The Canary Islands Institute for Equality grants 291,649 euros to women's associations

The Canarian Institute for Equality has definitively resolved the call for grants aimed at fostering associationism and promoting the social participation of women in the Canary Islands for the year 2026, with 291,648.95 euros distributed among 16 entities. The resolution, signed by the head of the organization, Ana Padrón Brito, on September 21, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (Boletín Oficial de Canarias) no. 196, dated September 30, 2026, within section III. Other Resolutions (reference BOC-A-2026-196-3378). The text dismisses nine applications and expressly rejects the hiring of personnel linked to the applicant entities.

The call is governed by the regulatory bases approved by the Order of September 20, 2016, of the former Ministry of Presidency, Justice and Equality (BOC no. 187, of 26.9.2016), which has indefinite validity, and is integrated into the Strategic Grant Plan of the Canarian Institute for Equality 2026-2028, approved by Order no. 455/2026, of May 8. The expenditure was authorized by Resolution no. 150/2026, of May 18, an extract of which was published in BOC no. 103, of May 28, 2026 (BDNS code 906376).

The file (1/2026-0505112655; SUCON/2026/99) started with a credit of 350,000 euros, broken down into 180,000 euros for the associationism promotion line (application 48400004) and 170,000 euros for the promotion of social participation (application 484G0182). Twenty-five applications were registered for a combined amount of 550,537.50 euros: 10 associationism projects (264,527.84 euros) and 15 social participation projects (286,009.66 euros).

291,648.95 euros for 16 projects

In the associationism promotion line, the 180,000 euros available were exhausted among eight entities:

• Asociación Social y Cultural para las mujeres MARARÍA: 15,816.00 euros.
• Federación de Asociaciones de Mujeres Arena y Laurisilva: 36,786.15 euros.
• Mujeres, Solidaridad y Cooperación: 49,628.64 euros.
• Asociación para el Apoyo Integral a la Mujer A TI MUJER: 7,964.00 euros.
• Asociación Romi Camela Nakerar: 3,041.89 euros.
• Asociación de Mujeres GARA: 11,291.16 euros.
• Asociación de Mujeres Valentina: 23,000.00 euros.
• Asociación Feminista MERCEDES MACHADO (Clara Zetkin 2026 project): 32,472.16 euros.

In the social participation line, 111,648.95 euros of the 170,000 available were granted, with eight projects: Asociación Salud Mental ATELSAM (17,958.82), Asociación Feminista MERCEDES MACHADO for the GISELLE project (19,676.79), ACUFADE (5,992.78), MARARÍA (8,000.00), Asociación de Reinserción Social de Menores Padre Anchieta (11,687.76), A TI MUJER for two projects (20,560.00 and 15,603.00), and Romi Camela Nakerar for “Memoria de las Romi” (12,169.80).

Nine applications dismissed

Annex 2 details the rejections, including several for failing to comply with the guidelines:

• Asociación de Familias y Personas con problemas de salud mental de La Palma (Alas de mariposa): untimely execution period.
• Asociación Unidas Creamos Materia: fails to comply with guideline 3.1 in the project regarding the elderly Canarian woman.
• Asociación para la Participación e Integración Social – FACTORÍA SOCIAL: percentage of female members lower than 80%.
• Asociación de Mujeres Africanas y Afrodescendientes en Canarias: untimely execution period.
• Asociación Social ONG Progreso en Canarias – PROCAN: insufficient score.
• Asociación de Discapacitados del Noroeste de Gran Canaria ADISNOR: percentage of female members lower than 80%.
• Asociación AFAMCA-TENERIFE: percentage of female members lower than 80%.
• Asociación de Mujeres Empresarias Profesionales y Directivas CHARTER 100 Canarias: subcontracting exceeding 70% of the cost and, in a second project, insufficient score.

Hiring of linked personnel: two denials

The resolution dismisses the authorization requested on June 16, 2026 (RGE no. 10301613/2026) by the Asociación Feminista Mercedes Machado to remunerate or hire members of its governing body for technical tasks in the Clara Zetkin 2026 project. The ICI notes confusion between hiring and subcontracting, a lack of identification of the individuals and their positions, and the prohibition of subcontracting within the association line.

In the case of Unidas Creando Materia, which intended to subcontract two researchers who are the president and secretary of the entity, the entire grant is dismissed: the subcontracted activities (67.80% of the cost) constitute the core of the project and the members cannot be beneficiaries according to guideline 3.1. The payment of 2,000.00 euros in fees to the participants of the dialogue table of the project “Memoria de las Romi” by Romi Camela Nakerar is also declared non-subsidizable, as it is a compensation and not professional services.

Deadlines, advance payment, and appeals

Beneficiary entities have ten days from notification to accept the grant and may reformulate their request if the granted amount is lower than requested, as is the case with Mercedes Machado. The projects will be executed between January 1 and November 15, 2026, and the justification deadline is November 30, 2026. An advance payment of 100% of the amounts is agreed upon, without guarantees, and a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed against the resolution within two months, or an optional appeal for reversal within one month.

The resolution concludes the distribution of grants that support the feminist associative fabric of the archipelago, which this year exclude nine entities, several due to formal requirements such as the percentage of female members or execution deadlines. The downward adjustment of two projects by Mercedes Machado and Romi Camela Nakerar also anticipates a tighter execution of funds before November 15.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 196, of September 30, 2026, section III. Other Resolutions, page 35682 (official reference: BOC-A-2026-196-3378).