What are the main financial bodies and institutions that promote the creation of entrepreneurial projects in the Basque Country?
The Basque Business Development Agency has a budget of 433 million euros, for the financing of startups and SMEs in the Basque Country. In addition to the program of Aid for industrial cybersecurity, through a total of 68 programs, the business group encourages projects of digital transformation, entrepreneurship, industrial development, internationalization, and innovation, among others. If you have an entrepreneurial project or want to develop it, and you meet the specific requirements of each call, you can benefit from these lines of funding for startups and SMEs in the Basque Country.
Digital transformation
To accelerate the inclusion of 5G technology in the business fabric and encourage the digital transition.
- Type of funding: Grants of up to 100,000€ per company per year (with a maximum intensity of 75% of eligible expenses and investments).
- Beneficiaries: Companies with economic activity in the Basque Country, regardless of their size and sector to which they belong.
- Main requirements: The beneficiary company must demonstrate that the project allows the supply and demand of 5G technology to be activated in the territory.
- Deadline for submitting applications: Next opening in June 2021
To promote improvements in the cybersecurity of industrial companies in the Basque Country, placing special interest in projects that address the convergence and integration of protection systems against cyberattacks for IT/OT environments.
- Type of funding: Non-refundable grants of up to 18,000€.
- Beneficiaries: Industrial companies and related services (technical, design and logistics) linked to the industrial product-process. And, parent companies of industrial groups and related services linked to the industrial product-process located within the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country.
- Main requirements: In those cases in which the beneficiary company is less than 12 months old at the date of submission of the application for aid, it must submit its business plan.
- Deadline for submitting applications: 26/11/2021
Entrepreneurship
Aurrera 2021 To facilitate access to long-term finance that boosts the growth of startups and newly created SMEs.
- Type of funding: Long-term loans of between €50,000 and €250,000. The funding period is up to 7 years, with a maximum of 2 years of grace period.-Beneficiaries: SMEs in the Basque Country with a technological or innovative profile and a seniority of less than 3 years.
- Main requirements: The beneficiary company must commit to generating at least 3 new jobs in 3 years and belong to one of the following sectors: industrial, services related to industry or TEICs.
- Deadline for submitting applications: 31/12/2021
Industrial development
To strengthen companies in the industrial fabric of the Basque Country affected by the consequences of Covid-19 that have carried out merger and/or absorption projects.
- Type of funding: Non-refundable grants of up to €500,000.
- Beneficiaries: SMEs, from the Basque Country, industrial and related services linked to the industrial product-process.
- Main requirements: The aided investments should be aimed at increasing the productive capacity of the beneficiary company.
- Deadline for submitting applications: Pending call
To boost competitiveness and consolidate the medium and long-term viability of industrial companies in crisis situations, through the application of measures for their restructuring and relaunch, both financial and industrial.
- Type of funding: Refundable advances of up to 1,000,000€ (corresponding to up to 50% of the cost of the restructuring plan)
- Beneficiaries: SMEs, from the Basque Country, industrial and related services linked to the industrial product-process.
- Main requirements: The plan must include a detailed description of the financial measures to be applied, including the financial commitments of the company's shareholders.
- Deadline for submitting applications: 15/10/2021.
To promote the creation and development of innovative startups and SMEs that improve the productivity of the business fabric of the Basque Country.
- Type of funding: Long-term loans of up to 150,000€ for each new job created or of up to 100,000€ when the project contributes to the maintenance of the initial workforce. In both cases, the funding period is 5 years.
- Beneficiaries: Industrial and related service companies in the Basque Country that are considered to be technologically and/or innovatively based.
- Main requirements: The beneficiary company must invest at least 120,000€ in a project that allows them to maintain or create new jobs for 2 years.
- Deadline for submitting applications: Open
To boost the competitiveness of the Basque industrial fabric, helping companies to overcome the impact of Covid-19 on their activities through a refinancing process carried out by external professionals.
- Type of funding: Non-refundable grants of up to €30,000. The maximum aid intensity is 80% of consulting expenses.
- Beneficiaries: Industrial and related service companies in the Basque Country.
- Deadline for submitting applications: 15/09/2021.
To strengthen the industrial fabric of the Basque Country affected by the consequences of Covid-19, through the diversification of its activity and the creation of new innovative products and services.
- Type of funding: Non-refundable grants of up to 1M €.
- Beneficiaries: Industrial extractive, productive, transformative companies and related services linked to the industrial product-process; of the Basque Country.
- Main requirements: The beneficiary company must be willing to make productive investments of at least 1.5 million € for large companies and 250,000€ for SMEs.
- Deadline for submitting applications: Pending call
Internationalization
To promote the internationalization of both SMEs and large Basque companies.
- Type of funding: Long-term loans of up to 1,000,000€ with a financing period of 5 years.
- Beneficiaries: SMEs and large companies in the Basque Country. Companies in sectors such as: construction, real estate, finance, insurance, defense, fishing and aquaculture products and primary agricultural production are excluded from the call.
- Main requirements: The beneficiary company must invest at least 120,000€ in the internationalization project, to be carried out within a maximum period of 36 months.
- Deadline for submitting applications: Open
Zabaldu 2021
To encourage the presence of companies from the Basque Country abroad and promote their sustainable development throughout the internationalization process.
- Type of funding: Non-refundable grants of up to 45,000€.
- Beneficiaries: SMEs in the Basque Country.
- Main requirements: The export of the beneficiary company must represent less than 50% of its activity.
- Deadline for submitting applications: 31/10/2021.
Innovation
To encourage the competitiveness of companies in the Basque Country through processes of diversification of products/services and/or markets.
- Type of funding: Grants of up to €25,000. Aid can be increased up to 35,000€ when innovations have a high impact on the company. The maximum aid intensity is 60%.
- Beneficiaries: Industrial and related service companies in the Basque Country that are considered to be technologically and/or innovatively based.
- Main requirements: The beneficiary company must have, at least, a workforce of 10 people.
- Deadline for submitting applications: 23/09/2021.
Other funding grants for startups and SMEs in the Basque Country
Comprehensive Support for Innovation, Internationalization and Investment (Provincial Council of Bizkaia)To increase the competitiveness of local companies.
- Type of funding: Grants of up to €500,000 (the maximum aid intensity will be between 10 and 50% depending on the size of the company).
- Beneficiaries: SMEs, with a production center in Bizkaia, in the following sectors: industry, construction, transport, services related to industry, tourism and wholesale trade.
- Main requirements: The beneficiary company must have, at least, a workforce of 10 people.
- Deadline for submitting applications: 07/05/2021.
Does your company have its headquarters in another Autonomous Community? Check out our other aid articles for startups and SMEs from other regions of Spain
https://intelectium.com/ayudas-para-pymes-y-autonomos-de-andalucia/
https://intelectium.com/financiacion-para-pymes-asturianas/
