NEOTEC 2026 Call with a Budget of €20.3 Million

CDTI Approves NEOTEC 2026 Call, One of Spain’s Main Funding Lines for Technology-Based Startups

The CDTI has approved the NEOTEC 2026 call, one of the main funding instruments for technology-based startups in Spain. This call will not be effective until its summary is published in the BOE (Official State Gazette).

The call will have an initial budget of €20,353,300, of which €5 million is reserved for women-led companies and €383,300 for training. Additionally, a potential increase of up to €30 million may be made available in specific areas such as Security and Defense, depending on credit availability.

The application period is expected to open on April 14, 2026, and close on May 14, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.

Objective of the Funding
The NEOTEC program aims to finance the development of business plans for technology startups, promoting the creation and consolidation of innovative companies and facilitating the transfer of knowledge to the market.

Eligible Beneficiaries
Eligible beneficiaries are commercial companies recognized as small innovative enterprises, duly incorporated, with their own legal personality and fiscal residence in Spain, provided they meet the requirements established in the call.

Additionally, applicants must:

Not be listed on any stock exchange.
Have been incorporated no more than three years before the application deadline and at least six months prior to the closing date.
Not have distributed profits.
Not have taken over another company’s activity or originated from a merger operation, in accordance with Article 7 of Law 15/2007, of July 3, on the Defense of Competition.
Have a minimum fully subscribed and paid-in capital of €20,000.
Not be located in non-cooperative or high-risk jurisdictions.

Project Characteristics

Project theme: Projects must have a high technological component and be oriented toward the development of innovative products, processes, or services.
Project budget: Minimum €175,000, maximum €750,000.
Project duration: Starting in early 2027 and ending in December 2027 or 2028, depending on the project duration (multi-year projects).
Subcontracting: Up to 50% of the eligible budget.

NEOTEC Seal
All proposals scoring 65 points or higher will receive the “NEOTEC Seal,” certifying that the project has passed the evaluation and that the company meets the criteria to be considered an “innovative company.”

The NEOTEC Seal may also help proposals rejected due to budget limitations access financing offered by Autonomous Communities under their respective conditions.

Funding Details
The aid is granted as a non-repayable grant, covering up to 70% of the eligible budget, with a maximum of €250,000 per beneficiary.

For projects that include the hiring of at least one PhD, funding may cover up to 85% of the eligible budget, with a maximum grant of €325,000 per beneficiary.

No guarantees are required for the aid.

Disbursement
Beneficiaries can request an advance payment of up to 60% of the grant, with a maximum of €150,000 upon resolution of the call. The remainder will be paid once the project is justified and validated.

Eligible Expenses

Acquisition of tangible and intangible assets.
Personnel costs (researchers, technicians, PhDs) with a maximum eligible hourly rate of €45, including social security contributions.
Material and consumable costs.
External services and subcontracting.
Rent, utilities, licenses, and patents.
Training (up to €10,000).
Educational travel for assigned personnel (up to €8,000).
Audit costs for justification (up to €2,000).

Evaluation Criteria
Applications must achieve a minimum score of 50 points to be eligible. Evaluation criteria and their weighting vary according to the type of project submitted under this call.

Application Period
Applications can be submitted from April 14 to May 14, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.

Interested companies seeking to submit a project to the NEOTEC call or learn how their business can benefit from this opportunity are encouraged to contact our team.

From aset, we will support applicants throughout the entire process—from idea evaluation to preparing and submitting the application—ensuring proposals meet all requirements and maximize their chances of success.