78% success rate, EUR 2.5M secured in 2024 — we find and win grants for your company

Business grants and subsidies in Spain are public funding instruments available from multiple sources — including the CDTI (Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology), ENISA (National Innovation Enterprise), regional government programmes, and the European Union's Next Generation EU and Horizon Europe frameworks — that provide non-repayable or preferential-rate financing for investment, R&D&I, digitalisation, and internationalisation projects. Applications are submitted through bodies such as the BDNS (National Grants Database) and require technical and economic memoranda that meet each awarding body's evaluation criteria; the subsequent justification phase requires complete expenditure documentation retained for 5 to 10 years and is subject to audit by the granting authority.

Our grants team has managed more than 400 successful applications with a success rate above 78%. We monitor all relevant funding calls so that no public financing opportunity goes untapped for your business.

Why Spanish companies leave millions in untapped grants every year

Spanish SMEs leave between 60% and 70% of the grants they are entitled to unsolicited each year, according to Chamber of Commerce data. The reasons are systematic: lack of time to monitor calls dispersed across the Official State Gazette, BDNS, and regional government portals; unfamiliarity with eligibility criteria and documentary requirements; and well-founded fear of the justification phase. The cost of an unsolicited grant is invisible but real: for a company with a EUR 500,000 investment project, not accessing 40% non-repayable CDTI funding is equivalent to EUR 200,000 of capital that must be financed another way. And a grant poorly justified that ends in repayment is worse still: it means having planned investments on funding that ultimately does not materialise.

The volume of public aid available to businesses in Spain is substantial: Next Generation EU European funds, CDTI and Horizon Europe R&D&I programmes, ENISA participating loan lines, social security contribution bonuses, regional government sector-specific aid, and digitalisation programmes such as Kit Digital. The difficulty is not the existence of these resources, but the ability to identify which ones apply to each company at each moment, to prepare technically sound applications, and to manage the subsequent justification phase with the rigour demanded by awarding bodies.

Our grants management methodology

Our working model combines permanent monitoring of funding calls with deep knowledge of the language and evaluation criteria of each awarding body. We do not manage one-off applications: we design a strategy for continuous access to public funding tailored to each company’s profile. For each identified opportunity we produce a success probability assessment and expected amount estimate before deciding whether to apply. Technical and financial memoranda are drafted with the language and level of detail required by each awarding body — which differs significantly between CDTI, Red.es, and a regional government ministry.

For innovation projects, we coordinate with the tax planning team to integrate R&D&I tax deductions with the grants obtained, optimising the total impact of public funding. For growth-stage companies, we connect grants with the outsourced CFO service to integrate public funding into the financial model.

What our grants and subsidies service includes

The service includes permanent monitoring of relevant calls for the client’s profile (with opening and closing deadline alerts), eligibility diagnosis and success probability assessment for each identified call, technical and financial memorandum preparation, electronic application submission, file tracking with responses to correction requirements, complete management of the justification phase (expenditure documentation, technical reports, certifications), and maintenance of the file throughout the mandatory retention period for possible audits. The recurring public funding strategy is included for clients on annual contract.

Real results in grants and public funding

Seventy-eight per cent of applications managed by our team in competitive calls obtain a favourable resolution, compared to an estimated sector average of 45-55%. One hundred per cent of grants awarded under our management have passed the justification phase without reimbursements. In 2024 we managed the securing of EUR 2.5 million in public funding for our clients. Average time from start of management to award varies between 6 and 18 months depending on the awarding body, but the impact on cash position and investment capacity is decisive.

Frequently asked questions about grants and public funding

Justification is the phase that determines whether the grant is real. Obtaining the favourable resolution is only half the work. The grant is not definitive until the awarding body verifies that the expenditure incurred genuinely corresponds to the approved project, that the supporting documentation is complete, and that the commitments made have been fulfilled. Errors at this stage — incorrectly attributed invoices, expenditure not included in the approved budget, failure to meet output indicators — generate partial or total repayment obligations. Companies with international activities can complement this strategy with our ESG sustainability advisory, which unlocks access to EU green financing lines with preferential terms.

