SME grants: what subsidies exist and how to apply

First, find out whether your company is an SME: fewer than 250 people and an annual turnover of up to €50 million or a balance sheet total of up to €43 million, adding the figures of partner and linked enterprises (Recommendation 2003/361/EC). Among state grants, the CDTI funds R&D projects with up to 85% of the approved budget, ENISA grants participating loans of €25,000 to €1,500,000 with no collateral or personal guarantees, and ICEX Next funds internationalisation costs with up to €24,000. The public authorities report their calls to the National Grants Database (BDNS), so that is where the search starts.

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, arts. 3 and 6 (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) · BOE-B-2026-33136, summary notice of the ICEX Next 2026 call (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003 of 17 November, General Grants Law, arts. 18 and 20 (2026-11-14)

First: is your company an SME?

Many grants are only open to SMEs. That is why it is worth checking before reading anything else. The definition comes from a European recommendation and is based on two figures: headcount and money, either turnover or balance sheet total.

Medium-sized: fewer than 250 people and an annual turnover of up to €50 million or a balance sheet total of up to €43 million (Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, art. 2).
Small: fewer than 50 people and up to 10 million.
Micro-enterprise: fewer than 10 people and up to 2 million.
If another company holds 25% or more of your capital or voting rights, or you hold that much of theirs, you are partner enterprises. Their figures are added to yours in proportion to the shareholding. Those of linked enterprises are added at 100% (arts. 3 and 6).
The 2026 ICEX Next call, for example, required being an SME under annex I of Regulation (EU) 651/2014.

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, arts. 3 and 6 (2026-11-14) · BOE-B-2026-33136, summary notice of the ICEX Next 2026 call (2026-11-14)

Some state grants for SMEs

The CDTI funds companies' R&D projects with a partially repayable grant of up to 85% of the approved budget and a non-repayable portion of between 10% and 33%. Its call is open all year round. Partially repayable means that part is paid back and part is not.

ENISA grants SMEs 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. It is a loan, not a grant: it is repaid, but on terms designed for growing companies.

ICEX Next funds internationalisation costs with up to €24,000. Its 2026 call accepted applications until 30 October 2026.

CDTI R&D Projects may include funds from the ERDF and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (MRR). The authorities report their calls to the National Grants Database (BDNS), the national system for publicising grants (Ley 38/2003, art. 18).

These figures are those of each entry on the date of the data. The only valid source for the conditions of a grant is its call and its rules (regulatory bases): read them before deciding.

Source: CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs (2026-11-14) · BOE-B-2026-33136, summary notice of the ICEX Next 2026 call (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003 of 17 November, General Grants Law, arts. 18 and 20 (2026-11-14) · Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14) (2026-11-14)

Requirements set by the General Grants Law

Each call sets its own requirements. But others come from the law and are repeated in almost all of them. These are the ones most worth checking before you start preparing documents.

Fall outside the prohibitions of art. 13.2 of the General Grants Law: insolvency proceedings, convictions or penalties that remove the right to grants, or not being up to date with the tax authority, Social Security or the repayment of clawed-back grants.
Show, before the proposed decision, that you are up to date with the tax authority and Social Security (Ley 38/2003, art. 14.1.e).
If the aid is de minimis, stay within the cap of €300,000 per company over any period of 3 years (Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, art. 3.2).
For-profit companies subject to the Ley 3/2004 on late payment must show that they meet their payment deadlines for grants above €30,000 (Ley 38/2003, art. 13.3 bis).
For the CDTI, submit the application before starting the project, which is when the grant has an incentive effect.

Source: Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 13 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 14 (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. 13.3 bis (2026-11-14) · CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant (2026-11-14)

How they are awarded: competitive call

The ordinary procedure is the competitive call. Applications are compared according to the criteria in the rules and the call, and the award is made within the available budget (Ley 38/2003, art. 22.1). In plain terms: meeting the requirements is not enough, because you are competing with other companies for a fixed budget.

