When a technology startup begins to explore public funding, there is a name that appears recurrently, almost automatically, in every conversation: CDTI NEOTEC. It's logical. At the national level, this is one of the best-known, best-equipped and most attractive grants for innovative projects at an early stage.
However, the reality is that NEOTEC is not always the best option, nor the most appropriate, much less the safest, especially when the company's main objective is finance the salaries of your technical team and give continuity to product development.
In this article we want to disassemble a very widespread idea: that NEOTEC is the only valid path for a technological startup or SME. Experience shows that they exist much more aligned alternatives to NEOTEC with the real needs of many companies, especially when there is already a technical payroll team and a clear development roadmap.
The problem of relying solely on NEOTEC
NEOTEC is a powerful call, but it is also highly demanding and competitive. Its focus is on projects with a high degree of innovation, technological risk and disruptive potential. This means that, even with good projects, the result is often binary: Either you get help or you don't get anything.
In the last CDTI NEOTEC calls, this requirement has been clearly reflected in the data. As a guideline, in the most recent editions, more than 600-700 projects have been presented, of which approximately between 15% and 20% have finally been approved.
This means that even solid, well-worked projects with quality technical teams can be left out, not necessarily due to lack of merit, but because of the very competitive nature of the call and budgetary limitations.
In addition, NEOTEC doesn't always fit well with companies that:
- They are already implementing technological development on an ongoing basis
- They need financial stability for their technical team
- They can't afford to wait long terms without guarantees.
The most common mistake What we see is betting everything on NEOTEC, without building a broader public funding strategy that is more coherent with the real phase of the project. When NEOTEC does not come out, the company is left without active alternatives, without a financial cushion and, in many cases, with treasury tensions that directly affect the team.
What many tech companies are really looking for
Beyond the headline of “great public aid”, what many companies need in their daily lives is something much more concrete: finance technical salaries.
Engineers, developers, product profiles, data, AI or advanced technology represent the highest structural cost of a technological startup. Maintaining that team, retaining talent and ensuring continuity in product development is, in practice, one of the founders' main concerns.
Therefore, when we analyze projects from a strategic point of view, the key questions are usually not “Are we eligible for NEOTEC?” , but rather:
- Which lines allow us to cover technical personnel costs?
- What aids are safer if we meet the requirements?
- How do we reduce the risk of running out of public funding?
And this is where the alternatives to NEOTEC which are often left in the background.
Alternatives to NEOTEC: CDTI lines that do fit the operational reality
Within the CDTI itself, there are less media lines, but extremely useful, especially when the company already has real technological activity. We talk about PID, CERVERA, LIC and LICA, four instruments that make it possible to build a much stronger and more progressive funding strategy.
It's not about giving up NEOTEC, but about prioritize the lines that best finance technical salaries and reduce risk, leaving NEOTEC as an additional option, not as the only bullet.
PID: Individual R&D projects, the basis for many solid strategies
La PID line (Research and Development Projects) is probably one of the more interesting alternatives to NEOTEC when we talk about funding technical salaries.
PID is designed for R&D projects that don't necessarily have to be radically disruptive, but they do need to have a clear technological component. This makes it a very attractive option for companies that are already developing products on an ongoing basis, such as software or hardware development companies.
One of the great values of PID The fact is that it finances the costs of technical personnel very directly, provided that they are linked to the project. This makes it possible to cover salaries for developers, engineers or key technical profiles, something that for many startups is much more relevant than the grant itself.
In addition, PID tends to have an evaluation that is more aligned with the reality of technological development, making it a more predictable option if the project is well defined and executed.
CERVERA: when technology is deep and collaborative
La CERVERA line is another of the great alternatives to NEOTEC. CDTI CERVERA is oriented to R&D projects in collaboration with technology centers, which makes it especially interesting in areas such as:
- Advanced artificial intelligence
- Industrial technologies
- New materials
- Biotechnology
- Deep tech in general
From the point of view of the financing technical salaries, CERVERA makes it possible to cover a very important part of the company's internal effort, provided that it is well articulated within the collaborative project.
Although it requires greater complexity in preparation and management, it is a very powerful line for companies that need to validate technology, scale complex developments or work with specialized knowledge.
LIC: the applied innovation that many companies need
La Innovation Line (LIC)) It is, without a doubt, one of the more underrated alternatives to NEOTEC. However, for many companies it is the option that best fits their time.
LIC is aimed at technological innovation projects closer to the market. It does not require the same level of risk as PID or CERVERA, and its evaluation is usually more stable and predictable. This makes it a very useful tool for financing evolutionary developments, product improvements or applied innovation.
From a practical point of view, LIC also makes it possible to finance technical salaries, which makes it especially attractive for startups that are already commercializing or very close to the market, but that continue to invest intensively in technology.
LIC-A: Consolidating growth through structural investment
La LIC-A line is designed for companies that have already passed the most initial phases and need to make a leap in productive capacity, efficiency or scalability by investing in fixed assets. It is an especially suitable tool for companies with some traction that are looking to consolidate their growth with a stronger base.
Unlike other lines more oriented to R&D or operating expenditure, LIC-A finances material and immaterial investments that directly impact the company's competitiveness: technological equipment, productive infrastructure, machinery, hardware, advanced software or assets necessary to industrialize or scale up the product.
For technology companies in the growth phase, LIC-A can be a key lever when the challenge is no longer just to develop technology, but to convert that technology into real capacity for execution and growth, with a structure ready to scale.
Financing technical salaries: the true strategic criterion
When analyzing public funding from a strategic perspective, there is one criterion that should always be on the table: the capacity to cover technical salaries on a recurring and sustainable basis.
Companies that build strong public funding strategies are not only looking for the “biggest” aid, but rather that:
- It matches your phase
- Finance your structural costs
- Reduce financial risk
- Allows you to plan for the medium term
In this sense, the alternatives to NEOTEC that offer PID, CERVERA, LIC and LICA are usually more consistent with reality of many tech startups.
NEOTEC does not disappear: it is integrated into a wider strategy
It's important to clarify: NEOTEC It's still an excellent tool, and in many cases it's worth trying. But the key is not to turn it into the only possible way.
Not achieving NEOTEC in a first call does not mean that the project is not innovative or that the doors have been closed to public funding.
In practice, many startups obtain NEOTEC after several attempts or combine this call with other lines that allow them to move forward in the meantime.
A smart public funding strategy usually:
- Prioritize lines that finance technical salaries
- Activate safer and more recurring help
- Use NEOTEC as an additional, non-exclusive option
This approach reduces dependence on a single call and allows the company to move forward with greater stability, even if concrete help is not granted.
Conclusion: Build a strategy, don't pursue a single help
PID, CERVERA, LIC and LICA are not “minor” lines. Son key tools for building a coherent public funding strategy, aligned with the company's operational reality and with its medium-term needs.
At Intelectium we see it every day: the companies that make the best use of public funding are not those that seek a single aid, but those who understand the whole system and use it strategically.
If you need help designing your public funding strategy, identifying which lines best fit your project and preparing requests that maximize your chances of success, we're here to accompany you throughout the process.
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