Earth Action is the third pillar of ESA’s FutureEO programme. It transforms Earth observation science, technology and innovation into actionable information, services and solutions that address major societal challenges.
Through activities spanning Earth system science, applications, capacity building, digital enablement, industrial competitiveness and disruptive innovation, Earth Action supports the uptake of EO capabilities by policy makers, public institutions, industry and international partners while creating new opportunities for research, innovation and economic growth.
Unfold the accordion below to discover upcoming Earth Action opportunities (as in August 2026).
Earth system and climate science
| Activity | Budget | Timing | Duration / Structure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evolution of the Essential Climate Variables framework | 40.0M | Q3/Q4 2026 | 3 years; up to 20 contracts | Renew Climate Data Records supporting UNFCCC Paris Agreement mitigation and adaptation actions. |
| CarbonARA-2 | 1.0M | Q4 2026 | 2 years | Regional climate process study linked to the CEOS SIT strategy. |
| AI React | 400k | Q4 2026 | 2 years | Strategic assessment activity to evaluate the readiness of artificial intelligence to support Earth system science and future ESA Earth Observation mission concepts. |
| IMPACT-10 | 500k | Q3 2026 | 2 years | Preparation future ESA EO missions connected to the EO Science Strategy on conceptual investigations connected to the EO Science Strategy (EOSS). Deliver a consistent set of case studies demonstrating how foundational scientific research, mission?science activities, and exploratory analyses contribute to scientific excellence, community growth, mission definition, and programme?level value. |
| EGV Pilot. The Geodetic Foundations for Future Earth Observation - Pilot Study | 350k | Q3 2026 | 18 months | Activity aimed at structuring, mapping and preparing the geodetic foundations required to support future Earth Observation missions and Earth System science. |
| Earth Energy Imbalance and Ocean Heat Content (Energy cycle) | 0.8M | Not specified | 2 years | Provide four-dimensional ocean heat-content estimates across spatial and temporal scales; propagate uncertainties from geodetic and in-situ data; extend coverage to polar oceans, coastal regions and marginal seas; improve Earth Energy Imbalance characterisation. |
| AMOC | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Use novel satellite data, multi-mission assimilation, SWOT altimetry, in-situ measurements, models and machine learning to characterise Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation variability, slowdown risks and links between surface signals and subsurface circulation. |
| MultiHazards. Earth Intelligence | 2.0M | Not specified | 2 years; parallel research projects | Advance data-driven, integrated approaches for understanding, modelling and managing extreme events and multi-hazard risks, combining EO, socioeconomic data, AI and hybrid modelling. |
| Geo-Hazards+ | 1.2M | Not specified | 2 years; parallel research projects | Integrated research on earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and related multi-hazards, including links with hydroclimatic extremes, risk reduction, preparedness and simulations. |
| Fire Cycle Impacts on the Earth System and Carbon. HOLOFIRE | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Develop a holistic EO-based understanding of fire processes and their impacts on the carbon cycle, emissions, air quality, black carbon, snow and ice albedo, ocean productivity and model sensitivity. |
| Towards a Novel Data-Driven Hybrid Carbon Model | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Advance an AI-based modular carbon model that maximises use of BIOMASS, FLEX, Sentinel and future CO2M data to improve representation of land-surface processes, vegetation functioning, landatmosphere interactions and high-resolution carbon fluxes. |
| Multi-Mission Approach for Regional Methane Retrieval Algorithms | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Develop regional methane products and synergistic frameworks combining atmospheric, land, SAR, high-resolution optical, modelling and co-emitted-species observations to improve source attribution and understanding of atmospheric removal processes. |
| Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) | 0.5M | Not specified | 2 years | Assess how EO can monitor and document marine carbon-dioxide-removal techniques, evaluate efficacy and potential side effects, and provide scientific positioning on this emerging topic. |
| Ocean Carbon Budget+ | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Develop a high-resolution, data-driven and comprehensive estimate of the ocean carbon budget, pools and fluxes, including improved ocean-acidification and carbonate-system estimates, physical transport, plankton functional types, phenology and non-CO2 gas fluxes. |
| Towards a Global Assessment of Anthropogenic Impacts on the Water Cycle | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Use diverse EO data to quantify and attribute human-driven changes in surface and groundwater storage and water fluxes, assess sustainability, identify hotspots and disentangle natural variability, climate change and direct anthropogenic influence. |
