Aragón delegates innovation grants to the Aragonese Institute of Development

The Department of Economy, Competitiveness and Employment of the Government of Aragon has delegated to the managing director of the Aragonese Institute of Development (IAF) the authority to resolve the call for grants aimed at promoting investment in infrastructure, equipment, and facilities linked to the implementation and maintenance of snowmaking systems in alpine and cross-country skiing centers in the province of Teruel for the year 2026. The decision is formalized through Order ECE/1503/2026, dated October 7, published in the Official Gazette of Aragon number 204, dated October 21, 2026, in section III of Other Provisions and Agreements (official reference: BOA20261021024). The call mobilizes 2,000,000 euros from the Teruel Investment Fund.

Two million euros for artificial snow

The origin of the allocation is the agreement of the Government of Aragon adopted in its meeting on December 23, 2025, in which it was decided to allocate two million euros (€2,000,000) to the action titled “Investment in infrastructure, equipment, and facilities in alpine and cross-country skiing centers in the province of Teruel,” charged to the Teruel Investment Fund for the 2025 annual budget, and to entrust its execution to the Aragonese Institute of Development.

The specific call was subsequently structured through Order PEJ/158/2026, dated January 30, published in the Official Gazette of Aragon number 24, dated February 5, 2026. The total amount is paid from the IAF budget, with funds coming from the 2025 Teruel Investment Fund, as established by the call itself and the agreement of the regional Executive.

The regulatory framework for these subsidies is completed by the following provisions:

• Order PEJ/1137/2024, dated September 24, which approves the regulatory bases (Official Gazette of Aragon number 191, dated October 1, 2024).
• Order PEJ/1497/2025, dated October 29, which modifies the previous bases (Official Gazette of Aragon number 221, dated November 14, 2025).
• Order PEJ/158/2026, dated January 30, calling for the 2026 grants.
• Order ECE/1503/2026, dated October 7, the subject of this information.

The transfer of the IAF to Economy necessitates delegation

The eighteenth section of Order PEJ/158/2026 and article 17 of the regulatory bases establish that applications are resolved by the head of the department to which the Aragonese Institute of Development is attached, in their capacity as president according to article 8 of the consolidated text of the IAF Law, unless they expressly delegate to the person holding the Managing Director position.

The fitting problem arose with the Decree of May 3, 2026, from the President of the Government of Aragon, which reorganized the regional Administration. According to Article 7, the IAF, which until then depended on the Department of Presidency, Economy, and Justice, became attached to the Department of Economy, Competitiveness, and Employment. The grants were called for by the previous department, but the resolution now corresponds to the new one, while the institute remains the entity responsible for executing the funds.

The order reasons that, since the IAF has maintained the momentum in the execution of the funds, it is consistent that its General Management be the one to resolve the call, regardless of the departmental attachment, which may vary according to the structure of the Government. The legal authorization is based on Article 10 of Law 5/2021, of June 29, on the Organization and Legal Regime of the Regional Public Sector of Aragon, which allows for the delegation of competencies to public bodies when it is convenient to improve management efficiency, and on Article 11.2 regarding the delegable competencies of the heads of departments.

Effects from the following day

The exercise of the delegated competence shall comply with Law 5/2021, of June 29, and Law 40/2015, of October 1, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector. The order shall take effect from the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of Aragon, that is, from October 22, 2026. The text was signed in Zaragoza on October 7, 2026, by the Councilor for Economy, Competitiveness, and Employment, Eva Valle Maestro.

The regulation directly affects the alpine and cross-country ski resorts in the province of Teruel, which may see their grant applications resolved without the delay that would have been caused by keeping the competence in a department that no longer oversees the IAF. For the tourism fabric of Teruel, certainty regarding who signs the resolution and the availability of the 2,000,000 euros from the Teruel Investment Fund is decisive: snow cannons and snowmaking systems condition the opening of slopes and the winter season, the main driver of visitors in the area.

Source: Official Gazette of Aragon, number 204, of October 21, 2026, section III. Other Provisions and Agreements (official reference: BOA20261021024).