To get a grant or subsidy for a startup in Spain, find an open call (convocatoria) in the BDNS subsidies database, at CDTI or in your region’s programmes.
Check that the project meets the conditions, prepare a business plan, a financial model and certificates showing no tax or social security debts, and apply online.
A decision can take up to six months, and the money is usually paid after you report your expenses.
Grants and subsidies are one of the most accessible ways to fund a startup, especially in Spain.
Support exists at several levels: national and regional programmes, private subsidies and international grants.
But what are the chances, how does selection work and how do you avoid mistakes when applying?
Below, step by step, based on Spain’s General Subsidies Act (Ley 38/2003, General de Subvenciones).
For an overview of the programmes themselves with amounts — ENISA, CDTI, the Startups Act, tax incentives — see Startup and small business support programmes in Spain.
How subsidies work in Spain
- A subsidy is money without consideration, but tied to a purpose. It is granted for a project, activity or result; if the purpose is not met, the money is returned (arts. 2 and 37 of the Subsidies Act).
- A competition, not a queue. The standard procedure is competitive selection: applications are compared against the criteria in the call and the best are funded within the budget (art. 22). A good project is not enough — it must score higher than the others.
- Everything is set out in two documents. The programme’s regulatory bases (bases reguladoras) and the specific call (convocatoria): who can apply, what is funded, how much, the scoring criteria and the deadline.
- Timing. A decision must be made and notified within six months of the call’s publication, unless a law or EU rules set a longer period. No decision in time means the application is deemed rejected (art. 25).
- Money after reporting. As a rule, the subsidy is paid once the beneficiary has shown the project was carried out, although a programme may allow advances and partial payments (art. 34).
That last point changes the whole financial logic: a grant rarely gives you money up front.
You first fund the project’s costs yourself — with own funds, a loan or investor money — and the grant reimburses them later.
That is why an application without a financial model and a cash flow plan risks a cash gap even if approved.
What to know before applying
Not all innovation grants are for startups
Spain actively supports technology and innovation, but many programmes are open to any company, so a startup competes with established businesses.
Look for programmes aimed specifically at young companies — such as CDTI’s Neotec for technology projects.
At what stage a grant is realistic
Most programmes support startups in early growth.
Getting a grant before building an MVP is hard, and harder still for a newly registered company without accounts: the evaluator has nothing but forecasts to go on.
The chances are much better with a product, early results and a clear plan.
Why applications are rejected
- A weak business plan — no clear logic of market, product and money.
- Insufficient innovation — the project does not stand out from existing solutions.
- Poorly planned use of funds — the budget is not tied to the project’s goals and costs are not justified.
- Technical and administrative errors — wrong format, missing documents, missed deadlines. These cut applications before they are assessed on the merits.
- The call’s budget runs out — in competitive selection, money only stretches to the highest-scoring applications.
There are informal factors too. Immigrant founders can apply on equal terms, but experience running a business in Europe noticeably raises evaluators’ confidence.
The second factor is the founder’s own investment: a project where the founder puts in no money of their own inspires less trust, and co-financing is often written into the programme’s conditions.
Step 1. Find suitable calls
Where to look:
- The national subsidies database. All public calls are published in the National Subsidies Publicity System (BDNS), searchable by region, body and sector.
- National programmes. CDTI offers grants and loans for technology projects; its Neotec programme covers up to 70% of the budget, up to €250,000 under the 2026 call. ENISA provides participating loans without collateral rather than grants, and they are often combined with grants.
- Regional programmes. The most developed are in Catalonia, Madrid and Valencia — for example, Valencia’s competitiveness agency IVACE. City agencies such as Barcelona Activa help with training, incubation and access to funding programmes.
- Sector programmes. Sustainability, ecology, fintech, agritech and digitalisation sometimes have targeted calls.
- European programmes. The EU has programmes for technology projects, but competition there is Europe-wide.
Tip: follow agency websites such as CDTI, which publish full information on current opportunities.
Step 2. Check the call’s conditions
Before preparing documents, read the conditions and answer honestly:
- does the company qualify — age, size, region, sector, legal form;
- which costs are eligible and which are not;
- what share of the budget the programme covers and where the rest will come from;
- which criteria score points and how much each weighs;
- the deadlines for applying, carrying out the project and reporting.
Also check the law’s general exclusions.
A company with tax or social security debts cannot be a beneficiary, nor can one in insolvency proceedings or tax-resident in a listed tax haven (art. 13).
You will need certificates of no debts both when applying and when being paid.
Step 3. Prepare your documents
- Business plan — product, growth strategy, market, competitors, team, risks and financial forecasts. It must answer the call’s scoring criteria rather than be a generic document.
