{"opportunitySpacesMenu":{"title":"Scoping Our Planet","subTitle":"Opportunity space","exploreText":"Explore this space","image":{"src":"/media/42xansl5/scoping-our-planet.png?rmode=pad&format=webp&quality=100","alt":"Scoping Our Planet"},"imageMobile":{"src":"/media/mk0d5lnh/aria_scopingourplanet_image.png?rmode=pad&format=webp&quality=100","alt":"ARIA Scopingourplanet Image"},"backLink":{"isActive":false,"text":"Back to Opportunity spaces","href":"/opportunity-spaces","title":"Back to Opportunity spaces"},"signUpLink":{"isActive":false,"text":"Sign up for updates","href":"/sign-up-for-updates-qa","title":""},"items":[{"title":"Opportunity space overview","link":{"isActive":false,"text":"Scoping Our Planet","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet","title":"Scoping Our Planet"}},{"title":"Opportunity seeds","link":{"isActive":false,"text":"Opportunity seeds","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet/opportunity-seeds","title":"Opportunity seeds"},"children":[]},{"title":"Programme: Forecasting Tipping Points","link":{"isActive":false,"text":"Programme: Forecasting Tipping Points","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet/forecasting-tipping-points","title":"Programme: Forecasting Tipping Points"},"children":[{"title":"Meet the Creators","link":{"isActive":false,"text":"Meet the Creators","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet/forecasting-tipping-points/meet-the-creators","title":"Meet the Creators"}},{"title":"Funding","link":{"isActive":false,"text":"Funding","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet/forecasting-tipping-points/funding","title":"Funding"}}]},{"title":"Programme: Enduring Atmospheric Platforms","link":{"isActive":false,"text":"Programme: Enduring Atmospheric Platforms","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet/enduring-atmospheric-platforms","title":"Programme: Enduring Atmospheric Platforms"},"children":[{"title":"Funding","link":{"isActive":false,"text":"Funding","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet/enduring-atmospheric-platforms/funding","title":"Funding"}},{"title":"Testing and Validation Partners","link":{"isActive":true,"text":"Testing and Validation Partners","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet/enduring-atmospheric-platforms/testing-and-validation-partners","title":"Testing and Validation Partners"}}]}],"activeBackgroundColor":"#c7e9fb"},"modules":[{"type":"header","title":"Enduring Atmospheric Platforms","text":"Backed by £50m, this programme sits within the Scoping Our Planet opportunity space and aims to develop low-cost, persistent, and autonomous atmospheric platforms.","colour1":"Blue","colour2":"Purple","breadcrumb":[{"isActive":false,"text":"Home","href":"/home","title":""},{"isActive":false,"text":"Opportunity spaces","href":"/opportunity-spaces","title":""},{"isActive":false,"text":"Scoping Our Planet","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet","title":""},{"isActive":false,"text":"Enduring Atmospheric Platforms","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet/enduring-atmospheric-platforms","title":""},{"isActive":true,"text":"Testing and Validation Partners","href":"/opportunity-spaces/scoping-our-planet/enduring-atmospheric-platforms/testing-and-validation-partners","title":""}],"noBottomMargin":false,"hideGradient":false},{"type":"rich-text-content","text":"<p><span class=\"h4\">Testing + Validation Partners</span></p>\n<p>This programme is a 3.5-year effort focused on technical de-risking for low-cost, long-endurance aircraft that enable scalable high-altitude communications. To support the researchers and organisations funded by ARIA (Creators) in bringing these breakthrough ideas to life, we are seeking proposals from aerospace test sites, testing agencies, and consultants.</p>\n<p>Programme Partners will be critical in ensuring our Creators can safely fly their experimental platforms, maintain station at altitudes above commercial aviation, and successfully pass the programme's Final Exam: continuously delivering 300W to a 20kg payload for a full week.</p>\n<p>Through this RFP, we're seeking proposals from aerospace test sites, organisations, and consultants to support with the following services:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Test sites + facilities</strong>: Providing suitable, likely segregated airspace, range instrumentation, data services, and logistics/ground infrastructure in sparsely populated areas.</li>\n<li><strong>Guidance for funded teams</strong>: Providing a field testing consultancy or firm to guide, aid, and embed with Creator teams, who range from experienced aerospace firms to startups in their first foray into prototype design, to ensure their system integration and development timelines align with regulatory processes and site requirements.</li>\n<li><strong>Independent verification and validation (IV&amp;V)</strong>: Assisting ARIA in the independent assessment of Creator performance following field test campaigns and the Final Exam.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Read the full details in the <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Read the Enduring Atmospheric Platforms RFP [PDF]\">request for proposals</a> and apply below.<br><br></p>\n<p><span class=\"h6\">Application timeline</span></p>\n<p>Deadline for proposal submission:&nbsp;22 May 2026 (14:00 BST)<br>Notification of selection for presentation: 5 June 2026<br>Presentation by bidders to ARIA selection panel: 15 to 19 June 2026<br>Target contract start date: 19 August 2026</p>","mediumLayout":false,"fullWidth":false},{"type":"download","title":"Resources","columns":[{"header":"","links":[{"type":"file","text":"Request for proposals [PDF - 869.64Kb]","href":"/media/3nhijno4/aria-safeguarded-ai-programme-thesis-v1.pdf","fileExtension":"PDF","fileSize":"869.64Kb","target":""},{"isActive":false,"text":"Accessibility support","href":"/funding-opportunities/accessibility-support","title":""}]}]},{"type":"rich-text-content","text":"<p><span class=\"btn\"><a href=\"http://www.google.com\">Apply now</a></span></p>","mediumLayout":false,"fullWidth":false},{"type":"spacer-comp","cssSizeClass":"medium","height":0},{"type":"standout-copy","title":"Clarification questions","text":"<p>Ahead of submitting your application, we encourage you to read the supporting documentation. If you have any questions, please submit them to&nbsp;<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"mailto:clarifications@aria.org.uk\" target=\"_blank\">clarifications@aria.org.uk</a>. We’ll update this page regularly with questions and answers.</p>\n<p><em>NB: clarification questions should be submitted no later than 14th May 2026 (14:00 BST) – questions received after this date will not be reviewed.</em></p>","link":null,"color":"ccbbed","isWhiteText":false,"fullWidth":false}],"scriptsAtTop":"<!-- Start cookieyes banner --> <script id=\"cookieyes\" type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"https://cdn-cookieyes.com/client_data/eae9957b4a0acd8b0ca247e2/script.js\"></script> <!-- End cookieyes banner -->\n\n<!-- Google tag (gtag.js) -->\n<script async src=\"https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-QB5LXNMKJN\"></script>\n<script>\n  window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\n  function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}\n  gtag('js', new Date());\n\n  gtag('config', 'G-QB5LXNMKJN');\n</script>\n\n<style>\n.biography-swiper,\n.team-cards {\n    margin-bottom: 60px;\n}\n.quick-link__label {\ndisplay: none;\n}\n.site-footer__logo img {\n filter: 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