ESA SME Initiative news - December 2017

SME Initiative News 13 December 2017 ESA Council approves 35% advance payment for SMEs During its 270th meeting today, the ESA Council approved a new industrial policy measure that benefits small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs, acting either as prime contractor or subcontractor, will automatically be awarded an advance payment amounting to 35% of their contract price without having to demonstrate that they have a significant need for cash disbursement at the beginning of the contract. The new measure is a means to systematically ensure a neutral cash flow for SMEs, thus supporting their financial viability.       Save the date: Industry Space Days 2018 The 7th edition of ESA's Industry Space Days will take place on 11-12 September 2018 at ESTEC (Noordwijk, The Netherlands). The event is organised by the SME Office to bring together the main European players in the space sector. It provides an excellent opportunity for SMEs and others in the space community to meet and discuss prospective business during pre-scheduled B2B meetings. The event website, which describes the event concept and its various elements (B2B meetings, industry exhibition, conference), is now online and can be accessed at: https://www.industryspacedays.com Registration for the ISD will open in Q1 2018.  New email address for Industrial Ombudsman The new email address for ESA's Industrial Ombudsman, Jack Bosma, is esaombudsman@esa.int  The role of the Ombudsman is to ensure fairness in ESA procurement and where possible to facilitate amicable settlements for Industry-to-Industry and ESA-to-Industry disputes. More information about the role and competences of the Ombudsman can be found on the Industry Portal at: http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/How_to_do/Roles_and_main_competences More news? Visit our SME Portal STAY CONNECTED:         This message has been sent by ESA Web Portal, ESRIN, 00044 Frascati (RM), Italy