Space Park Leicester

University of Leicester

Information last verified: August 2026 · Source: c4di.co.uk

Stage

Idea / pre-product, MVP / early product, Early revenue, Scaling

Location

Midlands

Equity

No equity taken

Cost

Tenancy + ESA BIC grant

Delivery

In-person

Deep techHardware

Idea / pre-productMVP / early productEarly revenueScaling

Space Park Leicester is a £100 million space and Earth observation innovation hub run by the University of Leicester, opened in 2022 and at the heart of the wider Space City Leicester cluster. It brings research, enterprise and specialist facilities together on one site, giving space and space-enabled businesses access to flexible workspace, laboratories and workshops including a clean room, concurrent design and precision manufacturing, alongside University of Leicester space scientists and engineers. Companies can base themselves there through paid tenancy, with hot-desking from around £160 plus VAT per person a month, or apply to the ESA Business Incubation Centre, a competitive 12 to 24 month programme for startups and SMEs that provides coaching, technical and IP support and grant funding of up to 60,000 euros that does not have to be repaid. It suits founders working in space, satellites, Earth observation, space-enabled data and deep tech, from early ideas through to scale-ups. Instruments built in Leicester have long flown on space agency missions.

Why this programme

Raise funding

The ESA Business Incubation Centre offers up to 60,000 euros of grant funding that does not have to be repaid, for space and space-data startups

Access to mentors / operators

Business coaching, technical support from University of Leicester space scientists, and IP advice through the ESA BIC

Build product / validate MVP

Specialist labs and workshops including a clean room, concurrent design, precision manufacturing and electronics

Find customers / partnerships

R&D partnerships and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, plus proximity to major space-sector tenants and the UK space cluster

Community / workspace / ecosystem

Flexible workspace at a £100m hub at the centre of Space City Leicester, alongside researchers and space companies

Scale & grow

Routes from early ideas and startups through to scale-ups and established firms via tenancy and research collaboration

Interested in Space Park Leicester?

Head to their website for programmes, eligibility and how to get involved.

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