ICE opens 600,000 euros in grants to digitalize micro-enterprises and freelancers

The Institute for Business Competitiveness of Castilla y León (ICE), under the Regional Ministry of Economy and Finance, has opened the call for grants for the basic digitalization of micro-enterprises and freelancers in the community, with a budget of 600,000 euros. The call was approved by Resolution of October 26, 2026, from the Presidency of the ICE, an extract of which was published in the Official Gazette of Castilla y León no. 209, of October 28, 2026, with the reference BOCYL-D-28102026-209-8 and identification BDNS 937837 in the National Grants Database. Applications can be submitted from this Thursday, October 29, until February 15, 2027.

Regulatory framework and background

The call is supported by Order EYH/575/2026, of June 16, which approves the regulatory bases for these grants, published in the B.O.C. y L. no. 118, of June 22, 2026, and by Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Law on Subsidies. The expenditure is charged to Law 5/2008, of September 25, on Subsidies of the Community of Castilla y León, which allows for the expansion of the initial credit.

The ICE had already launched an equivalent line for SMEs through the Resolution of October 30, 2024. Those who obtained that grant cannot be beneficiaries of this new call, a filter that prevents duplication and concentrates efforts on businesses that have not yet received public support to digitalize.

Requirements: projects already executed and paid

Micro-enterprises, including freelancers, who carry out the project in Castilla y León may apply for the aid. The following are excluded:

• Asset communities, civil societies, and public companies.
• Associations, foundations, public administrations and, in general, non-profit entities.
• Entities operating in the sectors excluded by Article 1 of Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, regarding de minimis aid.
• Activities vetoed in section 3 of the fourth base of Order EYH/575/2026.

The project must be completed—that is, executed and paid—at the time of submitting the application. Only actions invoiced and effectively paid between January 1 and December 31, 2026, are admitted, and the eligible expenditure must reach at least 1,500 euros.

Amounts: from 1,200 to 1,800 euros as non-repayable grants

The grant is a fixed amount, not a percentage of the expenditure, calculated by tiers:

• 1,200 euros when the eligible expenditure is less than 2,000 euros.
• 1,500 euros when the expenditure is between 2,000 and 2,499 euros.
• 1,800 euros when the expenditure is equal to or greater than 2,500 euros.

The total amount of the call is 600,000 euros, extendable by a maximum additional amount of 900,000 euros in accordance with article 16.3 of Law 5/2008. The resolution was signed in Arroyo de la Encomienda on October 26, 2026, by the president of the ICE, Carlos Fernández Carriedo.

The period begins the day following the publication of the summary and closes on February 15, 2027, or earlier if a call replacing it is published. Processing is carried out electronically at the headquarters of the Junta de Castilla y León, where the call can be located with the identifier BDNS 937837.

Impact on the productive fabric

The line reaches the most numerous segment of the business fabric of Castilla y León: micro-enterprises and self-employed workers with small structures, for whom an expenditure of 1,500 euros in basic digitalization is usually deterrent. The design of the aid, with a fixed amount and a requirement for prior payment, favors businesses that have already taken the step and are claiming reimbursement, rather than financing future plans. For the ICE, the call completes the previous one aimed at SMEs and extends the public umbrella to smaller businesses, the group with the largest digital divide and the lowest capacity for own investment.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla y León, no. 209, of October 28, 2026, section I.C. Grants, page 55 (official reference: BOCYL-D-28102026-209-8, BDNS 937837).