Call for Proposals JS-2025-01

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 All dates are 2025 (unless otherwise noted) and the time for each date is 23:59:59 Central America time.

• Step-1 Proposal Call Opens: April 16
• Last day to submit Step-1 proposal questions: May 25
• Step-1 Proposal Submission Deadline: May 31
• Step-2 Invitations Sent: June 20
• Last day to submit Step-2 proposal questions: August 10
• Step-2 Proposal Submission Deadline: August 16
• Results of Step-2 proposals announced to proposers: September 16
• Winners will be publicly announced at CEC 2025
• Anticipated Project Performance Period: November 1, 2025 – October 31, 2026

 Jaguar Space invites proposals for projects that advance space science and engineering in Central America—Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and/or Panama. We aim to support innovative ideas from brilliant minds in the region, where there is a lack funding and infrastructure support for space initiatives. Proposals must align with our mission to position Central America within the global space economy. 

 1. Support the development and maturation of space science, engineering, and/or entrepreneurship projects in Central America.

2. Enable Central American teams to participate and succeed in the global space economy.

Note: This call is not intended to support exclusively the purchase of equipment, although equipment may be purchased to achieve a greater project goal. Funds from this grant cannot be used to support travel.

•  Teams must be based in, and projects conducted within, one or more Central American countries.
• Leadership team members must be residents of Central America. Non-resident contributors are welcome but may not hold leadership roles.
• Principal Investigator (PI) must be a citizen of a Central American country and at least 18 years old by the date of Step-1 proposal submittal.
• Non-Central American collaborators may be included but are not eligible for funding.
• Project work must be conducted within Central America unless prior written approval is obtained from Jaguar Space.

 This call follows a two-step submission process:

Step-1 Proposal: A brief submission (max. 2 pages) to assess thematic alignment, technical and budget feasibility, team capability, and facility readiness.

Step-2 Proposal: Teams selected from Step-1 will be invited to submit a full, 5-page proposal expanding on technical, managerial, and strategic details.

 All funded projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving Authority to Proceed (ATP). 

Funded proposals shall follow the timeline below. The deliverable for each milestone is described in brackets and payment is based on the receipt and approval of the deliverables by Jaguar Space.

• ATP Issued – Official project start 
• Kick-Off Presentation – Within 30 days of ATP - [Presentation Deck and Jaguar Space feedback addressed]
• Critical Review – Within 9 months of ATP - [Critical Review Deck and Jaguar Space feedback addressed]
• Closeout Review – No later than 15 days before the project end date [Closeout Review Deck and Jaguar Space feedback addressed]

 · Total funding pool: USD $5,000

· Up to three projects may be selected. Jaguar Space reserves the right not to fund any proposal if none score at least 70%, none is aligned with the call for proposal theme, or if proposals are otherwise determined non-fundable.

· Each proposal may request up to $5,000, though the intent is to fund multiple (ideally three) projects.

· Awards disbursed in three stages via electronic bank-to-bank transfer:

     30% after approved Kick-Off Presentation Deck (including Jaguar Space feedback addressed)

     50% after approved Critical Review Deck (including Jaguar Space feedback addressed)

     20% after approved Closeout Review Deck (including Jaguar Space feedback addressed)

· Failure to pass any milestone may result in forfeiture of the under-review and subsequent milestone funding.

· Each recipient is responsible for paying the taxes that may be applicable to them in their countries.

 All proposals must be:

• Submitted as PDF, letter-size
• Single-spaced, one-column layout, with 1-inch margins
• Written in Times New Roman, 12 pt
• Prepared in English, to align with international engagement goals

Step-1 Proposal Contents (max. 2 pages)

1. Cover Letter: Jaguar Space format included at the end of this call for proposals. Does not count towards the 2-page maximum.

2. Executive Summary: Max. 100 words. Shall contain information on each of the segments of the Step-1 proposal described below. 

3. Background: Myriad topics are expected, and the reviewers may not be experts on the specific theme of each proposal. The background section allows non-experts to understand the topic of each proposal and be ready to review it.

