Startup grants and support programs in Spain in 2026: ENISA, CDTI Neotec, regional grants and tax incentives

The main startup grants and funding programmes in Spain in 2026 are ENISA participating loans of €25,000–1,500,000, CDTI Neotec grants of up to 70% of a technology project (max €250,000), regional grants such as the Basque Ekintzaile programme (up to €30,000), and empresa emergente status under the Startups Act with 15% corporate tax for four years.

How to apply for a grant or subsidy step by step — from finding a call to reporting your expenses — is covered in How to get a grant or subsidy for a startup in Spain.

Spain is actively developing its entrepreneurial ecosystem and offers startups and small businesses many support programmes: grants, loans, tax incentives, acceleration and help entering international markets.

Below are the key national, regional and private programmes, tax incentives and eligibility criteria.

All amounts and rates have been checked against the laws and the programmes’ official pages as of 25 October 2026.

Terms change with every call, so check the current call (convocatoria) before applying.

Programme overview

What’s new in 2026

Updated: 25 October 2026

• ENISA. The general line for startups and SMEs offers loans from €25,000 to €1,500,000; ENISA reviews the amounts every year. On 1 January 2026 the BOE published the agreement for the 2025 “Emprendedoras Digitales” line: €8 million for loans of €25,000 to €1,500,000 to SMEs where women hold leadership or decision-making roles. — ENISA, BOE.
• ENISA Agroinnpulso 2026. On 1 September 2026 the BOE published the renewal of the line for agri-food startups and SMEs: the Ministry of Agriculture adds €6 million, with loans of €25,000 to €1,500,000 for up to 9 years and a grace period of up to 7 years on the principal. — source.
• ENISA Innovación x Clima — new in 2026. On 22 July 2026 the Ministry of Industry opened a €300 million line of participating loans, managed by ENISA through the FEPYME fund, for SMEs developing innovative solutions for climate resilience and for recovery after disasters and emergencies; applications go through ENISA’s website. — source.
• CDTI Neotec 2026. Applications ran from 14 April to 14 May 2026 and are now closed; the budget is €20.38 million, including €5 million for the NEOTEC Mujeres line. The grant covers up to 70% of the budget, capped at €250,000 per company; a company that hires a PhD can get up to 85% and €325,000. The company must be under three years old, with share capital of at least €20,000; the project budget starts at €175,000; up to 60% of the grant (max €150,000) can be paid in advance without guarantees. Projects from the 2026 call start on 1 January 2027. The next window will be the 2027 call. — source.
• Kit Digital and Kit Consulting. As of 25 October 2026 Red.es has published no new call and no applications are accepted: the last Kit Digital calls closed on 31 October 2025, and applications for Kit Consulting vouchers closed on 31 March 2025. — Kit Digital, Kit Consulting.
• Startups Act 28/2022. The law has not been amended: the BOE consolidated text in force is still the version of 22 December 2022. The 15% rate for an empresa emergente and status certification by ENISA stay the same. — source.
• Reduced autónomo contribution. The €80 a month amount was fixed by law only for 2023–2025; from 2026 it is to be set by the State Budget Act. No budget has been passed for 2026: Royal Decree-law 3/2026, validated by Congress (resolution of 26 February 2026), extended the 2025 autónomo contribution tables to 2026. Check the amount with the Seguridad Social on the date you register. — RDL 13/2022, RDL 3/2026.
• Madrid: DeepTech Madrid 2026. A programme for science-based startups in the region: about €2 million over three years across three lines; up to €50,000 per company founded since 1 January 2016 with its registered and tax address in the region; the 2026 application window closed on 20 April. — source.
• Basque Country: Ekintzaile 2026 — open. SPRI, the Basque business development agency, gives grants of up to €30,000 to new innovative or technology-based projects (up to 100% of eligible costs in the entrepreneurship line) for companies incorporated on or after 1 January 2024 with an activity centre in the region; the project must be supervised by a Basque Business Innovation Centre (BIC). The budget is €3.5 million, and applications are open until 11 December 2026. — BOPV.
• ICEX Rising Up in Spain 2026 — open. The tenth call of ICEX’s programme for foreign startups that want to scale in Spain accepts registrations from 26 February to 31 December 2026; selected startups get six months of services, and up to 50 of them get legal and immigration support to set up their company in Spain. — ICEX.

Support for newly registered startups

Early-stage startups can use programmes designed for companies just starting out.

They help with the main launch challenges: building the product, marketing, patents and finding investors.

Early-stage grants and subsidies

Grants help cover first costs — building a minimum viable product (MVP), marketing campaigns, protecting intellectual property. They are awarded nationally and by regions.

