Investment grants for SMEs and the self-employed: machinery, R&D and modernisation

Yes, there are grants for investing: subsidies, which as a general rule are awarded through a competitive call (Ley 38/2003, art. 22), and public loans. Among the state-level programmes, the CDTI funds R&D projects with a partially repayable grant of up to 85% of the approved budget plus a non-repayable portion. ENISA grants participating loans of €25,000 to €1,500,000 with no collateral or personal guarantees. At the CDTI, the application must be submitted in writing before you start work on the project.

Source: Ley 38/2003 of 17 November, General Grants Law, art. 22 (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs (2026-11-14)

What types of investment grants exist

There are two main families: grants, which you do not repay if you meet what the call requires, and public loans, which you do repay, although on different terms from a bank's.

The ordinary procedure for awarding a grant is the competitive call: applications are compared against the criteria in the call's rules (regulatory bases) and the call itself, and the award is made within the available budget (Ley 38/2003, art. 22.1). That is why meeting the requirements is not enough: your application competes with the others. Payment is made after you justify the activity, and advance payments are only possible if the governing rules expressly provide for them (Ley 38/2003, art. 34.3 and 34.4).

Loans are repaid. The CDTI offers a partially repayable grant, with a non-repayable portion, and ENISA grants participating loans with no collateral or personal guarantees. CDTI projects may include third-party funds from the ERDF (FEDER) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (MRR).

Before choosing a programme, it helps to be clear about what you will buy or develop, how much it costs and when you will do it. With that, it is easier to see which call fits and which does not.

Source: Ley 38/2003 of 17 November, General Grants Law, art. 22 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 34 (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs (2026-11-14) · CDTI, R&D Projects (summary sheet) (2026-11-14)

CDTI: R&D projects

This programme is aimed at businesses that want to genuinely create or improve something, not just renew equipment. These are the details from its summary sheet:

For businesses that carry out R&D projects aimed at creating or significantly improving production processes, products or services, with industrial research or experimental development activities, with no restriction on sector or technology. The call is open all year.
Partially repayable grant of up to 85% of the approved budget; the business contributes at least 15% from its own resources.
Non-repayable portion of between 10% and 33%, an advance of up to 50% with a cap of €300,000 and repayment over 10 or 15 years with a grace period of 2 to 3.
Minimum eligible budget of €175,000 and a duration of 12 to 36 months, or 12 to 48 for national cooperation projects.
According to the CDTI, the grant has an incentive effect if the application is submitted in writing before you start work on the project.
The grant is incompatible with other public grants for the same project, subject to the exceptions in the instrument's summary sheet.

Source: CDTI, R&D Projects (summary sheet) (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14)

ENISA: participating loans for SMEs

A participating loan is a loan whose interest depends in part on how the business performs. These are the terms ENISA publishes:

Loans of €25,000 to €1,500,000 with no collateral or personal guarantees; the amount is reviewed every year.
Term of up to 7 years with a capital grace period of up to 2 years.
Interest has two tiers: the first is 1-year Euribor plus a margin; the second depends on the business's financial return, and is zero if that return is negative.
Requirements: be an SME, a company incorporated in Spain with its own legal personality and tax residence in Spain, in any sector except real estate and finance, with equity at least equal to the loan.
You must have filed the accounts for the last financial year; if above €300,000 they must be audited.

Source: ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs (2026-11-14) · ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs (2026-11-14) · ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs (2026-11-14)

General requirements and programme-specific ones

Each call has its own requirements, but several come up in many investment grants. Go through them before you start on the paperwork:

For grants aimed at SMEs: fewer than 250 people and annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million (Recommendation 2003/361/EC, art. 2), adding together the figures of partner and linked enterprises.
Be up to date with the tax authority, Social Security and the repayment of grants, and fall outside the prohibitions in art. 13.2 of Ley 38/2003, such as being in insolvency proceedings or penalised with the loss of the right to grants.
If the grant is de minimis aid, the total awarded to a single business cannot exceed €300,000 over any period of 3 years (Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, art. 3.2).
The expense must clearly relate to the subsidised activity, be strictly necessary, be incurred within the period set in the rules and not exceed market value (Ley 38/2003, art. 31.1).

Source: Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003, OJ L 124 of 20-05-2003 (2026-11-14) · Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, art. 6 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 13 (2026-11-14) · Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 of 13 December 2023 on de minimis aid (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 31 (2026-11-14)

How and where to apply

If someone else submits the application for you, they must prove they represent you, for example with a power of attorney granted apud acta at the administration's online portal or one registered in the electronic register of powers of attorney (Ley 39/2015, arts. 5 and 6).

A grant is paid after the activity has been justified (Ley 38/2003, art. 34.3). At the CDTI there is an advance of up to 50%, capped at €300,000. Take this into account when planning the cash flow for the investment.