The maximum time to decide and notify is 6 months from the publication of the call, unless a law or European rules set another. If it expires without a decision, the application is deemed rejected (art. 25).

Payment is made after the activity has been justified, except for advance payments provided for in the rules (art. 34). That is why many companies have to pay the cost up front and be paid afterwards.

Source: Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 22 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 25 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, arts. 34 and 37 (2026-11-14)

How and where to apply

A company is required to deal with the Administration electronically (Ley 39/2015, art. 14.2). In practice, the application is submitted online, with the company's digital certificate.

If someone else applies on behalf of the company, they must prove they represent it. 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 (art. 5).

You do not have to provide documents the Administration already holds (art. 28). An incomplete application can be corrected within 10 days, a period that is not extended in a competitive call (art. 68). Periods counted in days are working days: they exclude Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (art. 30). Note the date of the request carefully, because that margin is short.

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 39/2015, arts. 28, 30 and 68 (2026-11-14)

What to watch so you do not lose the grant

Getting the grant awarded is only one part. After that you have to comply with what the rules say, and the most common failures repeat themselves.

Add up the figures of partner or linked enterprises before declaring yourself an SME.
Tell the granting body about other grants or income that fund the same activity (Ley 38/2003, art. 14.1.d).
Spend within the period set by the rules and without exceeding market value (art. 31.1).
Justify properly and on time: failing to justify, or justifying insufficiently, is grounds for repayment with late-payment interest (art. 37).

Source: Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, arts. 3 and 6 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 14 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 31 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, arts. 34 and 37 (2026-11-14)

What Aupamos does for SMEs

Reading gazettes and rules takes time. This is what we do so that a deadline does not catch you off guard.

We alert you for free to every open grant that fits your province and your 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 of charge and we reply within 48 hours on working days from when 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. We answer 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. No advance payment: we invoice when the money is in your account. You pay the fee with your own funds; 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 ask for and submit the application. The Kit Digital is outside the service.

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

How do I know whether my company is small, medium-sized or micro?

Look at headcount and turnover or balance sheet total, adding the figures of partner enterprises in proportion to the shareholding and those of linked enterprises at 100%. With fewer than 10 people and up to 2 million, you are a micro-enterprise. With fewer than 50 and up to 10 million, small (Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, art. 2).

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, arts. 3 and 6 (2026-11-14)

Can I apply for several grants for the same project?

The sum of grants, aid, income or resources cannot exceed the cost of the subsidised activity (Ley 38/2003, art. 19.3). And the law requires you to tell the granting body about any other grant or income that funds the same activity (art. 14.1.d).

Source: Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 19 (2026-11-14) · Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 14 (2026-11-14)

How long does a grant take to be decided?

The maximum time is 6 months from the publication of the call, unless a law or European rules set another (Ley 38/2003, art. 25). If it expires without a decision, the application is deemed rejected.

Source: Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 25 (2026-11-14)

What happens if I am awarded the grant and then do not complete the whole project?

Total or partial failure to meet the objective or carry out the activity is grounds for repayment with late-payment interest, as is failing to justify or justifying insufficiently (Ley 38/2003, art. 37).

Source: Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, arts. 34 and 37 (2026-11-14)

How much do you charge to handle a grant for my SME?

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 when the money is in your account, with no advance payment, and you pay the fee with your own funds.

