the mentioned upstream domain. ESA Phi-Lab Austria accepts legal entities located in Austria or ESA Member States that have a strong benefit for the Austrian ecosystem.

The ESA BIC addresses start-ups only and focuses on company development and not limited to the upstream domain.

The full application documentation can be found here. Please carefully read through all the documents and start for an overview of the Open Call Document. Check compliance with the ESA Phi-Lab Austria Focus and use the Pre-proposal support.

The main documentation consists of ESA Phi-Lab Research Proposal Application with

• Cover Letter including Requirement Checklists (in the template)

• Executive Summary

• R&D and Potential Impact Proposal

• Activity and Management Proposal

• Draft Research Contract including Draft Service Agreement

The evaluation procedure is carried out in two stages:

First stage: The Tender Opening Board (TOB) takes place after the submission deadline is closed and it assesses if all formal requirements have been met. This is a very important step to remain in the application process.

Second stage: The Tender Evaluation Board (TEB) meeting takes place after the TOB to evaluate the submitted documents and the applicants' performance at a pitch (10 to 15 minutes) and Q&A session (up to 30 minutes). The TEB evaluates each of the applicants against the evaluation criteria and decides whether or not the company  will be invited to sign a contract. Accent Inkubator and ESA manage the TEB. The TEB meeting usually takes place about a month after the submission deadline. The applicant will get to know the results of the TEB meeting shortly after.

The criteria are the relevancy for the call, the team background, the research and technology, the commercial opportunities, the potential socio economic impact and the activity and management proposal. You can find the evaluation process and a description of the criteria in the Open Call Invitation, Evaluation Process and Criteria here.

Check our focus, read the evaluation criteria on the webpage and Open Call Invitation and apply for our Pre-Proposal Support.

After approval, the applicant will be invited to a "Contract Signing Meeting". It will take a few weeks to sign the contract (after providing the minimum required information, e.g. tax and social security compliance certificates).

The project period is up to 24 months (usually 12 months).

It’s from 200.000-500.000€ depending on the project and the call.

No, it’s not de minimis relevant.

All costs must be necessary to the execution of the project.

The project may consider

• Staff costs;

• Subcontracting costs;

• Access to data sources or intellectual property;

• Materials, equipment, and facilities;

• Travelling, subsistence, and accommodation costs

All costs must be without VAT. For more detailed information read the Open Call Invitation here.