- UK-Florida space agreement establishes a £300,000 joint fund
to help turn innovative ideas into commercial reality.
- Agreement supports collaboration between UK and Florida
organisations and strengthens links with one of the world's
leading space ecosystems.
- A formal call for projects will open in Autumn 2026, with
selections anticipated in 2027.
A £300,000 fund - established between the UK Space Agency's
International Bilateral Fund (IBF) and Space Florida's
International Aerospace Innovation Fund (IAIF) - is designed to
move projects from concept toward demonstration, opening doors to
investment and access to the US market.
The fund reflects the UK's commitment to building international
partnerships that help translate innovative research into
commercial success. By supporting collaboration between UK and
Florida organisations, it will help innovators access new
expertise, facilities and customers, while strengthening links
with one of the world's leading space ecosystems.
Areas of particular interest reflect where UK-Florida
collaboration is most likely to generate breakthrough results,
including space transportation, satellite systems, in-space
research, advanced exploration technologies, and in-orbit
servicing and manufacturing.
The partnership brings together two natural allies. Florida is
home to the world's busiest spaceport and a statewide ecosystem
of aerospace talent and infrastructure. The UK space sector
employs more than 55,000 people, generates £18.6 billion for the
economy, and brings extraordinary depth in space science,
research and commercial capability. Together, the agreement
creates new commercial and research opportunities on both sides
of the Atlantic.
Rebecca Evernden, Director of the UK Space Agency, said:
The UK's space sector has enormous ambition, and partnerships
like this one show exactly why international collaboration is
central to our plans. By joining forces with Space Florida we're
opening new doors for British companies, researchers and
innovators to work on the cutting-edge projects that will define
the next generation of space capabilities, services and
commercial opportunities.
Space Florida President and CEO Rob Long said:
This agreement is a direct expression of what the Florida Model
is built on the belief that the state of Florida is not just a
launch location, but a launch point for the world's aerospace
ambitions.
The UK brings extraordinary depth in space science, research, and
commercial capability, and together, we're creating the
conditions for the kind of innovation that happens when the right
partners decide to build something together.
A formal joint call for projects will open in Autumn 2026, with
selections anticipated in 2027. Projects must involve at least
one UK-based entity and at least one Florida-based partner, and
must demonstrate clear commercialisation potential.
This partnership builds on the UK-Florida MoU on trade concluded
in November 2023, which prioritises bilateral cooperation in the
space sector.
For any further questions about the upcoming fund please contact:
UK: UKSA.ibf@dsit.gov.uk
Florida: IAIF@Spaceflorida.gov
Applications from outside the areas of interest stated above are
also welcome. Funding for successful projects will be provided
jointly by the UK Space Agency's International Bilateral Fund
(IBF) and Space Florida's International Aerospace Innovation Fund
(IAIF), with each participant funded by the respective side in
their own jurisdiction. Awards will be made competitively by an
expert panel.