Amounts depend on the programme, region and project and are set in each call. How to choose a programme and apply: How a startup founder in Spain can obtain grants and subsidies.

Accelerators

Spain has major accelerators — Wayra (Telefónica’s corporate venture arm), SeedRocket in Barcelona, Lanzadera in Valencia.

Besides funding they give access to experts and investors, help companies reach the market faster, improve the business model and expand their network.

Accelerators usually invest a small amount for equity and provide mentoring.

Preferential loans

For a startup that needs money to scale or develop new products, a preferential loan is often better than an ordinary bank loan.

The main example is ENISA: no collateral, a long term and a grace period on the principal. Details below.

Incubators and coworking

City agencies — such as Barcelona Activa and Madrid Emprende — offer incubator space, training and advice, including on legal and accounting matters, which noticeably cuts costs in the first years.

They do not usually provide large direct funding: their role is infrastructure, knowledge and access to funding programmes.

Eligibility criteria

Each programme has its own conditions, but four things are checked most often:

• Company age. Many programmes are for young companies only; the Startups Act, for example, covers companies up to 5 years old (7 in strategic sectors).
• Financial performance. High revenue or profit is usually not required, but a clear business plan showing growth potential and market prospects is — with a financial model behind it.
• Innovation. New technologies, an original business model or a new approach to an existing market problem.
• Own contribution. Many programmes — ENISA loans and grants alike — fund only part of the project; the rest comes from the founders or investors. ENISA describes its role explicitly as co-financing.

National programmes

ENISA (Empresa Nacional de Innovación)

A state company that funds startups and innovative SMEs, including young companies and firms going international. Terms according to ENISA:

• Amount: from €25,000 to €1,500,000.
• Type: a participating loan — interest depends on the company’s results; ENISA takes no equity and no role in management; no collateral. How such a loan works under Spanish law: How to structure startup investment in Spain.
• Term: as a rule up to 7 years, with a 2-year grace period on the principal during which only interest is paid.
• Reporting: audited accounts for loans over €300,000; filed accounts for €300,000 or less.
• Logic: ENISA co-finances the project, so it looks at own funds and shareholder contributions.

Besides loans, ENISA certifies empresa emergente status under the Startups Act and reports on projects for the startup visa.

What ENISA checks in the business plan: Business plan for Spain’s startup visa.

How to get an ENISA loan: requirements and process

ENISA’s requirements for borrowers:

• A company in Spain: registered office and main activity in Spain, and an SME.
• The project: viable, innovative and with competitive advantages.
• Own funds (fondos propios) at least equal to the amount requested. If the company asks for €200,000, it needs at least €200,000 of own funds on the balance sheet.
• Accounts: audited for loans over €300,000; filed with the Commercial Registry for €300,000 or less.

Loan terms: interest has two parts — one-year Euribor plus a margin, and an additional part paid only if the company is profitable. The arrangement fee is 0.5%, and payments are quarterly.

1. Check your own funds. This is the most common obstacle: capital or shareholder contributions first, then the application.
2. Prepare a business plan and financial forecasts for the whole loan term, with the repayment schedule: interest only for the first 2 years, then principal.
3. Apply through ENISA’s online client portal.
4. Answer questions from ENISA’s analysts on the model and assumptions.
5. After the loan is granted, file your annual accounts on time — ENISA asks for them.

The financial part of the application — the model, forecasts and the own-funds check — can be handed to an adviser: Business plan for investors and banks.

CDTI (Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology)

The state technology centre supports technology projects in biotech, artificial intelligence, energy and other fields.

For young companies the main programme is Neotec, a grant for a project based on own technology.

Under the 2026 call it covered up to 70% of the project budget, up to €250,000 per company, or up to 85% and €325,000 if the company hires a PhD; it is open to companies under three years old, and the project budget must be at least €175,000.

The 2026 call closed on 14 May; the next window is the 2027 call. The key requirements are an innovative character and significant R&D spending. CDTI also offers loans for R&D projects.

ICEX (España Exportación e Inversiones)

The state agency supports companies ready to grow internationally: market information, training, trade fairs and promotion programmes, export strategy.

For foreign startups moving their activity to Spain, ICEX runs a separate programme, Rising Up in Spain: in 2026 registration is open until 31 December, and selected startups get six months of support, including legal and immigration help for up to 50 companies. Terms and cost coverage are set in each programme.

The Startups Act: empresa emergente status

Law 28/2022 (Ley de startups) created a dedicated status with incentives. An empresa emergente is a company that at the same time:

• was created no more than 5 years ago (7 in biotech, energy, industry and other strategic sectors);
• did not arise from a merger or split of companies without this status;
• does not distribute dividends;
• is not listed on a regulated market;
• has its registered office or a permanent establishment in Spain;
• has at least 60% of its staff on employment contracts in Spain;
• runs an innovative project with a scalable business model, as assessed by ENISA (arts. 3 and 4 of the law).

