INFORMATION ON THE CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:
Entity: ICEX Spain Export and Investment
Recipients: Large enterprises, SMEs, and self-employed individuals engaged in economic activity.
Requirements:
- Engagement in economic activity: Must be in a position to carry out an economic activity at the time of grant allocation, regardless of legal form.
- Legal personality: Must have a distinct legal personality, be duly constituted at the time of grant allocation, and maintain a permanent establishment or branch in Spain when the grant is disbursed.
- SME classification: Must qualify as an SME according to Annex I of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014. Small mid-cap companies (entities with up to 499 employees that are not SMEs) may also be eligible, as per Article 2(6) of EU Regulation 2015/2017 of the European Fund for Strategic Investments.
- Foreign ownership: At least 50% of the company’s share capital must be held by foreign investors, either legal entities domiciled abroad or non-resident individuals.
- No outstanding debts with ICEX: Applicants must not have any outstanding debts with ICEX.
- Not disqualified from receiving grants: Must not be in any of the situations outlined in Sections 2, 3, and 3 bis of Article 13 of Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Subsidies Law. Compliance with the payment deadlines set in Law 3/2004, of December 29, on combating late payment in commercial transactions must also be demonstrated.
- Not classified as a “company in crisis”: Must not be in a “company in crisis” situation as defined in Article 1.4(c) of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014 and Article 2.18 of the same regulation.
- Compliance with foreign investment regulations: Must adhere to the current regulations on foreign investments.
- Equal treatment and opportunities: Must comply with the legal framework on equal treatment and opportunities for men and women in employment and occupation.
- No debts with the Administration: Must not have outstanding debts for reimbursement of grants or loans with the Administration or be subject to a recovery order following a European Commission decision declaring a grant illegal or incompatible with the common market.
- No excluded activities: The project must not include any activities listed in Article 8.5 of the present Order of Bases, whether carried out by the beneficiary company or a subcontractor.
Sector: Innovation
Subsector: –
Application Deadline: March 16, 2025
Reference Websites: BOE (Official State Gazette)
Eligible Expenses:
- Funding is available for expenses related to industrial research or experimental development projects, provided they fall within the following categories:
- Personnel costs: Researchers, technicians, and support staff dedicated to the project. Employees must sign timesheets as a requirement.
- Equipment and materials: Only eligible for funding to the extent and duration they are used for the project. If their use does not span their full useful life, only depreciation costs corresponding to the project’s duration will be considered, based on generally accepted accounting principles.
- Buildings and land:
- Buildings: Only depreciation costs corresponding to the project’s duration will be eligible.
- Land: Eligible costs include commercial transfer costs or actual capital expenditures incurred.
- Contract research and consultancy: Expenses related to contracted research, knowledge acquisition, and patent licenses from external sources under fair market conditions. This also includes consultancy and equivalent services exclusively dedicated to the project.
- General and additional operational expenses: Includes materials, supplies, and similar products directly derived from the project.
- Indirect costs: Can be financed through a fixed rate of up to 15% of eligible direct personnel costs.
- Taxes: Eligible only if the beneficiary has actually paid them. Indirect taxes are not considered eligible expenses.
Aid Intensity:
- The minimum total amount of eligible expenses per application must be at least €500,000.
- The maximum grant per beneficiary is €800,000.
Not subject to de minimis rules.
CALLING ENTITY:
Entity: ICEX Spain Export and Investment
Administration: Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Business
Geographic Scope: National
Type of Aid: Grant
PUBLICATION REFERENCE:
More information here
