Aragón announces 2026 grants for fairgrounds and trade fairs

The Department of Economy, Competitiveness and Employment of the Government of Aragon has announced the 2026 grants intended for investments in fairgrounds and the promotion and organization of trade fairs within the Autonomous Community. The call is published in the Official Gazette of Aragon (Boletín Oficial de Aragón), number 164, dated August 25, 2026, via Order ECE/1253/2026, of July 31, with its summary appearing in the announcements section.

The total allocation amounts to 615,000 euros from the regional budgets for 2026, divided between the organization and promotion of fair activities (470,000 euros) and investments in works or equipment for fairgrounds (145,000 euros). The grants are processed under a competitive bidding system, in accordance with the principles of publicity, objectivity, transparency, equality, and non-discrimination.

Regulatory Framework and Beneficiaries

The call is based on the regulatory bases for grants in the artisan sector, domestic trade, and fairs, established by Order EIE/815/2016, of July 25, published in BOA number 152, of August 8, 2016, and modified by orders ICD/833/2020, ICD/417/2021, and PEJ/561/2026. The Aragonese fair sector directly impacts trade, business, and industry; therefore, the call seeks to intensify economic impacts across the territories.

The following may access the grants:

• City councils and other local entities of Aragonese municipalities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants.
• Fair institutions and other organizing entities of official fairs.
• Official fair organizing companies, only for the organization and promotion of events in municipalities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants.

Organizing entities and events must be registered in the Registry of Fair Activities of Aragon both at the time of the event and on the date of the application.

Eligible Actions and Amounts

Eligible expenses are grouped into two main lines. Regarding investments, funding is provided for works and conditioning installations of the permanent fairground (electrical installations, climate control, security, energy efficiency, and universal accessibility), digital technological tools, and strategic studies on fair activity. Regarding organization and promotion, coverage includes dissemination, advertising, security, cleaning, insurance, stand assembly, and the organization of technical sessions and congresses on Aragon’s economic sectors.

The maximum individualized amount reaches 80% of the eligible expenses, except for local entities, for which it can reach 100%. The spending limits per event vary according to the beneficiary:

• Local entities and organizing companies: between 5,000 and 14,000 euros.
• Fair institutions in municipalities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants: between 5,000 and 25,000 euros.
• Fair institutions in municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants: between 5,000 and 50,000 euros.

The actions must have been executed from September 18, 2025, and prior to the submission of the application, and both the incurrence of the expense and its payment must be justified.

Deadline and submission

Applications shall be submitted electronically through the Electronic Office of the Public Administration of Aragon, via procedure number 11810 “Aid for actions regarding fair events in Aragon”, addressed to the provincial services of the department competent in trade. The submission period begins the day after the publication of the call and ends on September 17, 2026, with a single request per applicant.

The call is governed by general state and regional subsidy regulations and by Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 of December 13, 2023, regarding de minimis aid, whose maximum limit per company and Member State over three years is increased to 300,000 euros. The summary of the call appears in the National Subsidy Database with the identifier BDNS 922117.

The call represents a significant opportunity for city councils and fair entities in smaller Aragonese municipalities, which will be able to modernize their venues and sustain the holding of their official fairs, a key economic and commercial engine for the territory. The order is signed by the Minister of Economy, Competitiveness, and Employment, Eva Valle Maestro.

Source: Official Gazette of Aragon, number 164, August 25, 2026, section III. Other Provisions and Agreements (official reference: BOA20260825020; summary in section V, reference BOA20260825022).