Grants of 80,000 euros for the digitalization of private archives

The Department of Culture and Language Policy has approved a grant call of 80,000 euros for 2026 to organize, digitize, and disseminate non-public archives and funds of the documentary heritage of the Basque Country. The order was published in issue number 171 of the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco (BOPV) on September 8, 2026, with official reference 2026/3829.

The order was signed by Ibone Bengoetxea Otaolea, Vice President and Minister of Culture and Language Policy, on July 29, 2026. The call aims to protect non-public archives and funds of the documentary heritage of the Basque Country and make them available to citizens, following the philosophy set out in Title IV of Law 5/2022, of June 23, on Integral Documentary Management and Documentary Heritage.

Purpose of the call and beneficiaries

Grants may be received by non-public natural or legal persons who are holders of archival funds and possess documents and funds that are part of the documentary heritage of the Basque Country. Associations without legal personality, property communities, and economic units may also be beneficiaries.

The call subsidizes two types of programs:

• Archival organization of historical archival funds.
• Digitization of funds that have been previously organized and described in a database; projects must include the creation of a permanent digital archive and a digital copy for dissemination on the website of the Archives System of the Basque Country.

Both options may be requested together, as they are not mutually exclusive. Programs must be implemented between January 1 and December 31, 2026.

Amounts and evaluation criteria

The maximum amount of the subsidy is 70% of the total program budget (excluding taxes), and a maximum of 20,000 euros may be granted per program. The minimum score to receive aid is 50 points, and the amount is determined proportionally according to the score, ranging from 40% to 70%.

The main evaluation criteria are as follows:

• Scientific quality of the program, maximum 45 points.
• Significant volume of documentation, maximum 30 points (documentation prior to 1900: 25 points; between 1900-1974: 30 points).
• Elements that promote the Basque language, maximum 20 points.
• Projects that incorporate a gender perspective, maximum 5 additional points.

Applications and deadlines

The period for submitting applications is one month, starting from the day following the publication of the order in the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco. Natural persons may use both in-person and electronic means; legal persons, however, must submit them electronically via the electronic office of the Public Administration of the Basque Country.

Management is the responsibility of the Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Intellectual Property, and Legal Deposit, and the evaluation will be carried out by the Rating Committee, chaired by director Urkiri Salaberria Gracia. Justifications may be submitted until January 8, 2027.

This decree represents a step toward the systematic protection of private documentary heritage in the Basque Country and making it available to all citizens through digitalization, strengthening the collaboration between the owners of private archives and the administration.

Source: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, number 171, September 8, 2026, OTHER PROVISIONS section (official reference: 2026/3829).