Castilla-La Mancha subsidizes circular projects for young people with up to 15,000 euros

The Regional Ministry of Sustainable Development of Castilla-La Mancha has approved Order 125/2026, of August 25, which establishes the regulatory bases for grants to young people to promote innovative circular economy projects. The regulation is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM) number 171, of September 7, 2026, and provides for subsidies of up to 15,000 euros per beneficiary.

The order is framed within Law 7/2019, of November 29, on the Circular Economy of Castilla-La Mancha, and aligns with the Castilla-La Mancha Circular Economy Strategy 2030, the II State Circular Economy Action Plan, and the European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan. The initiative responds to the high youth unemployment rate, which in the fourth quarter of 2025 reached 28.29% in the region compared to 23.01% nationally among those under 25, and seeks to support the entrepreneurship of a generation with scarce financial resources.

Beneficiaries and amounts

Individuals aged 18 to 45 registered in the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA), as well as companies and cooperatives whose management bodies are composed entirely of people within that age range, may access the grants. Foundations, public companies or bodies, and administrations are excluded.

The grant will cover 60% of the eligible costs of the project, with a maximum limit of 15,000 euros per beneficiary. Eligible expenses include materials and supplies, instruments and equipment, prototype manufacturing, expert consultancy (up to 50% of the grant), and own personnel (up to 70%), provided that the assigned individuals are between 18 and 45 years old.

Incentives against depopulation

The intensity of the aid is increased in sparsely populated areas, in accordance with the Agreement of October 19, 2021, of the Governing Council and Law 2/2021, of May 7, against depopulation:

• 80% in municipalities at risk of depopulation and in areas of intense depopulation with more than 2,000 inhabitants.
• 90% in areas of intense depopulation with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants and in areas of extreme depopulation with more than 2,000 inhabitants.
• 100% in areas of extreme depopulation with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants.

Selection criteria and processing

Applications will be evaluated on a competitive basis with a maximum of 50 points, based on originality and innovation, technical and economic viability, alignment with the thematic frameworks of the regional circular economy, membership in sectors of special interest (agrifood, construction and demolition, industrial, and tourism), and the creation of green jobs.

Processing shall be exclusively electronic through the headquarters of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, with a submission deadline of no less than 15 business days to be established by each call. The execution period for the projects shall be a maximum of 12 months, and advance payments of up to 40% of the granted amount are contemplated. The resolution must be issued within a maximum of six months from the publication of the call.

The order, signed by counselor Mª Mercedes Gómez Rodríguez, represents a direct boost to youth entrepreneurship and the transition toward a circular economic model in Castilla-La Mancha, with a special incentive to stabilize the population in the most depopulated municipalities. Freelancers, SMEs, and cooperatives in the region thus have a financing route to turn their eco-innovative projects into reality.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 171, September 7, 2026, I. General Provisions, page 31464 (official reference: 2026/6404).