Castilla-La Mancha allocates 432,000 euros to innovative entrepreneurship grants

The Regional Ministry of Economy, Business and Employment of Castilla-La Mancha has announced 432,000 euros in grants to promote innovative entrepreneurship for the 2026 financial year, aimed at the European Business and Innovation Centres (CEEIs) of the region. The call is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha no. 180, dated September 18, 2026, through the Resolution of 10/09/2026, from the Directorate General for Business (reference 2026/6660). Interested parties have a period of only 10 days from the day following publication.

Regulatory Framework and European Financing

The grants are governed by Order 154/2023, of July 14, regarding regulatory bases, as amended by Order 149/2024, of August 28 and by Order 115/2026, of July 17. The call is co-financed by the Castilla-La Mancha Feder Program 2021-2027, within political objective 1 and specific objective 1.4, under action type CM1A401 “Grants for innovative entrepreneurship.”

The maximum amount of 432,000 euros comes from own funds and is allocated to budget application 19.11.0000/G541F/48080 FPA0090010. The activities are framed within Axis 3 “Innovate and Digitalize Forward” of the Plan Adelante 2024-2027 and must be consistent with the Smart Specialization Strategy of Castilla-La Mancha (S3 CLM).

Deadlines, Amounts, and Eligible Expenses

• Application deadline: 10 days from the day following the publication of the summary in the DOCM.
• Submission: exclusively electronic and with an electronic signature, through the electronic office of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha.
• Execution of activities: from January 1 to December 31, 2026.
• Credit annualities: 332,000 euros in 2026 and 100,000 euros in 2027.
• Limit per beneficiary: eligible expenses may not exceed 25 percent of the total credit.
• Admitted expenses: own personnel, external collaborations and consultancies, plus 5 percent indirect costs calculated at a flat rate.
• Advance: an initial payment of 25 percent of the granted subsidy upon notification of the resolution.

Evaluation Criteria and Priority for Depopulated Areas

The evaluation is carried out on a competitive basis for a maximum of 100 points:

• Quality of the activity project: up to 30 points.
• Specialized support services for SMEs and entrepreneurs: up to 30 points.
• Collaboration with other agents of the innovation system: up to 20 points.
• Business impact on SMEs and entrepreneurs: up to 20 points.

Incentives for demographic impact are added to this score: 20 points for applications in areas at risk of depopulation, 30 points in areas of intense depopulation, and 40 points in areas of extreme depopulation.

Instruction, Resolution, and Monitoring

The instruction corresponds to the Technological Innovation Service of the General Directorate of Companies, with the support of a technical commission chaired by its head of service. The resolution corresponds to the holder of the General Directorate of Companies, and the document is signed by Santiago Tomás Baeza San Llorente; the maximum period to resolve and notify is two months from the end of the application period, with a negative administrative silence.

The performance framework sets forecasts for 200 companies with non-financial support (indicators RCO01/RCO04) and 50 SMEs using incubator services after their creation (RCR18). An administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed against the resolution before the Regional Ministry of Economy, Companies and Employment within one month.

The call arrives with a very tight schedule: only 10 days to gather the technical report, consultancy budgets, and the required labor documentation. For the region’s CEEIs (Business Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centers) and the emerging companies that rely on them, the margin is minimal, but the credit allows for the financing of specialized consultancy, fundraising, and the adoption of advanced technologies throughout 2026.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 180, of September 18, 2026, section III, pp. 32212-32221 (official reference: 2026/6660).