Source: Ley 39/2015 of 1 October, on Common Administrative Procedure, art. 14 (2026-11-14) · Ley 39/2015, arts. 5 and 6 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 34 (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14)

What to watch so you do not lose the grant

Many grants are lost over details that could have been foreseen. These are the points most worth checking:

At the CDTI, submit the application in writing before you start work on the project.
Add together the figures of partner or linked enterprises when working out whether you are an SME; for partner enterprises, in proportion to the shareholding.
Prepare the application with the criteria in the rules in mind, because in a competitive call applications are compared (Ley 38/2003, art. 22.1).
Buy at a cost that does not exceed market value (Ley 38/2003, art. 31.1). Keep quotes and invoices.
Deliver the approved project: failing to deliver it in whole or in part, justifying it insufficiently or failing to meet the commitments is grounds for repayment (Ley 38/2003, art. 37.1).

Source: CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, art. 6 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003 of 17 November, General Grants Law, art. 22 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 31 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 37 (2026-11-14)

What Aupamos does with these grants

If you do not have time to read gazettes or wrestle with the rules, we can give you a push. This is what we do and what we do not:

We alert you for free to every open grant that fits your province and profile, with a summary in plain language, its deadline and the link to the official call.
If one interests you, the eligibility check is free and we reply within 48 hours on working days once we have your complete details.
If it fits and you accept the proposal in writing, we prepare and submit the application on your behalf with your power of attorney, within the deadline, respond to any requests to correct the application and follow the file through to the decision and payment.
We only charge if the grant is awarded and you get paid: 15% + VAT (21%) of the amount awarded up to €20,000 and 10% + VAT (21%) of the part between €20,000 and €100,000. We charge it once the money is in your account, with no advance payment. You pay the fee from your own funds and it does not come out of the grant.
We are a private service of Vera Senses S.L., independent of any administration. The Administration decides the award under the call's rules and its budget, and no award is ever assured.
We do not act as legal or tax advisers: we tell you what the rules require and we submit the application.

Source: Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14) · Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14) · Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14) · Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14) · Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14) · Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14) · Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14)

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for a grant for a machine I have already bought?

It depends on the rules: eligible expenditure is what is incurred within the period they set (Ley 38/2003, art. 31.1). If the purchase falls outside that period, it does not count. At the CDTI, the grant only has an incentive effect if the application is submitted in writing before you start work on the project.

Source: Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 31 (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14)

Does an ENISA or CDTI loan count as a grant?

No: they are loans and they are repaid, although the CDTI has a non-repayable portion of between 10% and 33%. The CDTI states that its grant is incompatible with other public grants for the same project, subject to the exceptions in the instrument's summary sheet.

Source: CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs (2026-11-14)

Do I have to front the money for the investment?

For grants, payment is made after justification, and advance payments are only possible if the governing rules expressly provide for them (Ley 38/2003, art. 34). At the CDTI there is an advance of up to 50% with a cap of €300,000.

Source: Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 34 (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14)

I am self-employed. Can I apply for investment grants?

ENISA requires a company with its own legal personality, so a self-employed person does not fit there. Other programmes do accept the self-employed: the PREE for tertiary buildings, for example, includes them among possible recipients if they own the building or tertiary-use premises, depending on what each regional call establishes.

Source: ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs (2026-11-14) · IDAE, Which actions are eligible for subsidy. PREE for tertiary buildings (2026-11-14)

Can you assure me that I will be awarded the grant?

No. The award is decided by the Administration that issues the call, with its own rules and budget. What we do is check the requirements, prepare and submit the application correctly and on time, respond to requests and follow the file.

Source: Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003 of 17 November, General Grants Law, art. 22 (2026-11-14)

How much do you charge to handle an investment grant?

We only charge if the grant is awarded and you get paid: 15% + VAT (21%) of the amount awarded up to €20,000 and 10% + VAT (21%) of the part between €20,000 and €100,000. We invoice it once the money is in your account, with no advance payment, and you pay it from your own funds.

Source: Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14)