4. Technical Aspects: This section describes the goals, methodology, hypotheses (as applicable), deliverables (the output of the project), and their significance. Enough detail must be provided for the reviewers to be able to make informed judgements on the overall merit of the proposal, its relevance to the call for proposals, and its novelty and ability to allow the team to enter the global new space economy.

5. Budget: This section describes how much is needed and why. Each team may choose their own format, but a brief narrative or explanation of why each category of expense will be needed is required. Funds from this grant cannot be used for travel. Acceptable categories include consumables, equipment, tools, personnel salary, publications, and overhead (applicable to institutions only).

6. Team: Indicate the name of each leadership position and briefly describe their previous experience that will enable them to fulfill their responsibilities within this project. Enough detail must be provided for the reviewers to be able to make informed judgements on the probability that the investigators will be able to accomplish their stated objectives with current and requested resources.

7. References and citations: No page limit. Does not count against the 2-page limit.

Step-2 Proposal Contents (max. 5 pages)

1. Cover Letter: Jaguar Space format included at the end of this call for proposals. Does not count towards the 5-page maximum.

2. Executive Summary: Max. 200 words. Shall contain information on each of the segments of the Step-2 proposal described below.

3. Background: See Step-1 Proposal Contents for instructions.

4. Technical Aspects: See Step-1 Proposal Contents for instructions.

5. Budget: See Step-1 Proposal Contents for instructions.

6. Team: See Step-1 Proposal Contents for instructions.

7. Project Management: Description of how the project will be managed. Complex projects may benefit from using project management and systems engineering tools like work breakdown structures (WBS), Gantt charts, etc.

8. Potential Future Business Opportunities: Description of how this project may, once successfully completed, help the team enter and thrive in the global new space economy.

9. References and citations: No page limit. Does not count against the 5-page limit.

10. One-page CV of each leadership member: Does not count against the 5-page limit. CVs shall follow the same format requirements as the rest of the proposal and is limited to one page per  leadership position member. Leadership positions include Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, Project Manager, Team Lead, or System Engineer, as applicable to each proposal (i.e. it is not expected that each project will need or have each of these positions). 

Proposal reviewers will be asked to score the merit of each proposal in each category, using the following questions as guidance:

1. Technical Feasibility (30%): How well aligned is the proposal with advancing space science and engineering in Central America? If successful, will this project be technically oriented towards enabling the team to enter the global new space economy? Does the plan have a high likelihood of being achievable? Does the methodology seem appropriate to achieve the project goals and to test the hypotheses (if applicable)? If this project is successful, how impactful would it be for the Central American region? How innovative is/are the core idea(s) behind the proposed work?

2. Budget Feasibility (15%): Are the amounts per category being requested reasonable? Is there a high likelihood the team will be able to perform the proposed work to completeness with the requested budget? Is each expense category properly justified?

3. Team Constitution & Qualifications (15%): Does the team have the required background and expertise to fulfill their respective roles in this project? Is there diversity in the team in all regards, including but not exclusive to Central American countries represented in the team, gender, ethnicity (i.e. are indigenous people included), and professional backgrounds? Is the team representative of the cultural diversity in Central America?

4. Facilities & Equipment (15%): Does the proposal clearly show the team has (or will have through this grant) all the equipment, facilities, infrastructure, tools, and consumables needed to successfully complete the proposed project?

5. Project Management (10%): Does the team have the appropriate organization to bring the project to successful completeness within budget and time? Does the proposal include appropriate indications that the complexities of the project will be properly managed? Are risks to the successful completion of the project and their mitigation approaches identified? Does the team propose quantifiable ways to measure project progress and level of completeness at the critical and closeout reviews?

6. Potential Future Business Opportunities (10%): If successful, how likely is this project to be able to continue its maturation towards entering the global new space economy? Does the proposal indicate what work would follow on this grant to further mature the project’s idea?

7. Impact on Central American Society (5%): If successful, would this project have a positive impact on Central American society? Does the proposal help to solve a Central American regional problem?

Step-2 proposals shall be stand alone, i.e. reviewers will only use the contents of the Step-2 proposal for their evaluation. Contents in Step-1 will only be re-read to ensure the Step-2 proposal did not change topic or approach with respect to what was presented in the Step-1 proposal.

