ENISA for Startups

Participatory loan

Financing

The line is designed to support innovative startups and SMEs in any phase of the project's life.

Modality

Participatory loan that is not convertible to equity.

Amortization

Up to 7 years of amortization with a grace period of up to 5 years.

Interest

Applied in two sections. The first tranche will be Euribor +4 or +6% and the second will be an additional 6.5% maximum depending on the company's profitability.

Guarantees

They do not require personal guarantees or guarantees, which makes it much more interesting than a traditional bank loan

Amortization

9 years, with a 7 year grace period

Funding

The company must make or have recently made a capital injection

Modality

Participatory loans

Interest

Applied in two sections. The first tranche will be Euribor + 3.25% and the second will be an additional 6% maximum depending on the company's profitability.

Guarantees

They do not require personal guarantees or guarantees, which makes it much more interesting than a traditional bank loan

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ENISA funding is very suitable for innovative startups and SMEs and is fully complementary to bank funding. They are among the first lines that entrepreneurs turn to to finance their company in the earliest stages and to be able to grow their project. Enisa's equity loans are ideal to accompany private investment rounds or capital increases carried out by partners, since Enisa works to equal or almost equal the amount of equity that the company has. It is highly advisable to have funding from Enisa so that entrepreneurs do not dilute their share of shares and control over the company so much.

In 2025, ENISA closed the year with its best historical results: 514 participatory loans granted for a total amount of 86.2 million euros, with an average ticket of 179,364 euros. In the historical cumulative amount, ENISA has granted 9,541 loans to 8,283 companies for a total amount of 1,471 million euros.
Beneficiaries of Enisa participatory loans
The ENISA funding lines are designed for small and medium-sized Spanish companies that use innovation as a central factor in their business strategy. The National Innovation Company, S.A. (ENISA) has funding lines for startups and SMEs in stages of growth or consolidation with viable and profitable business models. ENISA grants are generally intended to finance the improvement of the company's competitiveness in its different growth needs, through the provision of participatory loans without guarantees and with a variable interest rate depending on the company's profitability. Enisa is the public entity that approves the most participatory loans in Spain.
What type of financing does Enisa offer?
The main characteristic of Enisa loans is that they do not require personal guarantees or guarantees, so an exhaustive viability plan must be drawn up to justify the project presented. The main advantage of Enisa's equity loans compared to a traditional bank loan is the lack of requirement for personal guarantees and the long repayment and grace periods.
What are the requirements for obtaining an Enisa loan?
The requirements for obtaining an Enisa loan are to have established the commercial company and to be a startup or SME, in accordance with European Union regulations. Mainly, it limits access to companies with more than 250 employees and with a turnover of more than 50 million euros. Beneficiary companies must carry out their main activity and have their registered office in Spain. In addition, your business model must provide some innovative element with respect to the sector in which it is located or have a very differentiated element that gives it a competitive advantage over the competition. Companies linked to the financial and real estate sectors, in general, cannot access Enisa's funding. Although there are exceptions and increasingly so, because companies are starting to be born that make technology for these sectors and help to transform them, and those companies could get their loans. Therefore, it is always important to assess the fit of the application with an expert consultant to help you maximize your options for obtaining funding.
The funding is conditioned on the fact that the company makes or has recently made a capital contribution equal to or greater than the aid requested.
Can you request more than one Enisa loan?
Yes. New financing can be requested whenever changes and growth occur in the company. Through new capital increases or considerable growth in its cash flow.
Does Enisa finance the business project 100%?
No, Enisa avoids being the majority financier of business projects and is a co-investor organization. Therefore, a good time to apply for Enisa is after a capital increase or investment round.
What differences does Enisa have compared to a bank loan?
- It does not require endorsements or personal guarantees.
- It has up to two years of grace period.
- The variable interest percentage of the loan is calculated based on the company's income.
How to apply for an Enisa?
To obtain an ENISA participatory loan, you must follow these steps:

1. Prior preparation. Before submitting the application, it is essential to verify that the company meets the requirements (legal form, tax address in Spain, sufficient own funds, being up to date with the Treasury and Social Security) and to clearly define the amount to be requested and the business plan that supports it.