The Spanish grants and subsidies landscape

Grants and subsidies for Spanish businesses are available through a layered system: European Union funds (NextGenerationEU, ERDF, Horizon Europe, ESF+), national programmes (CDTI, ICO, MINECO, ENISA), and regional programmes managed by the autonomous communities and their development agencies (IVACE in Valencia, IFR in Murcia, CREA/SOPDE in Andalucía, ICEX, etc.). Navigating this landscape — identifying which programmes apply, meeting eligibility requirements, preparing compliant applications, and managing the justification and disbursement process — requires specialist expertise.

The current cycle is dominated by NextGenerationEU-funded instruments, which have channelled approximately EUR 69 billion to Spain through the Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia (PRTR). These funds are being disbursed through specific programmes across digital transformation, green energy, SME competitiveness, housing, and health — with application processes managed by various ministries and agencies.

Key grant programmes for Spanish businesses

CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial): Spain’s principal agency for R&D and innovation funding. CDTI programmes provide loans (partly non-repayable) and grants for R&D projects, technology development, and innovation activities. The NEOTEC programme funds early-stage technology companies; the Proyectos de I+D+i individually grant larger innovation budgets to established companies. CDTI applications are technically demanding — a strong technical narrative aligned with the agency’s evaluation criteria is essential.

Kit Digital / Kit Consulting: NextGenerationEU-funded digitalisation subsidies for SMEs (see our Kit Digital advisory for details).

ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovación): provides participative loans (préstamos participativos) to Spanish SMEs and startups on favourable terms. ENISA lending is frequently combined with private equity or bank financing as part of a growth financing package.

ICO (Instituto de Crédito Oficial): state-backed lending programmes at subsidised rates, including specific lines for sustainability investment, international expansion, and SME working capital.

Regional development agency grants: the autonomous communities operate their own grant programmes for business establishment, investment in production capacity, employment creation, and sector-specific development. For businesses investing in facilities or creating significant employment in a specific region, regional grants can be significant — often covering 20-40% of qualifying investment.

The application and justification process

Grant applications require: eligibility confirmation, preparation of a compliant project description and budget, technical and financial evaluation documentation, and formal submission through the applicable agency’s portal. Our grant advisory covers all phases:

1. Feasibility screening: confirming eligibility and estimating the likely grant amount and probability of success before investing in application preparation.
2. Application drafting: preparing the technical narrative, financial projections, and supporting documents to the standard required by the evaluating agency.
3. Submission management: ensuring timely submission through the correct portal with all required attachments.
4. Progress reporting and justification: once a grant is approved, the disbursement is typically conditional on demonstrating that the funded activities have been completed as described. Our team manages the justification process to ensure full disbursement.
5. Audit preparation: EU-funded grants are subject to EU and Spanish audit. Our documentation procedures ensure that the evidence required for a clean audit is maintained throughout the project.

Contact our grants advisory team for an initial screening of your eligibility for available programmes.

Regulatory framework: BDNS, LGS, and EU state aid rules

Grants management in Spain operates within a regulatory framework that imposes strict conditions on both the awarding bodies and the beneficiaries:

Ley 38/2003 (Ley General de Subvenciones — LGS): Spain’s general grants law, governing the award, justification, and reimbursement of all public subsidies granted by the State Administration. The LGS establishes: eligibility conditions (companies must be current with AEAT and Social Security obligations); the principle of transparency (all grants are published in the BDNS); justification requirements and documentary standards; and the audit and reimbursement framework (awarding body retains right to audit for 5 years after justification for most programmes, up to 10 years for ERDF-funded grants).

BDNS (Base de Datos Nacional de Subvenciones): the national register of all public grants awarded in Spain, managed by the IGAE (Intervención General de la Administración del Estado). All grants above EUR 3,000 must be published in the BDNS. The BDNS is the starting point for any grant monitoring strategy — our team monitors new call publications in the BDNS daily, filtered by beneficiary sector, region, and programme type relevant to each client profile.

EU State Aid Rules (TFEU Articles 107-108): grants from Spanish public bodies to businesses constitute “state aid” within the meaning of EU competition law unless they fall within an approved framework. The principal approved frameworks relevant to business grants include: the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER, EU Regulation 651/2014 as revised) for R&D, SME investment, training, and environmental aid; the de minimis rule (EUR 300,000 over 3 years, increased from EUR 200,000 by Regulation 2831/2023); and the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework adopted for energy crisis support. Grant recipients must maintain state aid records and comply with cumulation rules when receiving multiple grants from different programmes.