Sources

The ordinary award procedure is the competitive call: applications are compared against the criteria in the call's rules (regulatory bases) and the call itself, and the award is made within the available budget (Ley 38/2003, art. 22.1). (Ley 38/2003 of 17 November, General Grants Law, art. 22, 2026-11-14)
CDTI R&D Projects: for businesses, with no restriction on sector, call open all year; partially repayable grant of up to 85% of the approved budget, with at least 15% from own resources, a non-repayable portion of between 10% and 33%, an advance of up to 50% with a cap of €300,000 and repayment over 10 or 15 years with a grace period of 2 to 3. (CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant, 2026-11-14)
CDTI R&D Projects: minimum eligible budget of €175,000 and a duration of 12 to 36 months (12 to 48 for national cooperation). (CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant, 2026-11-14)
According to the CDTI, the grant has an incentive effect if, before starting work on the project, the beneficiary has submitted its grant application in writing. (CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant, 2026-11-14)
For projects funded by the CDTI, the grant is incompatible with other public grants for the same project, subject to the exceptions in the instrument's summary sheet. (CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant, 2026-11-14)
ENISA grants participating loans of €25,000 to €1,500,000 with no collateral or personal guarantees, with a term of up to 7 years and a capital grace period of up to 2 years; the amount is reviewed every year and the interest is variable in two tiers. (ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs, 2026-11-14)
ENISA requirements: be an SME, a company incorporated in Spain with its own legal personality and tax residence in Spain, any sector except real estate and finance, equity at least equal to the loan and the accounts for the last financial year filed; if above €300,000 the accounts must be audited. (ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs, 2026-11-14)
An SME is a business with fewer than 250 people and annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million (Recommendation 2003/361/EC, art. 2). (Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003, OJ L 124 of 20-05-2003, 2026-11-14)
The figures of a business with partner or linked enterprises are calculated by adding together the figures of those enterprises, partner enterprises in proportion to the shareholding (Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, art. 6). (Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, art. 6, 2026-11-14)
The total amount of de minimis aid awarded by a Member State to a single business cannot exceed €300,000 over any period of 3 years (Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, art. 3.2). (Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 of 13 December 2023 on de minimis aid, 2026-11-14)
Among others, the following cannot be grant beneficiaries: persons or entities that are in insolvency proceedings, convicted or penalised with the loss of the right to grants, or that are not up to date with the tax authority, Social Security or the repayment of grants (Ley 38/2003, art. 13.2). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 13, 2026-11-14)
Eligible expenses are those that clearly relate to the subsidised activity, are strictly necessary and are incurred within the period set in the rules; their cost cannot exceed market value (Ley 38/2003, art. 31.1). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 31, 2026-11-14)
The grant is paid after the activity has been justified; advance payments are only possible if the governing rules expressly provide for them (Ley 38/2003, art. 34.3 and 34.4). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 34, 2026-11-14)
Repayment is required, among other cases, for failing in whole or in part to meet the objective or the project, for insufficient justification or for failing to meet the commitments assumed with the award (Ley 38/2003, art. 37.1). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 37, 2026-11-14)
Legal entities and bodies without legal personality are required to deal with the public authorities electronically; individuals can choose unless expressly obliged (Ley 39/2015, art. 14). (Ley 39/2015 of 1 October, on Common Administrative Procedure, art. 14, 2026-11-14)
To submit applications on behalf of another person you must prove that you represent them, for example with a power of attorney granted apud acta at the administration's online portal or one registered in the electronic register of powers of attorney (Ley 39/2015, arts. 5 and 6). (Ley 39/2015, arts. 5 and 6, 2026-11-14)
CDTI R&D Projects: grants for R&D projects carried out by businesses and aimed at creating and significantly improving production processes, products or services; they may include industrial research and experimental development activities, with no restriction on sector or technology. (CDTI, R&D Projects (summary sheet), 2026-11-14)
CDTI R&D Projects may include third-party funds from the ERDF (FEDER) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (MRR). (CDTI, R&D Projects (summary sheet), 2026-11-14)
The interest on ENISA participating loans has two tiers: the first is 1-year Euribor plus a margin; the second depends on the business's financial return, and is zero if that return is negative. (ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs, 2026-11-14)
In the PREE for tertiary buildings, depending on what each regional call establishes, the recipients may include individuals carrying out an economic activity (self-employed) who own buildings, premises or parts of a building in tertiary use. (IDAE, Which actions are eligible for subsidy. PREE for tertiary buildings, 2026-11-14)
Aupamos is a private service of Vera Senses S.L., independent of any administration; the official call and its rules (regulatory bases) are the only valid source for the conditions of each grant (stated by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)
The alerts are free: anyone who signs up with their email, province and profile (self-employed, SME, association or individual) receives by email every open grant that fits their province and profile, with a summary in plain language, the deadline and the link to the official call (stated by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)
If the grant fits and the client accepts the proposal in writing, Aupamos prepares and submits the application on their behalf with their power of attorney, within the call's deadline, responds to requests to correct the application and follows the file through to the decision and payment (stated by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)
The Administration that issues the call decides the award under the call's rules and its budget, and no award is ever assured; Aupamos undertakes to check the requirements, prepare and submit the application correctly and on time, respond to requests and follow the file (stated by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)
Application handling is for the self-employed, businesses and associations; individuals receive the alerts for free. Aupamos does not act as a legal or tax adviser: it says what the rules require and submits the application. Kit Digital is outside the service (stated by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)
Application handling is charged only if the grant is awarded and the client gets paid: 15% + VAT (21%) of the amount awarded up to €20,000 and 10% + VAT (21%) of the part between €20,000 and €100,000; it is invoiced once the money is in the client's account, with no advance payment; the client pays the fee from their own funds and it does not come out of the grant (stated by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)
The eligibility check is free and is answered within 48 hours on working days once the complete details are received (stated by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)

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