Rocket & Bembel: Funding Opportunities During and After ESA BIC

Rocket & Bembel: Funding Opportunities During and After ESA BIC

How can you finance your next development steps during and after the ESA BIC incubation? Which ESA, regional, national or European funding opportunities could be relevant for your startup? And what should you keep in mind when preparing a successful application?

In this Rocket & Bembel session, we will focus on funding opportunities that can support ESA BIC Hessen incubatees and alumni beyond the initial incubation phase.

The session will provide a practical overview of different funding options and help you understand which programmes may fit your technology, company stage and upcoming milestones.

A part of the programme will be an expert input by Andreas Kanstein, managing director of cesah GmbH, on:

How to successfully apply for ESA tenders — insights, tips and common pitfalls.

Further expert inputs will provide additional perspectives on public funding opportunities and practical application advice.

What to expect

• Overview of relevant funding opportunities during and after ESA BIC
• Insights into ESA tenders and how to approach them successfully
• Guidance on regional, national and European funding options
• Practical tips for preparing applications and avoiding common mistakes
• Time for your individual questions and exchange with experts
• Networking with ESA BIC Hessen startups and alumni

The current programme includes:

Tim Puppe (HTAI / StartHub) will introduce Push!, a funding programme of the State of Hesse for technology-oriented founders and innovative startups in early development stages. Some of you may already be familiar with the programme or may even be using it. Tim’s session will therefore focus on practical insights into what makes a strong application and how to increase your chances of success.

Dagmar Heidenreiter-Gelov (HTAI / Enterprise Europe Network Hessen) will provide an overview of European funding opportunities, including EU cascade funding, Horizon Europe and the EIC Accelerator. She will explain their objectives, impact and requirements and share tips on selecting the right programme for your startup.

Jana Reichenbach (ESA BASS) will present current ESA Business Applications and Space Solutions funding opportunities, including Kick-Start Activities, Feasibility Studies and relevant calls. She will also provide insights into ESA’s proposal evaluation criteria and the requirements during project implementation and completion. The session will include practical advice on what applicants should consider and which factors can contribute to a successful application.

Andreas Kanstein (cesah GmbH) and MAITY Space will share insights into the ESA tender process and proposal requirements. MAITY Space is the prime contractor for ESA’s COLA-LARGE project, which is developing upgrades to ESA’s operational collision-avoidance toolchain. Both speakers will provide first-hand experience from successfully completed ESA tender processes and discuss the expected scope of an application, the effort involved and the importance of clearly defining the project scope.

Christoph Wolf (BMH Beteiligungs-Managementgesellschaft Hessen) will introduce different financing and investment options for startups. He will explain how BMH evaluates companies and what it looks for during financing rounds. BMH has already supported many founders from our community, including with financing for market entry and small-scale production up to international growth.

The session will take a highly practical approach. Our experts will share first-hand experience, insider insights and lessons learned from many years of working with innovative companies.

Please come prepared with your questions and make sure to arrive on time, as we will start promptly at 16:00.

Date: 13 August 2026
Time: 16:00–18:00
Location: TIZ Darmstadt

After the session, we invite you to stay for informal networking with pizza and drinks.

Looking forward to see you there!

Your ESA BIC Hessen team