Project Constellation: Building a Constellation of Outer Space Partners at the UN | OFOP0003546

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is Project Constellation?

Project Constellation is a U.S. government grant opportunity focused on building a long-term international partnership platform for civil and commercial space cooperation. The platform is centered in Vienna, leveraging the multilateral environment around the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

2) What is the main goal of this opportunity?

The goal is to deepen practical, real-world cooperation on civil and commercial space topics by convening and connecting a broad set of stakeholders, and then translating that cooperation into concrete capacity building, workforce and institutional development, and adoption of responsible norms and best practices for space activities.

3) Why is Vienna the hub for this program?

Vienna is the focal point because it hosts key UN space bodies, including UNOOSA and COPUOS. The opportunity is designed to use Vienna's multilateral ecosystem to support sustained partnerships and ongoing cooperation among governments, industry, academia, and international organizations.

4) Who is offering and administering the award?

The award is offered by the U.S. Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna (UNVIE).

5) What type of funding instrument is this?

This opportunity is funded through a cooperative agreement. That structure typically indicates closer involvement and collaboration with the U.S. government during implementation than a standard grant.

6) What is the funding category for this opportunity?

The funding activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

7) What is the CFDA number?

The CFDA number for this opportunity is 19.017.

8) What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is OFOP0003546.

9) How much funding is available?

The anticipated award ceiling is $5,000,000.

10) How many awards does the program expect to make?

The program anticipates making a single award, meaning one lead implementer is expected to run the overall platform and associated activities.

11) What kinds of activities is the program trying to support?

Based on the description, the funded effort is expected to go beyond high-level dialogue and include practical cooperation such as capacity building activities, workforce and institutional development, and initiatives that help partners adopt responsible norms and effective approaches to space activities. Entrepreneurship and commercial engagement are explicit priorities, so meaningful industry participation and pathways for cross-border collaboration, mentoring, training, and market-relevant skills are implied.

12) How does this relate to the U.S. Space Forum?

The program builds directly on momentum from the inaugural U.S. Space Forum held in 2025. A near-term deliverable is that the selected implementer must be ready to begin supporting the 2026 U.S. Space Forum scheduled for October 15-16, while also expanding the forum-driven network into a sustained and structured partnership platform.

13) Which stakeholders are expected to be involved?

The program is designed to convene and connect governments, private-sector space companies, startups and entrepreneurs, universities and research institutions, and relevant international organizations.

14) What regions or types of countries are emphasized?

The opportunity emphasizes strengthening space-related innovation ecosystems in emerging and developing space economies, while also reinforcing practical implementation of international space obligations and widely recognized non-binding COPUOS guidelines and best practices.

15) What does the program mean by “responsible norms” and COPUOS best practices?

The description indicates an emphasis on real-world implementation of international space obligations and widely recognized non-binding COPUOS guidelines and best practices. The funded effort is expected to help partner countries and organizations adopt responsible norms and effective approaches to conducting space activities, as described in the opportunity summary.

16) What is the connection to Economic Support Funds (ESF)?

The U.S. frames this opportunity under Economic Support Funds (ESF) objectives, emphasizing economic opportunity and sustainable partnerships alongside technical collaboration.

17) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is open to U.S.-based organizational types, including:

• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3))
• Nonprofit organizations (non-501(c)(3)), as long as they are not universities in the latter case

18) Can a consortium apply?

The opportunity is described as well-suited to consortia led by an eligible prime applicant that can convene academic, industry, and policy stakeholders. This suggests a prime recipient can lead and organize multiple partners, as long as the prime applicant meets the stated eligibility and mandatory requirements.

19) Are there mandatory experience requirements?

Yes. A mandatory (“SHALL”) requirement is that the applicant must demonstrate prior experience designing and delivering international training, capacity building, workforce development, educational exchanges, or public diplomacy programming specifically related to U.S. civil and/or commercial space activities.

20) How should applicants address the mandatory experience requirement?

Applicants are instructed to address this mandatory requirement in the project narrative. The opportunity summary indicates the proposal should clearly document relevant past performance, approaches used, and outcomes achieved.

21) Are there mandatory timeline and readiness requirements?

Yes. The applicant must have the capacity to complete grant signing by September 31, 2026 and be ready to begin supporting the 2026 U.S. Space Forum on October 15-16. The timeline indicates the chosen implementer needs to be operationally prepared to move quickly.

22) What is the application deadline?

The original closing date is September 4, 2026.

23) When was the opportunity posted or created?

The creation date is August 5, 2026.

24) Where is the partnership platform intended to be centered?

The platform is intended to be centered in Vienna, aligned with the presence of UNOOSA and COPUOS and the broader multilateral space community located there.

25) What does it mean that this is a discretionary funding opportunity?

The opportunity is described as a discretionary funding opportunity under a cooperative agreement. The summary indicates this typically implies closer involvement and collaboration with the U.S. government during implementation than a standard grant.

26) What is the overall “backbone” role the awardee is expected to play?

The opportunity is essentially seeking one capable organization to serve as the backbone for a multi-stakeholder international space cooperation platform in Vienna, with immediate support tied to the 2026 U.S. Space Forum and a longer-term mandate to build lasting partnerships, expand adoption of COPUOS-derived best practices, and strengthen innovation and workforce capacity.