Call for Proposals 2025: Robust and Resilient Space Infrastructure for a Secure Netherlands

What This Call Is About 

This is a mission-driven research and innovation funding opportunity aimed at strengthening the Netherlands' technological and scientific capacity in critical space infrastructure. Supported by the Dutch government's Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC) 2024-2027 and implemented by NWO (Dutch Research Council), the call seeks collaborative research proposals that develop robust, resilient and secure space-based systems and capabilities. Space infrastructure is essential to modern society supporting communication, remote observation, positioning and timing information critical to energy supply, internet connectivity, financial transactions, disaster response and autonomous systems. However, this infrastructure faces mounting threats from geopolitical tensions, cyber-attacks, space debris and hybrid conflicts. This call funds research into critical technologies, legal frameworks and ethical principles needed to protect and strengthen European and Dutch space capabilities in an increasingly contested environment. 

What Types of Projects Are Funded The call supports fundamental and application-oriented research focused on:

• Critical technologies for increasing the resilience and protection of space infrastructure, including multi-platform solutions, antenna systems, signal processing, synchronisation, navigation and orbit determination systems, space situational awareness (SSA) and space domain awareness (SDA), detection and collision avoidance, and innovations in satellite constellation reliability and security.
• Sensor systems and innovations for monitoring activities in space, detecting threats (physical, cyber and espionage), and enabling better analysis and pattern recognition of large datasets from space sensors.
• Secure telecommunications and ground systems through laser and RF communication, compact communication systems, and technologies supporting robust navigation in GPS-disrupted environments.
• Legal, ethical and strategic security frameworks addressing how new technologies fit within international and space law, military law, ethical implications, and how research contributes to national and European strategic autonomy and security.
• Knowledge utilisation and human capital to ensure innovations are translated into working prototypes, products and trained personnel ready to support implementation.

Who Can Apply Applicants must meet the following conditions:

• Main applicants and co-applicants must hold a tenured position (indefinite contract) or tenure-track agreement at eligible research organisations, including:
  • Universities and universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands
  • University medical centres (academic hospitals)
  • Institutes affiliated to the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) or NWO
  • Designated research institutes (Netherlands Cancer Institute, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, ARCNL, Princess Máxima Center)
  • Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA) senior researchers may participate
  • Foreign research organisations that meet specific criteria (see below)
• Consortium composition is mandatory: every proposal must include:
  • At least one main applicant (who leads and is the official contact)
  • At least one co-applicant from another eligible research organisation
  • A minimum of two co-funders (organisations contributing cash or in-kind resources, not receiving NWO funding)
  • Optionally, cooperation partners (organisations involved but receiving no funding)
• All consortium partners must play an active role in formulating research questions and designing and implementing the project.
• Foreign researchers from eligible research organisations may participate as co-applicants, but must meet strict conditions: their organisation must be a foundation, association or public legal entity primarily engaged in independent fundamental, industrial or experimental research. NWO must assess and approve foreign organisations before the application deadline (by 19 March 2026). A maximum of 50% of the grant amount may be requested for foreign personnel costs.

Countries and Regions Eligible for Participation

• Primary focus: Netherlands-based research organisations are the main applicants and co-applicants
• International collaboration: Foreign researchers and organisations from any country may participate as co-applicants or cooperation partners, provided they meet NWO's research organisation criteria and are assessed and approved by NWO before 19 March 2026
• Bilateral agreements: NWO has "Money Follows Cooperation" agreements with several research funders internationally, which streamline the approval process for their researchers
• Sanctions: NWO does not award grants to co-applicants from countries or organisations subject to applicable international sanction legislation