- Financial model — supports the growth potential and shows how the project is funded until the grant arrives. How to build one: Financial model guide.
- Roadmap — project stages and target dates.
- Project budget — by the cost categories the programme funds, with a justification for each amount.
- Financial statements — if the company is already trading. A new company has none, so detailed financial plans for the coming years are needed.
- Company documents — registration, the representative’s powers.
- Certificates of no debts to the tax authority and social security.
- Additional documents — partner letters, research results, patents; larger programmes ask for them more often.
Step 4. Submit the application
Applications are submitted online through the electronic office of the body that published the call; the company needs a digital certificate. To improve your chances:
- Transparency. State the project’s goals and potential clearly.
- Fit with the requirements. The project must answer the call’s criteria directly, and the application should follow their structure.
- Innovation. Show how the product or technology differs from existing ones and back it with facts.
- Jobs. If the startup plans to hire, that is a strong plus — and hiring must be in the financial model.
- Not on the last day. Online systems are overloaded at closing dates, and technical errors are a common reason for rejection.
Many startups prepare applications with grant consultants.
That makes sense when the team has no application experience and the call is large: a professional knows the format and the typical mistakes.
Step 5. Answer requests
After submission the body often asks you to correct or complete the application: confirm registration, adjust calculations, prove additional investment. This is normal.
The deadline is short and stated in the request; if you do not respond in time, the application is treated as withdrawn — so keep documents and calculations to hand until the procedure ends.
Step 6. Wait for the decision
By law, a decision is due within six months of the call’s publication, unless a specific rule sets a longer period; no decision in time means rejection (art. 25).
In practice decisions can arrive in the last weeks of that period, so the project plan should not depend on money arriving straight away.
Step 7. Carry out the project and report
The decision is not the end. You need to:
- carry out the project as described in the application;
- keep strict records of project costs — invoices, payments, contracts;
- prepare the expense report (cuenta justificativa) in the required form and on time (art. 30);
- receive payment, which usually comes after the report is checked (art. 34).
Breaching the conditions has serious consequences: if the purpose is not met, the report is incomplete or the conditions were misrepresented, the money is returned with late-payment interest (art. 37).
So plan grant management — accounting, deadlines, reporting — before applying, not after approval.
A typical cash gap: an illustrative example
A €200,000 project with a programme covering 70%, i.e. €140,000, paid after the final report.
During the project the company funds the full €200,000 itself: €60,000 of co-financing that will not come back and €140,000 that returns only after the report is checked.
If the financial model does not show where those €140,000 “until payment” come from — capital, an ENISA loan or a bank loan — the project stalls even with the grant approved. The figures are illustrative; the logic is typical.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you find grants for a startup in Spain?
In the National Subsidies Publicity System (BDNS), on the websites of CDTI and regional agencies such as IVACE in Valencia, and in sector programmes. An overview of the main programmes with amounts is in our article on startup support programmes in Spain.
Can you get a grant before building an MVP?
You can, but it is hard: most programmes support startups in early growth, and without a product or accounts the evaluator has little to go on. The chances are better with a product, early results and a financial plan.
How long does a grant decision take?
Under the General Subsidies Act, up to six months from the call’s publication, unless a specific rule sets a longer period. If there is no decision in time, the application is deemed rejected.
When is grant money paid?
As a rule, after the beneficiary reports on the project and its expenses; a programme may allow advances and partial payments. So the project’s costs have to be funded first.
What happens if you do not meet the grant conditions?
You must return the money in full or in part, with late-payment interest — for example, if the purpose is not met, the report is incomplete or the conditions were misrepresented (art. 37 of the Subsidies Act).
Can foreign founders get grants?
Yes — the requirements apply to the company, not the founder’s nationality. But business experience in Europe and the founder’s own investment noticeably raise evaluators’ confidence.
Key points about getting a grant
- Grants are awarded competitively: you must not only qualify but score higher than others.
- The conditions are in the bases reguladoras and the convocatoria; calls are published in BDNS.
- A company with tax or social security debts cannot be a beneficiary.
- A decision takes up to 6 months, silence means refusal, and money usually comes after reporting.
- The financial model must show how the project survives until the grant is paid.
Sources
- Ley 38/2003 General de Subvenciones — arts. 2, 13, 22, 25, 30, 34, 37.
- Sistema Nacional de Publicidad de Subvenciones y Ayudas Públicas (BDNS).
- CDTI, ENISA, IVACE, Barcelona Activa.
Checked as of 3 October 2026. The cash gap example is illustrative.