2. Submission of the application. The request is submitted through the ENISA Customer Portal. Once submitted, the company has 30 days to complete and upload all the required documentation. If that period elapses without having completed it, the process must be started from scratch.

3. Admission phase. The ENISA admissions team verifies that the documentation is complete and that formal requirements are met. This phase can last up to 30 days.

4. Analysis phase. An analyst is assigned to evaluate the project in depth: technical and economic viability, promotional team, financial projections and equity structure. It is common for the analyst to request additional information or clarification.

5. Resolution and formalization. If the Committee approves the transaction, the company receives the concession communication. From there, you have up to 60 days to provide the final documentation (including the capital increase document registered in the Commercial Registry, if applicable) and sign the policy before a notary. The disbursement occurs 1-2 days after signing.

Estimated total time of the process: between 2 and 4 months from submission to account entry, although with the new continuous funding model (without seasonality), deadlines tend to be more agile than in previous years.

Having the support of a specialized consultant makes a real difference in this process. Not only does it offload the founding team from work that requires time and technical knowledge, but it significantly increases the chances of success and can have an impact on the final amount awarded. At Intelectium, we have been supporting startups and SMEs in applying for ENISA for more than 20 years, with a 100% successful model: we don't charge anything until the company receives funding.
How to present an Enisa?
The basic documentation that ENISA requests in all its lines includes:
— Deed of incorporation of the company and subsequent deeds affecting legal personality (changes of name, address, capital increases, etc.).

— NIF of the company and DNI/Passport of the signatories.

— Annual accounts for the last closed financial year deposited with the Mercantile Registry (if the company has already closed any financial year).

— Business plan and financial projections for 5 years.

— Certificates of being up to date with the Tax Agency and Social Security.

— Direct debit document and certificate of account ownership.

— Innovation report prepared by an external expert (in some cases).

— External audit of accounts, only if the amount requested exceeds 300,000 euros.

Incomplete documentation is one of the most common causes of inadmissibility. Having all the documentation updated and correctly provided right from the start is key to not missing the 30-day deadline given by ENISA after the registration of the application.
Can you apply for ENISA without having billing?
In general, no. ENISA has tightened its judgment in recent years and, although there is no officially published minimum billing threshold, in practice analysts value projects without any commercial traction very negatively.

A company with no billing or with a very incipient turnover has a significantly lower probability of approval than one with a certain sales history, even if it is modest. There are exceptions, but they are just that: exceptions. Projects with a very specific profile: deep tech, healthtech, biotech or other sectors with long validation cycles, may have options if they compensate for the absence of billing with elements that provide solid external validation signals: letters of interest signed by potential customers, LOIs, ongoing pilots, agreements with hospitals or research centers, etc.

In any case, what ENISA always requires is that the company be incorporated as a commercial company, that it has its own funds equivalent to the amount requested, and that the business plan and financial projections be solid and credible.

If your company is in the pre-revenue phase, we recommend that you do an eligibility assessment before submitting the application. A prior analysis by a specialized consultant can save you time and guide you on whether the time is right or if it is worth reinforcing some aspects of the project first before presenting it.

Why work with Intelectium for your ENISA?We have been specializing in public funding for innovative startups and SMEs for more than 20 years. We have accompanied hundreds of companies in obtaining ENISA loans in all their lines and stages, from projects in the pre-revenue phase to companies in Series A rounds.

We work with a 100% successful model: we don't charge anything until your company receives funding. If you want to know if your company fits ENISA and how much you could achieve, write to us at dealflow@intelectium.com and we'll give you a free assessment.
ENISA has 4 different lines of funding:
Startups and SMEs
Up to 1.5M€
Aimed at financing viable and innovative startups and SMEs, both in the creation and growth phases, that wish to promote their business project.

To determine the amount, among other factors, the amount of own funds and the financial structure of the company will be assessed.
See more
Digital Entrepreneurs
Up to 1.5M€
Aid aimed at supporting and promoting women's digital entrepreneurship projects and reducing the gender gap.
See more
Agro SME AgriInnpulso
Up to 1.5M€
Aid aimed at supporting startups and SMEs that are part of the value chain of the agri-food sector.
See more
Audiovisual and Cultural and Creative Industries
Up to 1.5M€
Help aimed at channeling all the innovative potential of culture, and of audiovisual creations, as well as video games.
See more
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