Castilla-La Mancha announces 360,000 euros to incubate ESA BIC space companies

The Castilla-La Mancha Science and Technology Park Foundation (Fpctclm) has approved the call for grants destined for projects included in the European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Program in Castilla-La Mancha (ESA BIC Castilla-La Mancha), endowed with 360,000 euros. The resolution, signed on September 25, 2026, by the president of its Executive Commission, José Antonio Castro Osma, is published as an annex to the Resolution of 09/29/2026 of the General Secretariat of the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha number 190, of October 2, 2026 (reference 2026/7078). The abstract appears in the National Grants Database with the identifier BDNS 931909.

Regulatory framework and origin of the program

The grants are governed by Order 129/2026, of September 8, of the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, which establishes the regulatory bases and was published in DOCM number 175, of September 11. Fpctclm led the candidacy to implement the center and the European Space Agency (ESA) selected it, with the Collaboration Contract being formalized in March 2026.

The program is part of the ESA Business Incubation Centre initiative and seeks to technologically mature projects, create and consolidate innovative startups and SMEs, transfer space technologies to non-space markets, and incorporate regional companies into the aerospace value chain. The grants are considered de minimis under Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, with a limit of 300,000 euros per company in any three-year period.

Amount, financing and services

• Maximum total credit of the call: 360,000.00 euros.
• Maximum grant per beneficiary entity or person: less than 60,000 euros, never exceeding the cost of the activity.
• Financing: 180,000.00 euros provided by ESA and 180,000.00 euros from the nominative transfer of the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.
• Distribution by annual installments: 240,000.00 euros in 2027 and 120,000.00 euros in 2028.
• Free services during incubation: at least 50 hours of business consultancy, 20 hours of technical support, and 20 hours of legal and intellectual and industrial property consultancy.
• Payments: two advances of up to one-third of the granted aid (up to 20,000 euros each) and a final payment after justification.

Requirements and submission of applications

Beneficiaries may be startups and innovative companies that are SMEs, as well as natural persons promoting business projects who commit to incorporating a company. Among the required conditions are:

• Company age of less than five years as of the application date.
• SME status in accordance with Recommendation 2003/361/EC.
• Workplace or operational establishment in Castilla-La Mancha, or a commitment to have one within two months.
• Project with a demonstrable connection to the space sector or the use of space technologies.
• Not be considered a company in crisis nor incur the prohibitions of Article 13 of the General Subsidies Law 38/2003, of November 17.

Joint ventures, civil societies, associations, and non-profit foundations are excluded. Applications are submitted exclusively electronically, via the form on the Fpctclm headquarters website (https://pctclm.sedipualba.es), and the technical documentation of the project must be written in English for evaluation by the ESA. The deadline is two months from the day following the publication of the summary in the DOCM.

Evaluation, resolution, and execution

Formal verification is the responsibility of the Tender Opening Board (TOB) and the assessment is the responsibility of the Tender Evaluation Board (TEB), composed of representatives from the ESA (Chairmanship), the Fpctclm (Secretariat), and the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) (Member). The maximum score is 100 points, divided between background and experience (25), technology and services (20), value proposition and market (20), business model and risk (15), and activity proposal (20). A minimum of 60 overall points and 40 percent in each block is required.

The maximum period for resolution and notification is six months from the publication of the call; without an express resolution, applications may be understood as rejected by administrative silence. The execution period lasts up to 24 months from the formalization of the incubation contract, with a possible extension of stay at the facilities for up to 12 additional months in the post-incubation phase. An administrative appeal may be filed against the resolution before the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports within one month.

The call opens a channel for direct financing and specialized support for regional aerospace entrepreneurship, a high-value-added sector that until now lacked its own incubation instrument in Castilla-La Mancha. For entrepreneurs and innovative SMEs, the program combines capital, technical advice, and access to the ESA international network, which reduces the barriers to entry into a market demanding in both technology and capital.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 190, of October 2, 2026, section III, pp. 33733-33746 (official reference: 2026/7078).