The UK Space Agency has thrown open a £42 million grant call designed to propel Britain to the forefront of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation supply, as the third tranche of funding under the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) programme targets critical technologies.
Applicants chasing awards of between £4 million and £25 million per project must bring matched industry funding to the table, with the agency singling out optical links, active antennas, regenerative processing and advanced user terminals as priority areas for high-volume constellation hardware.
“UK Space Agency launches £42m grant call for satellite innovation, with matched funding required.”
The first-stage deadline falls on 7 September 2026, with final decisions due by December, as the government seeks to seize a slice of the booming global LEO market through homegrown innovation.
Successful bidders will need to demonstrate a "compelling element of matched funding" — a condition that reflects the escalating stakes in the race to dominate satellite communications infrastructure.