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

Sources

An SME is a company with fewer than 250 people and an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million; small, fewer than 50 people and up to 10 million; micro-enterprise, fewer than 10 people and up to €2 million (Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, art. 2). (Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003, OJ L 124 of 20-05-2003, 2026-11-14)
Partner enterprises are those holding 25% or more of the capital or voting rights of another; the figures of a company are added to those of its partners in proportion to the shareholding and 100% of those of its linked enterprises (Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, arts. 3 and 6). (Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC, annex, arts. 3 and 6, 2026-11-14)
The total amount of de minimis aid granted by a Member State to a single undertaking may not 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)
CDTI R&D Projects: for companies, call open all year round, partially repayable grant of up to 85% of the approved budget with a non-repayable portion of between 10% and 33%; it has an incentive effect if the application is submitted before the project starts. (CDTI, summary sheet for the CDTI R&D Projects grant, 2026-11-14)
CDTI R&D Projects may include third-party funds from the ERDF and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (MRR). (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 to SMEs, with a term of up to 7 years and a capital grace period of up to 2 years. (ENISA, Financing for startups and SMEs, 2026-11-14)
The 2026 call of the ICEX Next Programme requires being an SME under annex I of Regulation (EU) 651/2014 and accepted applications until 30 October 2026; ICEX Next funds internationalisation costs with up to €24,000. (BOE-B-2026-33136, summary notice of the ICEX Next 2026 call, 2026-11-14)
The National Grants Database (BDNS) is the national system for publicising grants; the authorities report their calls and awards to it (Ley 38/2003, arts. 18 and 20). (Ley 38/2003 of 17 November, General Grants Law, arts. 18 and 20, 2026-11-14)
Among others, the following cannot be grant beneficiaries: persons or entities in insolvency proceedings, convicted or penalised with loss of the right to grants, or not up to date with the tax authority, Social Security or the repayment of clawed-back grants (Ley 38/2003, art. 13.2). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 13, 2026-11-14)
For-profit individuals and legal entities subject to the Ley 3/2004 on late payment must show that they meet the payment deadlines of that law to obtain beneficiary status for grants above €30,000 (Ley 38/2003, art. 13.3 bis). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 13.3 bis, 2026-11-14)
The beneficiary must tell the granting body about other grants or income that fund the same activity and show, before the proposed decision, that it is up to date with the tax authority and Social Security (Ley 38/2003, art. 14.1.d and e). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 14, 2026-11-14)
The amount of grants may not be such that, alone or together with other grants, aid, income or resources, it exceeds the cost of the subsidised activity (Ley 38/2003, art. 19.3). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 19, 2026-11-14)
The ordinary award procedure is the competitive call: applications are compared according to the criteria in the rules and the call, and the award is made within the available budget (Ley 38/2003, art. 22.1). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 22, 2026-11-14)
The maximum time to decide and notify a grant may not exceed 6 months from the publication of the call, unless a law or European rules set another; if it expires without a decision, the application is deemed rejected (Ley 38/2003, art. 25). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, art. 25, 2026-11-14)
Eligible expenses are those that unquestionably relate to the subsidised activity, are strictly necessary and are incurred within the period set by the rules; their cost may not 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, except for advance payments provided for in the rules (art. 34); grounds for repayment with late-payment interest include failing to justify or justifying insufficiently and total or partial failure to meet the objective or carry out the activity (art. 37) (Ley 38/2003). (Ley 38/2003, General Grants Law, arts. 34 and 37, 2026-11-14)
Legal persons and entities without legal personality are required to deal with the public authorities electronically (Ley 39/2015, art. 14.2). (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 representation, 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)
Interested parties do not have to provide documents the Administration already holds (art. 28.2); periods counted in days are working days and exclude Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (art. 30.2); an incomplete application can be corrected within 10 days, a period that is not extended in a competitive call (art. 68) (Ley 39/2015). (Ley 39/2015, arts. 28, 30 and 68, 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 (declared 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 (declared 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, answers requests to correct the application and follows the file through to the decision and payment (declared by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)
The award is decided by the Administration that issues the call, 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, answer requests and follow the file (declared by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)
Application handling is for self-employed people, companies and associations; individuals receive the alerts for free. Aupamos does not act as a legal or tax adviser: it tells you what the rules ask for and submits the application. The Kit Digital is outside the service (declared 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 when the money has been paid into the client's account, with no advance payment; the client pays the fee with their own funds and it does not come out of the grant (declared by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)
The eligibility check is free of charge and is answered within 48 hours on working days from when the complete details are received (declared by the owner). (Vera Senses S.L., owner of aupamos.com (Aitor, 2026-11-14), 2026-11-14)

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