Xjenza Malta is pleased to announce the opening of the Fourth Malta PECS Call under the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Plan for European Cooperating States (PECS). This call provides opportunities for companies and organisations based in Malta to submit proposals for a variety of space-related research and development activities. The call are opens on the 1st of June 2026 and will remain open till the 30th of June 2026 at 13:00hrs CET.

How to Apply

All applicants must register on the ESA Star Platform to submit their proposals:

Click here to create an ESA Star account

 

Activity Types for the Main ESA PECS Fourth Malta Call

Type A – Research and preparatory activity – such as feasibility studies/demonstrators, conceptual design work, competitive landscape survey, user requirements and breadboard demonstrators aimed at preparation for participation in ESA optional programmes or the initial steps of a product development for Space.

  • Maximum bidding price 175,000 Euro;
  • TRL Requirement: Minimum start TRL 1 and Maximum end TRL 3;
  • Prime Contractor: Led by industry, universities/research organisations or other national entities depending on the context;
  • Expected Duration of the activity: 9-15 months.

Type B – Research and development activities – to build competences and capabilities centred on products or generic technology development with potential for re-use on ESA or commercial missions.

Equipment (ground communication or space science payload) and optimisation of manufacturing processes (increase of Manufacturing Readiness Level).

Ground equipment and mission operation systems (EGSE, MSC, OGSE, ground stations or test equipment related) may also be considered if it is clearly demonstrated that it would lead to a recurring product/ service.

Mid-TRL downstream application developments as ‘non-hardware’ developments.

  • Maximum price: a price not higher than 400,000 Euro for hardware development activities, for all other activities 250,000 Euro;
  • TRL Requirement: Minimum start TRL 3 and Maximum end TRL 5;
  • Prime Contractor: Preferably be led by Industry and preferably include a potential end customer. Cooperation with Academia is encouraged;
  • Expected Duration of the activity: 15-24 months.

Type D – Space science activities – Supporting the involvement of Maltese researchers in ESA Space Projects leading to potential of future involvement in ESA science mission core team and publication of peer reviewed scientific papers.

Must involve either (a), the exploitation of ESA Space Science data for scientific research or (b), a focus on the conceptual design of scientific payloads with potential for use in future ESA Science Missions under consideration or in mission proposals to be submitted for an upcoming ESA call for new Science Missions.

  • Maximum price: a price not higher than 80,000 Euro;
  • Prime Contractor: must be led by Academia and must include a non-Maltese entity with ESA core science team experience
  • Expected Duration of the activity: 36 months

Type F – Space (downstream) applications – Products and services making use of ESA/European space infrastructure that is already existing or scheduled for operation in the near term. The goal is to ensure the introduction of a product to a first customer and to enter into customers supply chain.

  • Maximum price: a price not higher than 250,000 Euro;
  • TRL Requirement: Minimum Start TRL 5 and Must Achieve TRL 8;
  • Prime Contractor: must be led by Industry with the capability to commercialise the service. Must include an end user customer as subcontractor. May include academia for technical support; must be co-funded to a minimum level of 25% of the total cost of the activity (e.g. if ESA pays 150k EUR, the total cost is not more than 200k EUR). No profit is allowed. Cannot be used for repetitive product uptake scenarios only first customer.
  • Expected Duration of the activity: no time indication foreseen.

Type G – Education activities

G1. University courses (development of additional modules to an existing BSc or MSc degree) leading to a qualification in space-related topics that correspond to the needs of Maltese space industry and to encourage career in space and answer to national space industry needs.

  • Maximum price: a price not higher than 75,000 Euro;
  • TRL Requirement: not applicable;
  • Prime Contractor: must be led by Academia.
  • Expected Duration of the activity: maximum of 36 months;

FOURTH FIXED CALL FOR PROPOSALS UNDER THE PLAN FOR EUROPEAN COOPERATING STATES (PECS) IN MALTA was announced on the ESA Star Publication page: Click here to visit the ESA Star Publication page

For the separate ESA PECS PhD call the following criterion discloses information regarding this application

Type G2 – PhD Thesis that corresponds to needs from the Maltese Space Industry and would lead to a new industrial product or service being able to be developed. Industry is required to present a letter of intent for the PhD Thesis to ensure the future commercial uptake of the funded work.

The PhD is to be co-funded by the national Requesting Party Activity Scheme and a national industrial partner. As such, your idea must fit the programmatic objectives of the scheme as described below:

  • potential benefit to the national industry with regard to their current and future space products and services;
  • potential to secure long term academic-industrial relations; • potential benefit to the student for future employment in the space sector;
  • potential benefit to academia for continued research on space related topics;
  • credibility of the resulting work benefitting the national industry’s potential involvement in an ESA Programme;
  • in particular, the idea must come from the national industry’s need to conduct further research on potential future products and services before committing to their development or the need of national industry to understand the physics, chemistry or behaviours of their existing space products and services in extreme conditions/durations more deeply, etc.
  • Maximum price: a price not higher than 75,000 Euro for each PhD. (3 proposals shall be funded.)
  • TRL Requirement: not applicable;
  • Prime Contractor: must be led by Academia. Industry must be involved as a partner in the definition of the courses, practical lessors and/or topics.
  • Expected Duration of the activity: maximum of 36 months;

FIXED CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR CO-SPONSORED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES (PHD THESES) UNDER THE PLAN FOR EUROPEAN COOPERATING STATES (PECS) IN MALTA was announced on the ESA Star Publication page: Click here to visit the ESA Star Publication page

 

Information about Submitting your application

To submit an application for these calls please use the ESA Star Publication platform. Please also refer to this platform for any queries that you might have about either of the calls. Once the call has opened representatives from ESA or Xjenza Malta will not be allowed to answer your queries.

For more details about the ESA PECS, please contact: Mr Benedek Forro on Benedek.forro@gov.mt

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