The third set of calls under the European Space Agency (ESA) are now open for Maltese entities under the Plan for European Cooperating States (PECS). This includes two tenders with a set of calls and the national contact point is Xjenza Malta.
If you’re interested in applying as a principal investigator (PI) for the University of Malta, academics can develop proposals for the following activities in research
Type A - Research & Preparatory Activity
Universities, Research Organisations, Industry or National Entities must lead proposals for Type A.
Type B - Product or Service Development (for Flight, Ground Segment or Downstream Applications)
Industry must lead proposals for Type B, and academia may participate as a partner.
Type D - Space Science Activities
Proposals for Type D must be led by Academia, and include a non-Maltese entity with core science team experience under ESA.
Type F - Space (downstream) Applications
Industry must lead proposals for Type F, and academia may provide technical support.
Type G2 - PhD Theses
Academia must lead proposals for Type G2, and industry must be involved as a partner in the definition of the research topic.
This page is a general summary. For all the necessary details about each topic and its conditions of eligibility, please consult the tenders published on the ESA-Star publication platform. Furthermore, the topics listed above are also split across two separate tenders: Tender 5-50157 and Tender 5-50158.
Tender 5-50157 includes Type A, B, D, or F. For ease of reference, here are the publication platform's documents for Tender 5-50157:
Tender 5-50158 includes Type G2. For ease of reference, here are the publication platform's documents for Tender 5-50158:
Please fill in and send the following
TO: funding.rssd@um.edu.mt to review your proposal and support with documentation
CC: projectsupport@um.edu.mt For financial planning and budget approval
If you have any further questions or require support, get in touch with your Research Support Services Manager (RSSM).
2 January 2026 for your proposal as a coordinator
9 January 2026 for your proposal as a partner
16 January 2026 to finalise proposal - all documents ready
Submit to ESA Star by 23 January 2026, 13:00
Please note that submissions for this call must follow the tender proposal format. A University of Malta department may only submit up to 2 proposals for each tender under PECS.
Adhering to deadlines is essential not only to inform the University about your intended submission but also to allow us to support you and to get your application signed in time (when applicable).
PI for Coordinator needs to submit on the ESA Star Platform for the Third Call for Maltese Entities under ESA PECS - deadline 23 January 2026 as per instructions below. Please note, a University of Malta department may only submit up to 2 proposals for each tender under PECS.
Is the University of Malta coordinating? In this case, the following documentation needs to be collected and submitted:
Is the UM a partner (sub-contractor)? In this case, the following documentation needs to be sent to the Coordinator who then collects all documentation and submits the proposal. Furthermore, each Partner (sub-contractor) will need to provide the coordinator with the following:
Xjenza Malta have now shared a presentation from the info session: