Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme Opens Applications for Earth Observation Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs working on Earth Observation solutions for Africa now have a fresh opportunity to scale their work. The AESPP Business Innovation Programme has officially opened applications, targeting founders and businesses tackling real-world challenges across agriculture, climate, water, energy, and infrastructure using EO technology.
The Africa–EU Space Partnership Programme is a jointly owned African-European initiative backed by the European Commission through its Global Gateway strategy. Its Continental Innovation arm, run in partnership between the European Space Agency and the African Space Agency, has been quietly building an ecosystem that connects African EO startups and SMEs with the capacity-building support, innovation resources, and investor networks they need to grow.
This particular programme is co-led with GrowthAfrica and runs for 12 months. It’s designed to serve a wide spectrum of businesses — from early-stage startups still finding their footing, to growth-stage companies ready to scale, to more established SMEs looking for a strategic push. The common thread? They must be registered in Africa and operating in the EO downstream space.
Businesses that make the cut can expect milestone-based funding of EUR20,000 (around US$23,000), hands-on mentoring, dedicated innovation support throughout the year, and meaningful introductions to a pan-African and European network of investors and partners.
The application window closes May 31. Interested businesses can apply directly here.