PRTR (Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia) Audit Framework: NextGenerationEU grants distributed through the PRTR are subject to the most rigorous audit framework in Spanish public funding history — including potential audits by the European Court of Auditors and the European Commission’s OLAF anti-fraud office. PRTR beneficiaries must implement specific anti-fraud controls, maintain enhanced documentation for 10 years, and confirm compliance with the EU’s “do no significant harm” (DNSH) principle.

Horizon Europe (Regulation 2021/695): the EU’s research and innovation programme with a EUR 95.5B budget for 2021–2027. Spanish researchers and companies participate in competitive calls for multi-partner R&D projects. The National Research Agency (AEI) manages Spanish participation. Horizon Europe grants have a specific cost-accounting framework (actual costs or unit costs, with indirect costs at 25%) and require a consortium agreement among project partners. Our team coordinates grant management with the technical project coordination for Spanish participant organisations.

Sectors and programme focus areas

Technology and software development: CDTI (Proyectos de I+D+i, Misiones, Cervera networks), Horizon Europe (SME instrument — EIC Accelerator for breakthrough innovation), and regional technology grants from IVACE (Valencia), IFR (Murcia), or SOPDE (Andalucía). The most active grant window for technology companies combines CDTI with R&D&I tax deductions (Articles 35-36 LIS) for maximum total public support.

Renewable energy and clean technology: the PRTR Component 7 (Energy Renovation) and Component 8 (Renewable Hydrogen) provide specific grants for decarbonisation investments. IDAE (Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía) manages several grant programmes for renewable energy installation, energy efficiency, and sustainable mobility. For industrial companies, the “Perte Agroalimentario” and “Perte Vehículo Eléctrico y Conectado” offer significant funding for eligible investments.

Manufacturing and industry: regional investment grants (covering 20-40% of qualifying fixed asset investment) are available from all 17 autonomous communities for manufacturing investment creating employment. The Fondo FEDER (European Regional Development Fund) co-finances these programmes in less-developed regions (Andalucía, Extremadura, Murcia, Galicia — Cohesion Fund regions). Grant amount depends on company size (SME premium) and region (cohesion intensity).

Internationalisation: ICEX (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) operates the ICEX Next programme and sector promotion grants for Spanish companies expanding internationally. Market entry costs, trade fair participation, and market research studies are typically eligible. For companies incorporating in new markets, the programme covers feasibility assessments and local partner identification costs.

Social and healthcare: European Social Fund+ (ESF+) through SEPE funds employment and training programmes. Companies that invest in employee training through the Sistema de Formación para el Empleo (FUNDAE) can recover training costs through social security contribution credits — a frequently underutilised benefit available to all companies with employees.

Company size segmentation

Startups (0–5 years, under 10 employees): the most accessible programmes are ENISA participative loans (available from EUR 25,000 to EUR 1.5M for qualifying startups), CDTI NEOTEC (up to EUR 250,000 for R&D-based startups), and Kit Digital for digitalisation. Tax incentives for investors (IRPF 50% deduction for investment in newly created companies, up to EUR 100,000/year) complement the grant landscape for fundraising rounds.

SMEs in growth phase (10–250 employees): CDTI Proyectos I+D+i (budget EUR 175,000–EUR 2M, partially non-repayable), regional investment grants, ICO financing lines, and employment bonuses through SEPE for specific hiring profiles (long-term unemployed, over-45, disability). Our SME grant programme identifies the 3–5 most relevant calls for each client’s investment programme annually.

Mid-size companies (EUR 10M–EUR 100M): larger CDTI programmes (Cervera centres, Misiones), ERDF-funded regional investment grants for significant investment projects, and PRTR instruments relevant to the company’s sector. State aid cumulation analysis essential at this level.

Large companies and groups: Horizon Europe consortium participation, PERTE programmes (Aerospace, Chip, Agrifood, Clean Vehicle), and multi-programme subsidy strategies integrating EU, national, and regional instruments. State aid compliance management (GBER analysis, notification to the European Commission for above-threshold grants) is an integral part of the advisory for large beneficiaries.

