Andalusia approves the guidelines for scientific equipment and transfer grants

The Regional Ministry of University, Industry, Energy and Innovation has approved, through the Order of October 14, 2026, the regulatory bases for competitive grants intended for the acquisition of scientific-technical equipment and the promotion of the transfer and dissemination of knowledge by agents of the Andalusian Knowledge System. The regulation is published in the Official Gazette of the Government of Andalusia (BOJA) No. 203, dated October 20, 2026, within the general provisions, and enters into force on the day of its publication.

The text bears the signature of the regional minister Jorge Paradela Gutiérrez, dated in Seville on October 14, 2026, and is issued at the proposal of the General Secretariat for Universities and Science Industry. Its reference framework is the Andalusia Research, Development and Innovation Strategy (EIDIA) Horizon 2027, approved by the Governing Council on June 14, 2022, and the declared objective of “Turning knowledge into prosperity,” with the university-industry alliance as the lever.

The order is processed urgently under Decree-Law 3/2021, of February 16, and incorporates reports from the General Directorate competent in European Funds and the General Directorate of Budgets. The grants are framed within the Ministry’s Strategic Grant Plan 2023-2025, and the organic competence derives from Decree 198/2026, of July 30, regarding the organic structure of the Ministry.

Two lines with differentiated amounts and rules

The bases are organized into two summary tables, one for each aid line:

• R&D&I scientific-technical equipment, its installation and commissioning: up to 100% of the cost, with a maximum of 8,000,000 euros and a minimum of 100,000 euros per grant. Indirect costs are not permitted.
• Promotion of the transfer and dissemination of knowledge: up to 100% of the cost, with a maximum of 1,000,000 euros and a minimum of 6,000 euros. Indirect costs are financed at a flat rate: up to 21% of direct costs with own funds and up to 7% of direct costs or 15% of personnel costs with ERDF.

In both lines, the award is limited by budget availability and no contribution of own funds is required. The financing corresponds 85% to the European Union through the Andalusia ERDF Program 2021-2027 and 15% to the Government of Andalusia in the case of co-financing, a percentage that reaches 100% with own funds. The maximum period to resolve and publish the resolution is six months, and inventoriable assets must be used for the granted purpose for five years if they are registerable in a public registry and two years for the rest.

Evaluation criteria with minimum threshold

The evaluation is scored out of 100 points, and no action may be subsidized below the established threshold:

• Equipment: threshold of 50 points, with quality and viability of the proposal (40), impact (30), strength of the research team (10), track record of collaboration with companies (10), environmental commitment (4), equality (3), and disability perspective (3).
• Transfer: threshold of 50 points, with quality and viability (35), impact (20), strength of the entity (10), track record with companies (10), budget adequacy (10), environmental (5), equality (5), and disability (5).
• Dissemination: threshold of 30 points, with definition and adequacy of the proposal (50), accessibility of knowledge to society (40), and participation of diverse groups (10).

The scientific-technical and economic-financial evaluation may be carried out by the Agency for Scientific and University Quality (ACCUA), other national or international agencies, or a committee of experts. The Selection Committee will consist of a presidency, three members, and a secretariat.

Requirements, application, and control

Beneficiaries may be entities registered in the Registry of Agents of the Andalusian Knowledge System, in accordance with Decree 223/2023, of September 12, and the call for applications will determine which agents compete in each line. Applications shall be addressed to the Directorate General competent in matters of scientific research management, which also instructs and resolves by delegation, and must be submitted electronically. The submission deadline will be set in each call.

The control regime is one of prior auditing; subcontracting is not permitted, nor is compatibility with other grants for the same purpose, and the calls may compensate expenses: up to 50% of the approved budget for equipment and up to 100% for transfer, with 25% not requiring authorization in both cases.

Modifications to current regulations

The first final provision modifies the Order of April 23, 2024, regarding the bases for research projects, concerning the principal investigator, curricular accreditation, and ex officio verifications. The second final provision updates Article 27 of the Order of February 10, 2025, on innovation and technological development in companies, clusters, and technological centers, relating to the proposal for a provisional resolution.

The impact of the regulation is twofold: it establishes for the first time a stable and multi-annual framework to provide instrumentation to Andalusian universities and research centers, and it opens the way for scientific results to be translated into contracts, patents, and technological services. The maximum amounts—up to eight million for equipment—place these grants among the largest in volume within the regional R&D&I system.

Source: Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucía, no. 203, of October 20, 2026, section 1. General provisions, page 13684 (official reference: text no. 13684, BOJA26-203-00080-13684-01_00344914).