Main benefits:

• corporate tax at 15% in the first year with a positive tax base and the next three (art. 7);
• deferral of tax payment for the first two profitable years — 12 and 6 months, with no guarantee required (art. 8);
• employee shares and stock options: exempt from income tax up to €50,000 a year; tax on the excess is deferred until the company lists or the shares are sold, and no longer than ten years (arts. 42.3.f and 14.2.m of the Income Tax Act);
• a founder who controls an empresa emergente and is employed elsewhere at the same time gets a 100% rebate on the minimum autónomo contribution for up to three years (art. 38 quinquies of the Self-Employed Workers Statute);
• investors keep the 50% income tax credit for shares acquired within seven years of incorporation, not five (art. 68.1 of the Income Tax Act);
• visas: a foreign founder with a favourable ENISA report gets an entrepreneur residence permit valid for three years and renewable for two, filed online with the Large Companies Unit (UGE); the same law created the permit for international remote workers — the digital nomad visa (arts. 61, 69, 70 and 74 bis of Law 14/2013).

For the entrepreneur permit, ENISA assesses whether the activity is innovative or of special economic interest for Spain, and it does so on the business plan.

What the plan must show is covered in Business plan for Spain’s startup visa; if you prefer to hand over the plan and the financial model, see Business plan for investors and banks.

Tax incentives

• Corporate tax for new companies. The general rate is 25%. New companies pay 15% in the first year with a positive tax base and the following one (art. 29 of the Corporate Income Tax Act); an empresa emergente, for four years.
• Investor tax credit. An individual who invests in the capital of a new or recently created company can deduct 50% of the amount from income tax, on a base of up to €100,000 a year (art. 68.1 of the Income Tax Act). A strong argument when talking to a Spanish business angel.
• R&D tax credits. 25% of the year’s R&D spending; if spending is above the average of the previous two years, 42% on the excess; plus 17% on the salaries of qualified researchers. Technological innovation: 12% (art. 35 of the Corporate Income Tax Act).
• Reduced contribution for new self-employed. A new autónomo pays a reduced social security contribution for 12 months, and for 12 more if income is below the minimum wage. The amount is set each year by the budget law (art. 38 ter of the Self-Employed Workers Statute).

All of these belong in your financial model, on a separate constants sheet with the years they apply. Otherwise the model shows the wrong tax and the wrong cash flow.

Regional programmes

Regions support startups with local economies in mind, and their programmes often complement the national ones.

Catalonia: Barcelona Activa and ACCIÓ

Barcelona’s local development agency supports entrepreneurs with training, advice, acceleration programmes, incubators and coworking.

Technology and social startups and the creative industries are a major focus. It helps entrepreneurs develop projects locally and internationally.

The Catalan government’s business agency ACCIÓ runs Startup Capital grants: up to €99,000 per company, 75% of eligible costs, for technology startups no more than 18 months old that have raised less than €250,000.

At the time of checking, ACCIÓ’s programme page showed no open call, so watch for the next one before counting on it.

Valencia: Startup Valencia, Lanzadera, IVF

Startup Valencia is the association of the region’s startups and scale-ups.

It develops the ecosystem and connects founders with investors and programmes, but does not award grants itself.

The Lanzadera accelerator offers programmes and funding, and the Valencian Institute of Finance (IVF) provides loans to companies in the region.

Madrid: Madrid Emprende and DeepTech Madrid

Madrid City Council’s programme for entrepreneurs: a network of incubators, advice, training and help finding funding and investors.

The regional government adds DeepTech Madrid for science-based startups: up to €50,000 per company; the 2026 window closed on 20 April.

Basque Country: Ekintzaile (SPRI)

One of the few regional startup grants still open at the end of 2026.

Ekintzaile gives up to €30,000 to a new innovative or technology-based project in a priority sector, covering up to 100% of eligible costs in the entrepreneurship line, for companies incorporated on or after 1 January 2024 with an activity centre in the Basque Country; the project is supervised by a Business Innovation Centre (BIC), and applications close on 11 December 2026.

European and private initiatives

The European Investment Fund (EIF) does not invest in startups directly: it funds venture capital funds and bank programmes through which money reaches companies.

The EU also runs its own programmes for deep tech.

Private accelerators — Wayra, SeedRocket, Lanzadera — provide not only money but access to international networks, mentors and expertise.

Where to find private investors: How to find an investor for a startup.