Worked example: CDTI grant for a Madrid SaaS company

A Madrid-based SaaS company (40 employees, EUR 4.8M ARR, seed-funded) sought external funding for a product development programme (new AI-powered analytics module, budget EUR 650,000 over 18 months).

Programme selected: CDTI Proyectos de I+D+i — eligible because the project involved genuine technological uncertainty (novel ML algorithm for non-standard industry dataset) and qualified as industrial research under the GBER definition.

Application process (8 weeks):

• Technical memory: 32-page document describing the state of the art, technological challenge and novelty, project workplan and milestones, and expected results. Drafted by our team in coordination with the company’s CTO.
• Financial plan: EUR 650,000 budget comprising personnel (62%), external services (15%), materials (8%), travel (5%), and indirect costs (10%). Budget justified line-by-line against the project workplan.
• CDTI eligibility review: company confirmed current with AEAT and Social Security obligations; prior CDTI applications reviewed for cumulation analysis.
• Submission via CDTI’s APC portal: submitted 4 weeks before call deadline, allowing a resubmission window if minor corrections were required.

Outcome: CDTI grant awarded — EUR 350,000 non-repayable component (53.8% of eligible costs) plus EUR 300,000 CDTI subordinated loan at below-market interest rate. Combined subsidy equivalent: EUR 350,000 + interest saving of approximately EUR 45,000 over the loan term.

R&D&I deduction coordination: remaining EUR 300,000 of company-funded project costs generated an IS deduction under Article 35 LIS at 25% (industrial research) — EUR 75,000 in IS savings. Total public benefit: EUR 350,000 grant + EUR 45,000 interest saving + EUR 75,000 IS deduction = EUR 470,000 of public support on a EUR 650,000 project.

Five common grant mistakes

1. Applying reactively rather than proactively. Most call deadlines are 4–8 weeks after publication. A company that only starts the application process when a call opens rarely produces a high-quality application in time. Our monitoring service allows clients to begin technical preparation 3–6 months before relevant calls open, using the knowledge of what the evaluating agency values from previous call documentation.

2. Generic project descriptions that do not address the evaluation criteria. Every awarding body publishes specific evaluation criteria — for CDTI these include “degree of novelty,” “quality of the research plan,” and “team capability.” Applications that describe the project in general terms without explicitly addressing each criterion from the evaluating agency’s perspective consistently score below the cut-off threshold.

3. Budgets that do not correspond to the project narrative. A budget with 80% personnel costs in a project described as primarily equipment-intensive, or R&D personnel costs that cannot be traced to identifiable researchers, is a red flag for evaluators. Every budget line must be justified by the project narrative, and the personnel hours must be traceable to specific tasks described in the workplan.

4. Insufficient justification documentation. The most common cause of grant repayment demands is missing or inadequate documentation at justification: invoices not retained, invoices from suppliers not identified in the application as eligible suppliers, activities that cannot be traced to approved budget lines. Maintaining a project documentation file from day one — not assembled at justification deadline — is the only reliable way to avoid this risk.

5. Failing to combine grants with R&D&I tax deductions. Companies that obtain a CDTI grant without coordinating the R&D&I tax deduction analysis leave significant value unclaimed. The deduction base must be reduced by the grant amount, but the combined benefit (grant + deduction on non-funded costs) consistently exceeds the grant alone. Coordination between grant management and the tax team is essential from the project planning stage.

How we work: grants advisory process

Monthly monitoring: we track BDNS, BOE, BOUE, and regional official gazettes for calls relevant to each client’s profile — sector, size, investment type, and geographic location. New calls are flagged within 48 hours of publication with a preliminary eligibility assessment.

Application management: once a decision to apply is taken, our team manages the complete application — technical narrative, financial plan, supporting documentation, submission, and response to evaluating body queries. Fee structure: fixed advisory fee + success fee (typically 5–8% of the grant awarded) payable only on positive resolution.

Justification: complete management of the justification phase, from cost collection and documentation organisation through portal submission and response to audit requirements. Justification fee: included in the success fee structure or charged separately at a fixed fee depending on the grant programme.

Audit support: in the event of an audit by the awarding body, European Commission, or Court of Auditors, we coordinate the response and provide all documentation from the project file. Our documentation procedures are designed for audit readiness from project initiation.