Funding Amount and Budget Details

• Total available budget: €7,000,000 (7 million euros)
• Number of awards: A maximum of 5 projects expected to receive funding
• Grant per project:
  • Minimum: €1,000,000
  • Maximum: €2,000,000 per proposal
• NWO's share: NWO finances a maximum of 80% of the total project budget; a minimum of 50%
• Co-funding requirement (mandatory):
  • Minimum: 20% of total project budget must come from co-funders
  • Private co-funding requirement: At least 50% of total co-funding must come from private sources (companies, private organisations)
  • Public co-funding: Can be provided by universities, government bodies and public research institutions
  • In-kind contributions: Allowed (e.g., staff time, equipment use) but must be integral to project activities and use standardised hourly rates from the Government Tariff Manual (HOT)
  • Cash contributions: Direct payments to the applicant, invoiced by the applicant

Budget Modules (What You Can Request Funding For)

1. Personnel: Salaries for PhD students, postdocs, research engineers, non-scientific staff and research leave for applicants (maximum 5% of grant amount for research leave)
2. Material: Consumables, equipment under €5,000, software, travel, accommodation, workshops, data management and publication costs (maximum 25% of personnel budget for materials; maximum 50% of material budget can go to third-party work such as laboratory services)
3. Investments: Equipment, scientific infrastructure with residual value or reusable after project (maximum €500,000; only depreciation costs during project period are eligible)
4. Knowledge utilisation (mandatory): Activities promoting knowledge transfer to intermediary parties, stakeholder engagement, communication and skills development (minimum 5%, maximum 20% of grant amount)
5. Project management: Optional overhead for consortium coordination and management (maximum 5% of grant amount)

Project Duration and Timeline

• Project duration: Maximum 6 years
• Implementation period: Projects expected to start around September 2026, running for up to 18 months at minimum
• Key dates:
  • Research ideas (optional): Submit by late January early February 2026
  • Matchmaking event (optional): Mid-January to early February 2026
  • Foreign organisation assessment deadline: 19 March 2026
  • Proposal deadline: 2 April 2026, 14:00 CEST (UTC+1)
  • Peer review: April–May 2026
  • Interview selection and committee meetings: June-September 2026
  • Final decision: By end of September 2026

Assessment Criteria (How Proposals Are Evaluated) Proposals are scored on:

1. Problem definition and analysis (20%): Clear, urgent and relevant problem statement; interdisciplinary framing where needed
2. Envisaged impact and route to impact (20%): Scientific and societal impact clearly defined; strategic security contributions; ethical and legal accountability
3. Quality of consortium (30%): Logical composition with appropriate disciplines, inclusion of relevant societal stakeholders and private/public partners
4. Quality of research (30%): Scientific excellence, innovation, feasibility and alignment with programme objectives

Minimum score for funding: "Very Good" overall, with at least 4.0 or better on each criterion (1=Excellent, 9=Unsatisfactory). Assessment Process

1. Concept notes or full proposals submitted via NWO's ISAAC system
2. Admissibility check (administrative compliance)
3. Peer review by independent external referees
4. Applicant rebuttal period (5 working days)
5. Pre-advice from assessment committee members
6. Interview with assessment committee (if applicable)
7. Final assessment committee meeting and recommendation
8. Decision by NWO Executive Board

Conditions After Funding If awarded:

• A consortium agreement must be signed by all parties (addresses intellectual property, publication procedures, confidentiality, co-funding payments and user committee)
• A user committee must be established (includes co-applicants, co-funders and cooperation partners; meets at least annually)
• A data management plan must be submitted within 4 months of funding award
• Annual substantive and financial reports must be provided
• All research results must be made publicly accessible (Open Access) in accordance with NWO policy
• Results must be published with due consideration for any agreed confidentiality periods for commercial partners

Contact Details Enquiries about the call:

• Dr. Elvin 't Hart: +31 30 410 823
• Drs. Danil Müller: +31 6 4421 9805
• Email: KIC-Space2025@nwo.nl

Technical support (ISAAC system):

• Helpdesk: +31 70 34 40 600 (Monday–Friday, 10:00–17:00)
• Email: isaac.helpdesk@nwo.nl

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