On June 25, an informational session titled “Strengthen Your SME” was held for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Navarre. The event was promoted by the Government of Navarre through the Navarre Development Agency (SODENA) and the European Business and Innovation Centre of Navarre (CEIN).
The session featured the participation of the National Innovation Company, Enisa—a public entity under the Ministry of Industry and Tourism—which emphasized the importance and positive impact of forging alliances among key stakeholders within each autonomous region's ecosystem. This is a strategic focus for Enisa. As its CEO, Borja Cabezón, stated: “Our presence in the regions is a priority, as it allows us to understand firsthand the needs of companies and how we can facilitate their access to financing to launch or scale their projects.”
Iñaki Larraya, Managing Director of SODENA, highlighted that “the coordination between Enisa and SODENA in identifying projects and providing financial support represents a multiplying effect that strengthens the success potential of business initiatives, helping them enter and gain traction in the market, and enabling faster growth.”
Similarly, Uxue Itoiz, Managing Director of CEIN, commented: “At CEIN, we support entrepreneurs from the initial idea. Being able to connect these projects with funding from Enisa or SODENA when they reach maturity reinforces the cycle of business creation and consolidation in our region.”
The long-standing close collaboration between these organizations is part of Enisa’s ongoing work plan, which aims to support projects that bring innovation and enhance the competitiveness of Navarre’s business fabric.
During the event, Enisa presented its financing tools designed to support innovative and established SMEs in Navarre, as well as its role in certifying emerging companies. The organization also shared updates related to its €303 million budget, which will serve to strengthen the financial structure of companies. Additionally, the ongoing availability of funds will ensure more agile and efficient processes.
This financial support is provided through participative loans ranging from €25,000 to €1.5 million. This financing alternative is particularly well suited to the needs of SMEs and requires no collateral or guarantees beyond a sound business project and the professional capabilities of the management team.
The event also featured a roundtable discussion titled “From Zero to One Hundred”, where companies such as BeePlanet Factory, Plastic Repair System, Geiser Pharma, and Laboratorios Ojer Pharma shared their experiences and the support they received from Enisa, SODENA, and CEIN to advance their projects.
The session concluded with remarks from Mikel Irujo, Navarre’s Minister of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition, who emphasized: “From the Government of Navarre, we aim to create a supportive ecosystem that allows our companies to grow, consolidate, and compete in an increasingly demanding environment. Organizations like Enisa, SODENA, and CEIN validate the importance of public-private collaboration in driving economic and business development in Navarre.”
Navarre ranks 11th among Spain’s 19 autonomous communities in terms of Enisa-financed operations. To date, 137 operations have been carried out in the region, totaling €24,481,239 in financing, of which 20 have been under the Young Entrepreneurs line.
By locality, Noáin leads with 33 operations worth €5.6 million; followed by Pamplona with 26 operations totaling €5.3 million; and close behind are Tudela with 8 and Galar with 7 operations. These four municipalities account for 74 operations and over €13 million in investment—representing 54% of the region’s total operations and 53.8% of the total investment.
By sector, manufacturing leads with 35 operations and over €7.1 million in financing; followed by the ICT sector with 21 operations and more than €2.5 million; and the biotech sector with 19 operations and over €4.7 million.
The National Innovation Company (Enisa) is a public entity under the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. Its mission is to ensure that viable and innovative projects led by entrepreneurs or Spanish SMEs can access the funding needed to develop and compete in a global market.
This financial support takes the form of participative loans ranging from €25,000 to €1.5 million, tailored to SME needs and requiring no collateral beyond a solid business project and a competent management team.
Enisa also acts as a certifying body for startups seeking to benefit from the tax advantages and provisions of Spain’s pioneering Startup Law, which creates a favorable legal environment for the growth and success of startups in Europe.
Since launching its participative loan program, Enisa has invested over €1.44 billion across 9,354 loans, supporting a total of 8,125 companies.
More info: www.enisa.es
SODENA (Navarre Development Agency) is the financial instrument of the Government of Navarre to attract and develop value-added business projects in the region. It provides financial support, facilitates the business location process, shares its network of contacts, and coordinates the design and implementation of the Smart Specialization Strategy for Regional Sustainability. Its goal is to contribute to regional development and quality job creation.
SODENA's portfolio includes around 100 companies that collectively employ over 5,500 people in Navarre. Its financial support amounts to €183 million, backing growth, consolidation, and entrepreneurship plans for local companies. SODENA implements a sustainability and responsible investment policy and is a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) and a member of the UN Global Compact.
The European Business and Innovation Centre of Navarre (CEIN) is the region’s benchmark entity for supporting high-impact entrepreneurship and scaling innovative startups. Since its founding, CEIN has helped create more than 3,700 companies.
CEIN is a public company of the Government of Navarre, part of the CPEN group, and aims to promote the region’s economic development by fostering entrepreneurial initiatives, supporting new company creation, and driving business growth.
It operates two innovation incubators—one in the Pamplona area and one in Tudela—which have hosted 273 startups. These companies have a survival rate of 83% and an average employment growth rate of 35%. Just last year, CEIN supported 474 business projects.
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