Non-Responsive Proposals

Proposals will be considered non-compliant and will not be evaluated if any one or more of the following is true:

• The proposal was submitted passed the deadline.
• The proposal was submitted not following format requirements.
• The proposal is not aligned with the objectives of this call.
• The Step-2 proposal changed the topic from the invited Step-1 proposal.
• The funds requested are mostly or exclusively for equipment purchase (however, equipment may be budgeted to achieve a project goal).
• The budget includes travel expenses.
• Any of the eligibility requirements is not met.

Each proposal will be reviewed exclusively by its contents; reviewers will be instructed not to follow hyperlinks and not to read appendices that were not included in the contents structure described in this call for proposals.

 Proposals shall be submitted before the deadline to contact@JaguarSpace.net as a PDF attachment. The email subject and file name shall read “Response to JS-2025-01 X” where X is the last name of the PI. 

 Please send your questions before the questions deadline to contact@JaguarSpace.net. Please be aware that, for fairness and transparency, each question received and the answer that was sent will be included in a publicly available Questions & Answers (Q&A) section in Jaguar Space’s website https://jaguarspace.net/ for all proposers to see (so be mindful not to give competitive details of your proposal in your question). 

Jaguar Space was founded with the goal of providing opportunities related to spaceflight to those who have never had them or have had them in a limited fashion. This is one more example of Jaguar Space living up to its core value, in this case, helping Central Americans bring their space science, engineering, and entrepreneurship ideas to the next level. Central America was chosen for this first opportunity given Jaguar Space’s roots in Guatemala, and this grant was designed to galvanize and encourage Central American integration and cooperation in space endeavors.

Join us in shaping the future of space science and engineering in Central America!

Jaguar Space

Advancing your Science and Business through Access to Space and Expert Advice 

Questions received and answers provided will show up here.

1. Q\Does the $5,000 in funding cover only the development of the project, or the entire space mission? For example, in the case of a CubeSat proposal, would the $5,000 be allocated solely for the construction and delivery of the CubeSat, or would it also cover the related logistics and launch? 

A\  The funding may be requested for development as well as for related logistics and launch. 

2. Are there any qualification requirements for the Principal Investigator (PI) of our team? In other words, do they need to hold a PhD, or is their highest educational attainment irrelevant for this Call for Proposals? 

A\  There are no other requirements for the PI beyond those described in the call for proposals (e.g. PhD degree, etc.). 

3. Q\We would like to clarify where the information of non-Central American members should be included. Should our details be listed in the cover letter, in another specific section, or is this information not required at this stage?

A\This information shall be included in the Cover Letter. Additionally, the Step-1 Proposal structure includes section 6 "Team", which is meant to be used, in this case, to clarify the role each member will perform and confirm that non-Central American citizens will not be funded through this grant. 

4. Q\We have been preparing our references following APA 7th edition guidelines. Could you confirm if this is the preferred format, or should we adapt to another citation style?

A\There is no preferred format and APA is perfectly fine. 

STEP-2 QUESTIONS

5. Q\Is there a possibility of expanding our team with new members for this upcoming phase, or if we are expected to continue only with the original participants from Phase One. A few colleagues with relevant experience have shown interest in joining, and we believe they could contribute meaningfully if additional members are allowed.

A\ Yes, the team composition may be changed: adding and/or removing members, as long as the P.I. remains the same person. 

6. Q\  We understand that the CVs do not count against the five-page limit and should be submitted for leadership roles such as Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator, Team Lead, Systems Engineer, and similar. Do people with roles such as app developers, documentation & handling, spectral analysis, and external advisor need to submit CV's, too?  We would like to confirm whether the one-page CVs should be submitted strictly for the roles listed as leadership positions, or if there would be no issue including CVs from the rest of the team members as well. 

A\ Only leadership positions need to provide a 1-page CV's. Any text beyond the one-page limit will not be read by the Review Committee. If CV's for non-leadership team members are provided, they will be read but will not impact the scoring of the proposal. 

7. Q\ How does the cancellation of CEC25 affect this call for proposals? 

A\ The PI of each proposing team will be informed of the result of their Step-2 proposal on September 16. Additionally, winners will be announced on social media and on Jaguar Space's website on September 16.