| SimulEarth Hydrology. Data-Driven Hyper-Resolution Hydrology | 1.0M | Not specified | Not specified | Develop an open, uncertainty-aware, AI-based and physically informed modelling system at a targeted 1 km resolution to reconstruct, simulate and predict the hydrological cycle across precipitation, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, runoff, snow, water storage, groundwater, discharge and human water use. |
| Antarctica InSync. ESA Science Contribution | 2.5M | Not specified | 2 years | Undertake EO-based science investigations with modelling and in-situ observations on Southern Ocean and Antarctic circulation and cycles, sea-ice decline, ice-sheet and ice-shelf melt, ecosystems, pollution, aerosolcloud interactions and climate variability. |
| 4D Ionosphere X: From Dynamics to Models | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Extend the 4D Ionosphere initiative by characterising small-scale structures and coupled ionospheric and magnetic phenomena, with the long-term goal of comprehensive and potentially operational ionospheric modelling. |
| 4D Dynamic Earth Phase 2 | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Develop full four-dimensional Solid Earth models integrating seismic, gravity, electromagnetic and satellite observations, building on Phase 1 and supporting a future Digital Twin of the Solid Earth. |
| Energy, Water and Nutrient Cycles in Agricultural Fields | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Link energy, water, carbon and nitrogen cycles at field scale using very-high-resolution observations of evapotranspiration, precipitation, photosynthesis, soil and crop status, management practices, runoff, water quality and FLEX data. |
| Towards Monitoring Heterogeneous Agroecosystems | 0.5M | Not specified | 2 years | Develop advanced methods for assessing smallholder systems, mixed cropping, agroforestry and fragmented landscapes, including biodiversity monitoring and multi-sensor approaches with very-high-resolution and hyperspectral data. |
| Interdisciplinary Assessment of Biodiversity Change | 1.0M | Not specified | 2 years | Improve EO-based quantification of the direct drivers of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity change, ecosystem functioning, future trajectories, integrity and resilience to extremes. |
Enabling policies and applications
| Activity | Budget | Timing | Duration / Structure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adaptive Forest Management | 2.8M | Q2 2026 | Two contracts; up to 3 years | AFM Resilience (1.8M, PEOPLE, 36 months) and AFM Regrowth (1.0M, World, 24 months). |
| Sustainable and Adaptive Agriculture Solutions | 4.4M | Q2 2026 | Four contracts; up to 4 years | Parcel-level crop yield forecasting; thermal crop-health products; WorldCultivate; WorldIrrigation. |
| Sustainable Water Resources and Wetland Ecosystems Management | 4.8M | Q3 2026 | Four contracts; 30 months each | River Connectivity; Inland Water Pollution; Drought Risk Monitoring; Essential Wetland Variables. |
| Advancing Sectorial Atmospheric Emissions Monitoring | 3.2M | Q3 2026 | Up to four PEOPLE contracts; 24 months | Sector-specific greenhouse-gas and air-pollutant monitoring with policy-relevant activity data. |
| Sustainable Mineral Mapping and Extraction | 2.4M | Q3 2026 | Three PEOPLE contracts; 24 months | Acid mine drainage early warning; ecosystem stress and restoration; critical-mineral mapping. |
| Soil Health Parameters and Sustainable Soil Management | 1.6M | Q4 2026 | Two PEOPLE contracts; 24 months | Scalable EO methods for chemical, physical and biological soil-health parameters. |
| Regional Air Quality Monitoring | 2.0M | Q4 2026 | Two PEOPLE contracts; 30 months | Regional monitoring, policy implementation and engagement with air-quality managers. |
| Pollution Attribution: Coastal Eutrophication and Marine Pollution | 1.0M | Q4 2026 | One PEOPLE contract; 24 months | Detection-attribution framework for coastal water quality, pollution sources and ship-based pollution. |
Knowledge exchange and capacity building
| Activity | Budget | Timing | Duration / Structure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EO Capacity Development Facility Asia | 4.0M | Q4 2026 (October) | up to 4 years | EO Knowledge & Skill Transfer through continental capacity development programme. Regional Capacity development facilities for Asia |
| EO Capacity Development Facility Africa (EOAfrica) | 4.0M | Q4 2026 | 4 years | Regional Capacity development for Africa |
| EO Capacity Development Facility Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) | 4.0M | Q4 2026 (November) | up to 4 years | EO Knowledge & Skill Transfer through continental capacity development programme. Regional Capacity development facilities for LAC |
| Global Knowledge Hub | 5.0M | Q4 2026 (approximately October) | up to 4 years | Knowledge management across all Earth Action programme elements. The activity will develop a framework for consolidating the capturing, organising, sharing, and effective use of knowledge created in Earth Action |
Partners and cooperation
| Activity | Budget | Timing | Duration / Structure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Advocacy Facility | 6.0M | Q3 2026 | up to 4 years | Co-design with key partners the integration of EO in their programing and planning |
| Technical Assistance for EO Uptake | 10.0M | Q4 2026 | up to 4 years | Integrate EO in operations of partners at national to regional scale |