How to choose a programme

1. Define the stage and type of project. A technology product — Neotec and R&D credits; growth — ENISA and investors; going abroad — ICEX.
2. Check empresa emergente eligibility. If the project qualifies, it means a 15% rate and an argument for investors.
3. Combine programmes. Loans, grants, incentives and investor money can be combined; ENISA often comes alongside private capital.
4. Calculate co-financing. Programmes provide part of the money. The model must show where the rest comes from and whether cash lasts until payments arrive.
5. Check the current call. Amounts and terms change — rely on the current convocatoria.

Programmes assess a project with the same questions as an investor: concept, market, team, numbers.

So a strong financial model is needed for both the application and the investor conversation — build it once and properly.

Which funds and angel networks invest in startups in Spain, with what cheque sizes and how to reach them — see Venture capital in Spain.

Frequently asked questions

What startup support programmes are there in Spain?

ENISA loans, CDTI grants (Neotec), empresa emergente status under Law 28/2022 with tax incentives, R&D tax credits, the investor income tax credit, a reduced contribution for new autónomos, ICEX programmes, regional programmes and accelerators.

Are there startup grants in Spain in 2026?

Yes, but most work through calls with fixed windows. As of 25 October 2026 the Basque Ekintzaile call (up to €30,000) is open until 11 December 2026 and ICEX’s Rising Up in Spain until 31 December 2026; CDTI Neotec 2026 closed on 14 May, and the next call is the 2027 one. National loan funding comes from ENISA, with participating loans of €25,000–1,500,000 and sector lines such as Innovación x Clima.

Can a foreign founder get startup funding in Spain?

Yes, through a Spanish company: ENISA lends only to companies with their registered office and main activity in Spain, and empresa emergente status requires a registered office or permanent establishment there. ICEX’s Rising Up in Spain helps foreign startups set up, and a founder with a favourable ENISA report can get an entrepreneur residence permit for three years.

Is Kit Digital still available in 2026?

No. The last Kit Digital calls closed on 31 October 2025 and Kit Consulting on 31 March 2025; as of 25 October 2026 Red.es has published no new call. For a startup, ENISA, Neotec and regional grants are the realistic options.

How much can you get from ENISA?

From €25,000 to €1,500,000 as a participating loan with no collateral: as a rule up to 7 years, with the first 2 years interest only. ENISA co-finances the project and takes no equity.

What are the requirements for an ENISA loan?

A company with its registered office and main activity in Spain, an SME with a viable, innovative project. Own funds at least equal to the amount requested. Loans over €300,000 require audited accounts; for €300,000 or less, accounts filed with the Commercial Registry.

What is Neotec?

A CDTI grant for technology companies under three years old for a project based on own technology. Under the 2026 call, up to 70% of the budget, capped at €250,000 per company; up to 85% and €325,000 if the company hires a PhD. The 2026 call is closed; the next one is in 2027.

What does empresa emergente status give?

Corporate tax at 15% in the first profitable year and the next three, deferral of tax for the first two profitable years and other incentives under Law 28/2022. ENISA certifies the status.

What tax incentives does an investor in a Spanish startup get?

An income tax credit of 50% of the amount invested in the capital of a new or recently created company, on a base of up to €100,000 a year (art. 68.1 of the Income Tax Act), subject to the law’s conditions.

Can several programmes be combined?

Yes, that is common: an ENISA loan, a grant and investor money can come together. The financial model must show all sources and their timing, and no cost should be funded twice.

Key points about startup support in Spain

• ENISA — loans of €25,000–1,500,000 without collateral, first 2 years interest only.
• CDTI Neotec — up to 70% of a technology project’s budget, max €250,000.
• Empresa emergente — 15% corporate tax for 4 years and tax deferral; certified by ENISA.
• Investors get a 50% income tax credit on up to €100,000 a year.
• Open at the end of 2026: Ekintzaile in the Basque Country until 11 December, ICEX Rising Up in Spain until 31 December; Neotec reopens with the 2027 call.
• Amounts and terms change with each call — check the current one.

Sources

• Ley 28/2022 de fomento del ecosistema de las empresas emergentes — arts. 3, 4, 7, 8.
• Ley 27/2014 del Impuesto sobre Sociedades — arts. 29 and 35.
• Ley 35/2006 del IRPF — arts. 14.2.m, 42.3.f and 68.1.
• Ley 20/2007 del Estatuto del trabajo autónomo — arts. 38 ter and 38 quinquies.
• Ley 14/2013 de apoyo a los emprendedores — arts. 61, 69, 70, 74 bis.
• ENISA: financing terms; Ministry of Science: Neotec 2026.
• BOPV: Ekintzaile 2026; ACCIÓ: Startup Capital; ICEX: Rising Up in Spain 2026.

Checked as of 25 October 2026. This is an overview, not tax advice: confirm how the incentives apply to your company with a tax adviser (asesor fiscal).