Collaboration Program
(formerly COLLABORATION CHALLENGES)

For companies with a strong dedication to R+D+i, RETOS finances projects of up to 36 months carried out in collaboration with universities or research centers, which are framed in the areas of climate, energy, health and food, among others.

This aid promotes cooperation between research organizations and companies for the joint realization of R+D+i projects. RETOS finances up to 95% in the form of a loan to participating companies and in the form of a grant or reimbursable advance to universities or public research centers. In this sense, the CHALLENGES-COLLABORATION call aims to stimulate, through project funding, the generation of a denser mass dedicated to R+D+I to advance in the search for solutions in accordance with the priorities established in the Challenges, helping in turn to promote the creation of innovative companies and the orientation of the activity of existing companies towards innovative activity. On the other hand, it also seeks to mobilize private investment, generate employment and improve the country's technological balance, as well as to strengthen Spain's international leadership capacity as a country of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The Public-Private Partnership line finances up to 95% in type of loan to the participating companies and in type of grant or refundable advance to universities or public research centers.

In this sense, the call aims to stimulate, through project funding, the generation of a denser mass dedicated to R+D+I to advance the search for solutions in accordance with the priorities established in the call, helping in turn to promote the creation of innovative companies and the orientation of the activity of existing companies towards innovative activity. On the other hand, it also seeks to mobilize private investment, generate employment and improve the country's technological balance, as well as to strengthen Spain's international leadership capacity as a country of Science, Technology and Innovation.

To consortiums between companies and research organizations in Spain. Consortiums must have between two and 9 partners, and can cover a maximum of 70% of the business leader's budget.

The project must involve the participation of a minimum of two entities, and it is mandatory that one of the participating entities is a public or private research organization and that the other is a company. The minimum participation per entity will be 10% of the total project budget. To be a participating entity in the group, you must submit a budget and request assistance.

Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing. Food quality and sustainability. Safe, efficient and clean energy. Sustainable and intelligent transport. Climate change and resource efficiency. Social changes and innovations. Digital economy and society. Security, protection and defense.

The minimum budget that the project submitted to the Collaboration Challenges loans must have must be 500,000 euros. In addition, the duration of the submitted project must be between 2 and 4 years.

They will be eligible costs:

- Personnel costs.
- Acquisition, financial leasing, maintenance, repair and amortization costs of tangible assets.
- Purchase costs of expendable material, supplies and similar products directly derived from the realization of the project.
- The expense derived from the report made by an account auditor.
- Patent costs.
- Project management consulting costs.
- Contracts and technical assistance.
- Mobility costs.
- For public research organizations, public universities and other public R&D bodies, the costs of using the agency's central services provided that they have public fees calculated according to their cost accounting.

The technical excellence of the project will have an impact of up to 30 points on the assessment and will be the main indicator. It is followed by the international projection of the project with a maximum score of 20 points and the exploitation of results also with a maximum of 20 points. Finally, the appropriateness of the consortium and the socio-economic impact of the project will each have 15 points respectively. *Accepting Collaboration Challenges aid has the capacity to generate an ex-ante Motivated Report for the application of tax deductions for R+D+i by companies.