Through the government’s UK Space Agency arm, the newly-created Space Clusters and Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) will award match funding to approximately 5-10 projects from UK organisations, receiving up to £10 million each.

Specifically, the funding is available to industry and academia who are able to deliver projects to procure, build, or upgrade R&D facilities and equipment that will bring “high potential, high value” space technologies to market.

The government has suggested that the projects should “provide critical anchor points at the local level for new businesses, investment, and research, and aim to create hundreds of jobs in areas of the UK that need it most.”

Although proposals are welcome from anywhere in the UK, the UK Space Agency is set to allocate the majority of its budget outside of England’s Greater South-east, citing levelling-up efforts.

On the funding’s announcement, George Freeman, Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT), said: “The UK space industry — worth £17.5 billion to the UK economy and creating new companies and careers all around the country from Glasgow Space City to Spaceport Cornwall — is a key part of the UK Innovation Economy.

“This £50 million Space Clusters and Infrastructure Fund is the UK’s first fund dedicated to support the space industry develop the R&D facilities key to growing the space clusters across the UK, helping to generate investment, create jobs and enable UK space companies’ cutting-edge technology to be made mission-ready for new commercial satellite markets.”

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The UK Space Agency’s Chief Executive, Dr Paul Bate, also said: “The UK has a thriving space sector, which is well-established and globally respected. We are growing this exciting sector further, by catalysing investment, delivering missions and capabilities, and championing the power of space to improve lives.

“The Space Clusters and Infrastructure Fund demonstrates the government’s commitment to space and will help deliver the ambition set out in the National Space Strategy to build one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world, developing new skills and creating jobs.”

Lizzie Kerr, Director of UKspace, the industry trade association, added: “R&D underpins so much of the UK space industry’s activities and continued innovation. UKspace therefore welcomes this funding commitment from the Government which has the potential to impact many of our members, by developing and renewing facilities, and bringing growth and employment across the UK.”

More details about SCIF — including guidance on completing the application form — can be found here.