Andalusia announces 750,000 euros in grants for archaeological research

The Regional Ministry of Culture, Historical Heritage and Sport of the Regional Government of Andalusia has announced the 2026 grants intended to finance research projects on archaeological heritage in Andalusia, with a budget of 750,000 euros. The call is formalized through the Resolution of September 8, 2026, of the Directorate General of Historical Heritage, published in the Official Gazette of the Regional Government of Andalusia (BOJA) No. 192, of October 2, 2026. Interested entities will have 15 days to submit their applications, which will be processed under a competitive bidding system.

The call implements the Order of January 29, 2026, of the Regional Ministry of Culture and Sport, published in BOJA No. 25, of February 6, 2026, which approves the regulatory bases for these subsidies. The procedure is identified in the National Grants Database with the number BDNS: 928995 and in the Catalog of Procedures and Services of the Regional Government of Andalusia with the code 25934. The resolution is issued by delegation of the Regional Minister to the Director General of Historical Heritage, Rafael Salas Machuca, and its summary is published on page 12854 of the same gazette.

Amount, annual installments and distribution by type of beneficiary

The maximum total amount of the call amounts to 750,000 euros, distributed over two annual installments: 375,000 euros in 2027 and 375,000 euros in 2028. The expenditure is charged to budget project 2026000778 and is distributed as follows:

• Universities: 600,000 euros (300,000 in each annual installment).
• Public business agencies: 50,000 euros.
• Commercial companies: 50,000 euros.
• Foundations: 50,000 euros.

Additionally, an additional amount of up to 150,000 euros is established, the application of which will not require a new call, under article 10 of Decree 282/2010, of May 4. The granting is conditional upon the existence of adequate and sufficient credit in the Budget Law. The amount of each grant will be the eligible expenditure of the activity and will be limited to 50,000 euros when said expenditure exceeds this amount.

Beneficiaries and requirements for the research team

Andalusian public universities and public research organizations of the Andalusian Knowledge System of the Andalusian public sector may be beneficiaries. Archaeological activities planned in a phase of a General Research Project (PGI) developed in municipal or privately owned areas will be financed.

The research team must meet the following requirements:

• Be led by a Principal Investigator who directs or co-directs the PGI.
• Hold a Bachelor’s or Licentiate degree in the field of Humanities and a doctoral degree, with a curricular development in archaeology.
• Maintain an employment or official relationship with the requesting entity.
• Have prior authorization for the archaeological activity in accordance with Law 14/2007, of November 26.

Each entity may submit more than one application, but the same Principal Investigator may not appear in them.

Evaluation and Processing Criteria

Applications will be evaluated according to three blocks of objective criteria: the object of the research, up to 40 points; the immovable property studied, up to 30 points; and the research team, up to 30 points. Weighted factors include the historical period, the degree of execution of the PGI, co-financing, the degree of protection of the asset, the experience of the principal investigator, and the participation of doctors, women, and persons with a recognized disability exceeding 33%.

The instructing body will be the Historical Heritage Research and Dissemination Service, while the resolution will correspond to the head of the General Directorate of Historical Heritage. The maximum period to resolve and publish is six months from the day following the closing of the application period, with a negative administrative silence. The grants will be paid in advance: 50% after the granting resolution and the other 50% once the first payment has been justified, except for amounts lower than 6,000 euros, which will be paid in full. The execution period will conclude 24 months after the publication of the granting resolution, and the final justification must be submitted within the following three months.

Eligible Expenses

Expenses strictly necessary to execute the project, categorized under any of these items, will be eligible for subsidies:

• Materials and supplies.
• Personnel costs.
• Travel, accommodation, and per diem expenses.
• Other technical and professional services.
• Advertising and dissemination expenses.
• Insurance expenses.
• Audit expenses.
• Management expenses.

The call opens a stable financing route for university and scientific teams researching Andalusian archaeological heritage, with a distribution that reserves 600,000 euros for universities and 150,000 for agencies, commercial companies, and foundations. The 15-day deadline and the limit of 50,000 euros per project mark the practical keys for the competing entities.

Source: Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucía, no. 192, of October 2, 2026, 1. General Provisions, pp. 12853-12854 (official reference: BOJA26-192-00025-12853-01_00344083).