| EO Mainstreaming: Energy | 2.0M | Q4 2026 | up to 4 years | Co-develop and mainstream EO capabilities to create/serve long-term demand, 2 thematic sectors |
| EO Mainstreaming: Poverty, Fragility and Disaster | 2.0M | Q4 2026 | up to 4 years | Co-develop and mainstream EO capabilities to create/serve long-term demand, 2 thematic sectors |
Industrial competitiveness and strategy
| Activity | Budget | Timing | Duration / Structure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analytics Support for Industrial Operations Adaptation | 1.5M per contract | Q4 2026 | 3 years | Priority sectors: steel and commercial agriculture. |
| EO and Autonomous System Integration | 0.5M per contract | Q4 2026 | 2 years | 2 parallel contracts. Fusion of local and wide-area situational awareness for enhanced operations. |
| Small Satellite Fitness for Purpose Demonstrators | 0.6M per contract | Q3 2026 | 2 years | TIR and RF constellation demonstrators |
| Market Sector Best Practices | 0.6M per contract | Q3 2026 | 2 years | 2 to 3 market sectors including auditing carbon credits and industrial safety. |
| EO Veracity Test Cases | 0.5M per contract | Q3 2026 | 2 years | 3 to 4 service-chain components Veracity test cases across EO service chains. |
| Advanced Water Management Facility | 3.0M | Q3-4 (2026) | 3 years | Facility addressing Central Europe. |
| New EO Systems and Methods | 0.5M per contract | Q3-4 (2026) | 2 years | Multiple parallel development lines. SWIR IMS; optical shadows; crisis prediction; low-light characterisation; sensor fusion; SAR/RF/AIS fusion; neuromorphic processing; long-wavelength and multistatic SAR; hybrid-threat characterisation. |
| New Applications & Services Verification | 1.5M per contract | Q3-4 (2026) | 2 years | Multiple parallel development lines. Regional security, domain-focused and international law-enforcement support facilities. |
| Enhanced Decision Support and Visualisation | 0.5M | Q4 (2026) | 2 years | Single contract Integration of EO and OSINT into investigation-support tools. |
| Commercial on-demand studies on EO verticals | 200k | Q4 2026 | 2 years | Deliver targeted market and technology analyses on key EO verticals to support evidence-based decisions for new initiatives and investments. In collaboration with CIC |
| InCubed Impact | 150k | Q3 2026 | 2 years | Measure and communicate the economic, industrial, and societal impact of InCubed to demonstrate return on public investment. |
Disruptive innovation
| Activity | Budget | Timing | Duration / Structure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EoCognitiveLab | 10.0M | Q4 2026 | 3 years | Design and development of the Cognitive Cloud Computing mission and its core satellites. |
| World Agentic Engine | 3.0M | Issued | 3 years | Prototype. Deep reasoning and specialised foundation models to exploit the European EO data ecosystem and generate economic transactions. |
| Agentic AI: Decision Intelligence | 0.25M | Issued | 3 years | Study. Identify technologies and methodology for applying Agentic AI in decision intelligence. |
| Geospatial Foundation Models: Decentralised AI | 0.4M | Q4 2026 | 3 years | Study to use decentralised AI learning with distributed EO sources to improve scalability, latency and security. |
| Geospatial Foundation Models: Embeddings at Scale | 0.4M | Issued | 3 years | Study to generate and retrieve analysis-ready satellite embeddings at scale. |
| AI4Climate: ECVs | 1.0M | Q2 2026 | 3 years | Explore generative AI to fill observational gaps and generate non-observable ECVs. |
| AI4Climate: VR and NLP | 0.6M | Issued | 3 years | Demonstration. Use extended reality and natural-language processing to present and interpret complex climate data. |
| Physics-Informed Machine Learning for EO | 0.4M | Issued | 3 years | Study to explore training and reasoning paradigms that explicitly represent physical models in deep learning. |
Digital enablement
| Activity | Budget | Timing | Duration / Structure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NoR EarthCode Federation Provider Services | 2 to 3M overall | Not specified | NoR best-practice call | Operational interoperable platform services for FAIR open science, including algorithm hosting, code-quality engineering and reusable workflows. |
| NoR APEx Federation Provider Services | 2 to 3M overall | Not specified | NoR best-practice call | Operational interoperable platform services for on-demand Earth Action Information-as-a-Service products. |
| Interoperability Ramp-up Support | 50 to 100k per use case; 2 to 3M overall | Not specified | Use cases under an interoperability frame contract | Use the EOPECA+ open-source stack to qualify platforms for EarthCode/APEx federation. |
| EarthCode Pilot: Systematic Scientific Processing Service | 0.8M development; potential 1.2M follow-up | Q3 (2026) | Pilot plus potential operational phase | Operationally execute science processors and systematically renew science products and analysis-ready collections. |
| APEx Pilot: Global Value-Adding Platform Production Capacity | 1.0M development; potential 1.0M follow-up | Q4 (2026) | Pilot plus potential operational phase | Upscale R&D results globally for cost-efficient annual production, with IEA as showcase stakeholder. |
| QGIS and JupyterGIS Extension | 0.9M | Q4 (2026) | 2 years | Enhance QGIS open source and JupyterLab integration for Earth Action Information-as-a-Service products. |