The Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology and Innovation (CDTI Innovación), the innovation agency under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, has increased its overall budget in 2025 for competitive grant schemes and direct expenditure aimed at boosting R&D in the field of business-driven technology projects, reaching a total of €1.942 billion. Specifically, CDTI Innovación will allocate €345 million to grants, €65 million to innovation public procurement, €182 million to direct award schemes, €550 million to partially repayable aids, and nearly €800 million to direct (co-investments) and indirect (fund-of-funds) investments aimed at bringing R&D results to market through the creation and scaling of disruptive technology companies.
Within the framework of the Spanish Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2021–2027, CDTI's strategic commitment positions it as a leading driver by increasing the average subsidy intensity and diversifying funding instruments to fit the nature of each business R&D and innovation project. In this context, CDTI Innovación’s actions aim to strengthen Spain’s position as a European leader in knowledge transfer. Its R&D&I programs have long included dual-use technologies (civilian and defense applications), generating synergies and reducing development costs, with a dedicated internal department to manage and mainstream such initiatives.
The Innterconecta STEP call, endowed with €90 million, supports regional consortia comprising companies and R&D/knowledge centers that develop high-tech solutions in critical areas for European industrial sovereignty (digital technologies, clean and resource-efficient technologies, and biotechnology, including essential medicines). These projects are developed within public-private partnerships and reinforce regional innovation ecosystems.
The Science and Innovation Missions call, with €140 million in grants, funds large collaborative R&D projects that address national strategic challenges — such as reducing hospital stays, building climate-resilient land management, promoting responsible AI, fostering interconnected industries, securing strategic autonomy in critical raw materials and defense, and advancing sustainable, low-carbon mobility. As in previous editions, the missions in the 2025 call were co-created in consultation with key stakeholders from industry and academia to ensure alignment with ecosystem needs and market demands.
The Innoglobal call will provide €15 million in grants to promote international technological cooperation through the international programs managed by CDTI Innovación. In the field of innovative entrepreneurship, the NEOTEC program will grant up to €30 million to support the creation and consolidation of tech-based startups with high R&D intensity and innovative knowledge. In addition, up to €70 million in grants will be provided through the Cervera Aid Program for Centers of Excellence, which aims to strengthen technological centers’ capabilities in strategic areas such as safe and healthy food systems, advanced communications, sustainable energy, artificial intelligence, new and improved materials, quantum technologies, and digital technologies linked to Industry 5.0. These centers act as bridges between academia and businesses, playing a key role in applied technology development and technology transfer to the business world.
In addition to grant-based support, CDTI Innovación will manage up to €65 million in direct expenditure in Innovation Public Procurement to acquire high-tech prototypes and demonstrators (digital health, autonomous mobility, clean energy, food security), allowing R&D companies to generate revenue from R&D contracts while validating solutions in real-world environments, thus reducing market risks and accelerating adoption by public authorities.
In terms of internationalizing Spanish technological capabilities, CDTI will allocate €182 million in direct funding for international business R&D projects. Specifically, €126 million will support industrial R&D activities, pre-commercial scaling, and initial deployments under Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) such as Med4Cure, which funds leading companies and their supply chains in the health sector. A further €31 million in direct grants will go to the Seal of Excellence initiative, supporting innovative SMEs that passed the quality threshold of the EIC Accelerator under Horizon Europe but did not receive EU funding. Another €12 million will go to the Eurostars+ SERA call, funding the participation of Spanish firms in the Eureka Eurostars and SERA partnerships for SMEs and autonomous systems. Finally, €13 million will be allocated through direct award to DARE / EuroHPC, covering Spain's contribution to supercomputing projects selected by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking to promote high-performance computing hardware, software, and applications that support European digital sovereignty.
CDTI will also continue to support traditional business innovation through partially repayable loans for incremental R&D projects and the acquisition of innovative technology by companies modernizing their production systems. This loan program, which includes a grant-equivalent tranche, will be allocated up to €550 million in 2025.
In the area of investment and venture capital, CDTI’s wholly owned investment company, Innvierte, will allocate €800 million to direct (co-investments) and indirect (through funds) operations to support R&D and knowledge development that drive the creation and growth of innovative companies in biotech, climate-tech, AI, and new space technologies, as well as in areas aligned with the Spanish PERTE programs for Aerospace and Cutting-Edge Health. Of the total investment, €300 million corresponds to the Innvierte Deep-Tech Tech Transfer instrument, launched in partnership with the European Investment Fund, aimed at positioning Spain as a European hub for deep-tech and strengthening the technology transfer link by capitalizing specialized funds investing in university spin-offs, quantum technologies, micro- and nanoelectronics, or integrated photonics.
Altogether, CDTI Innovación’s total budget for 2025 will reach €1.942 billion in grants, direct expenditure, and investment in business R&D support activities. Of this, and in line with its dual-use R&D approach, €150 million will be dedicated to dual-synergy business R&D projects: €10 million from NEOTEC, €60 million from Cervera, and €80 million from the Science and Innovation Missions program.
About CDTI Innovación
The Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology and Innovation (CDTI E.P.E.) is a public entity under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Its mission is to promote technological innovation in the business sector. CDTI’s goal is to enable the Spanish business ecosystem to generate and transform scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable, and inclusive growth. In 2024, under a new strategic plan, CDTI provided over €2.3 billion in support to Spanish companies and startups.
Further information:
Website: www.cdti.es
LinkedIn: CDTI Innovación
X (Twitter): @CDTI_innovacion
YouTube: CDTI Oficial
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