Grupo Asegi manages the full cycle of public grants for SMEs in the Basque Country: identifying calls, applying, delivering and justifying. The Basque grant ecosystem is one of the strongest in Spain and includes support from the Basque Government, the three Provincial Councils, the public company SPRI, the chambers of commerce and European funds.

The Basque grant ecosystem

  • Basque Government. Departments of Economic Development, Industry, Education and Employment. Regular calls for SMEs in areas such as Industry 4.0, internationalisation, sustainability and innovation.
  • Provincial Councils (Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Araba). Each Provincial Council has its own lines of support, complementary to those of the Basque Government. They cover digitalisation, entrepreneurship, local retail and modernisation.
  • SPRI (Sociedad para la Transformación Competitiva). The Basque Government’s public company. It manages Hazitek (R&D), Indartu (industry), Renove (digitalisation) and Bideratu (transformation).
  • Chambers of Commerce. The Xpande (internationalisation), TICCámaras (digitalisation) and Pidi (innovation) programmes.
  • European funds. Horizon Europe, ERDF, Next Generation EU funds and the LIFE programme.

Grants by area

  • Digitalisation: Kit Digital, TICCámaras and the SPRI lines.
  • Investment in assets: support for productive investment, industrial modernisation and energy efficiency.
  • Recruitment: support for permanent hiring (young people, people over 45, women, people with disabilities).
  • R&D&I: SPRI’s Hazitek, Eraikitzen, the state-wide Cervera programme and Horizon Europe.
  • Internationalisation: Xpande, ICEX and regional government programmes.

How to identify open calls

  • The Boletín Oficial del País Vasco (BOPV) and the provincial gazettes.
  • The SPRI website.
  • The Euskadi.eus website.
  • The website of each Provincial Council.
  • Chambers of commerce.
  • Specialist advisers.

Common mistakes that lead to rejection

  • Applying after the submission deadline.
  • Failing to meet the formal requirements (registration as an SME, being up to date with Social Security and the tax authority).
  • Incomplete or poorly prepared documentation.
  • A generic technical report, not aligned with the specific objectives.
  • A budget that is not itemised or not coherent.
  • Undeclared overlaps with other grants.

Justifying the grant afterwards (the part most companies fail)

  • Accounting traceability: the project’s costs must be perfectly identified.
  • Invoices and supporting documents: they must meet strict formal requirements.
  • Actual payments: many bodies require payment to be made through a bank.
  • Deadlines: justification has strict deadlines. Miss them and the loss is total.
  • Consistency with the approved project: the costs must correspond to the approved budget lines.

How Grupo Asegi manages the full cycle

  • Identification and continuous monitoring of calls.
  • Feasibility analysis.
  • Preparation of the application (technical report, budget, documentation).
  • Filing within the deadline.
  • Follow-up and handling of information requests.
  • Delivery with guaranteed accounting traceability.
  • Subsequent justification.
  • Defence in the event of incidents.

Frequently asked questions

Can any SME apply for Basque Government grants?
Any company with its tax domicile or a place of work in the Basque Country can, provided it meets the specific requirements of each call.
Do you need to put up your own co-financing?
For most grants, yes. The grant usually covers between 25% and 75% of the cost of the project.
When is a grant paid out?
It depends on the call. The period from application to full payment can be 6 to 24 months.
What happens if I do not justify the grant properly?
The managing body can require full or partial repayment of the grant, plus late-payment interest.
Can a company combine several grants?
Yes, provided there is no express prohibition and the total support does not exceed the actual cost of the project.

General information only; it does not replace professional advice. Foral legislation changes frequently — check the date it was last updated.