EMPLEA Program

Help with hiring staff!

Budget

Up to €200,000 per year per company.

Modality

Loan with an in-kind grant component dedicated to financing a training program in management of R+D+i projects for the technologist.

Beneficiaries

University or FPGS graduates who have not been previously hired by the company

Amortization

% years of amortization and 2 years of grace period with an Euribor interest rate +0%

Payment of aid

Advance payment prior to each annuity

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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Financial aid for hiring technical personnel for companies that have designed an R&D project. This is aid in the form of a loan with an in-kind grant component.

The hiring of personnel with university degrees or FPGS in technological areas is financed.

Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness

Within the framework of the State Program for the Promotion of Talent and Employability in R+D+i, the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness announces EMPLEA grants every year, which replace those previously known as Inncorpora, to finance the hiring of R+D+i personnel.

What do the AEESD aid acronyms stand for?

Foundations, except those that are established with a majority contribution from one or more entities integrated into the public sector, or where the foundational assets consist of more than 50% of assets or rights provided or transferred by the said entities.

a.) Companies include “spin-off” companies and JEIs.

b.) Technological platforms and innovative business clusters (AEI).

c.) Business associations or groups.

d.) Technology centers and centers that support technological innovation.

What is the purpose of the aid?

Hiring technologists to carry out a 3-year R+D+I project.

What type of funding is it?

Non-refundable grant that covers up to 65-75% of gross salary plus business costs, with a maximum of €30,000 in grant for each year.

Who is considered a technologist?

Person in possession of any of the following titles:

a.) Official Spanish Degree for Graduate or Master's Degree within the new European Higher Education Area.

b.) Official Spanish degree for Bachelor, Engineer, Architect, Diploma, Technical Engineer, Technical Architect.

c.) Official Spanish title of Higher Vocational Training Technician.

d.) If you are in possession of a foreign degree, this qualification must be comparable in training to any of the above.

In addition, they cannot have been linked by employment contract with the entity receiving the aid in the year prior to the publication of the call, nor have been hired in the same period by any other entity that is part of the group of companies to which, if any, the beneficiary belongs. Nor may he have been previously linked by employment contract to entities receiving aid financed by the EMPLEA subprogram for the same purpose. In addition, at the time of publication of this call, you cannot count on a share in the entity's capital that implies a capacity for direct or indirect control (generally, the participation must be less than 25%; for spin-offs or JEIs there are special conditions).

When is the call published?

When is the call published? The call is published at the end of the year with the objective that the companies to which the aid is granted have an extended period to carry out the contracts and start the R&D project in the second half of the following year, with the objective that the companies to which the aid is granted have an extended period to carry out the contracts and start the R&D project in the second half of the following year. The purpose of the program is to encourage the full-time hiring, for a period not less than one year, of professionals who will be trained in management of R+D+i activities.

What is the amount of the Emplea call?

The amount to finance training aid is 1,500,000 euros.

An entity may submit a maximum of 4 requests, although in practice we do not see more than 2 requests per entity viable, with the objective of obtaining 1 aid. In accordance with the limits established in Regulation 8/EC) No. 1998/2006 de minimis, the grants under this call may not exceed, under any circumstances, either individually or as a result of cumulation with other de minimis grants granted to the same entity, the maximum total amount per contracting entity of €200,000 (€100,000 if they operate in the road transport sector). This limit applies to de minimis grants obtained over a period of three fiscal years.

The maximum amount of the loan is 45,000€ of personnel costs per year and 20% of indirect costs.

How is the disbursement of aid?

The payment of the first annuity will be made in advance once the concession resolution has been issued. For the following years, the receipt of the amount of the annuities after the first one will be conditioned on the prior receipt of the corresponding technical monitoring report and its positive assessment.

What expenses are eligible?

a.) Expenses derived from hiring personnel involved in R+D+I activities (this includes brutal remuneration, as stated in model 190 of personal income tax, and the business contribution to Social Security). The maximum annual amount may not exceed 45,000 euros, regardless of the fact that the gross salary may be higher.

b.) Indirect costs (20% of personnel costs).

Do you have incompatibilities?

EMPLEA is not compatible with other grants that already finance the employee's gross salary or Social Security cost (such as Social Security contribution bonuses).

The last call for the EMPLEA Program was made in 2018, but it is expected to be reactivated soon.