IPEX opens 900,000 euro grants to internationalize SMEs and freelancers

The Castilla-La Mancha Foreign Promotion Institute (IPEX) has opened the call for grants destined for the development of individual internationalization plans, with a maximum amount of 900,000 euros. The measure is approved via the Resolution of 05/10/2026, signed by the director of the organization, Paloma Sánchez Garrido, and is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM) number 195, dated October 9, 2026, with the official reference [2026/7259] and the identifier BDNS 933593.

The grants are awarded under Order 139/2021, of September 15, of the Regional Ministry of Economy, Business and Employment, modified by Order 139/2022, of July 5 and by Order 173/2024, of October 9. The procedure is processed under a competitive bidding regime and is financed from the IPEX 2027 budget, Program 751B, item 47573; as it is a call for early processing, the award is conditional upon the existence of adequate and sufficient credit.

IPEX frames this line within the renewal of the regional internationalization strategy for the 2026-2030 period and reserves 30% of the credit for applicants who carry out their activity in sparsely populated areas or areas at risk of depopulation, in accordance with the Agreement of October 19, 2021 of the Governing Council and Law 2/2021, of May 7.

Four lines and up to 8,000 euros per beneficiary

• Line 1: Initiation to export — 100,000 euros; maximum aid of 5,000 euros.
• Line 2: Initiation to export fashion sector — 50,000 euros; maximum of 5,000 euros.
• Line 3: Consolidation of export — 600,000 euros; maximum of 8,000 euros.
• Line 4: Consolidation of export fashion sector — 150,000 euros; maximum of 8,000 euros.

The aid percentage is 100% across the four lines, with a minimum financiable budget of 2,500 euros in lines 1 and 2 and 4,000 euros in lines 3 and 4. The amount of each line may be increased by up to an additional 40% if the availability of credit is declared.

Beneficiaries and requirements

Companies, natural persons registered under the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers (RETA), cooperatives, groupings of natural or legal persons, communities of assets, and the management and representation bodies of protected geographical indications and protected designations of origin may apply for the grants. Public and private foundations, public companies or organizations, and public administrations are excluded.

Lines 1 and 2 require having exported for a maximum of two years within the previous five, or not having exported but possessing accredited exporting potential through a diagnosis by the IPEX technical team. For lines 3 and 4, it is necessary to have exported for at least three of the previous five years. Companies in lines 1 and 3 that have been beneficiaries in the two previous calls will not be eligible for aid.

One-month deadline and electronic submission

The deadline for submitting applications is one month from the day following the publication of the resolution and its summary in the DOCM, therefore ending on November 9, 2026. Applications are submitted electronically with an electronic signature through the electronic office of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (www.jccm.es), using Annex II.

The processing is handled by the administration department of IPEX, and the evaluation is conducted by a commission of four technicians from the promotion department. The maximum period for resolution and notification is six months, and administrative silence is considered a rejection. An administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the Regional Ministry of Economy, Business and Employment within one month.

Evaluation criteria and execution period

In the initiation lines, the following are valued with up to 100 points: economic capacity (30), participation in IPEX Ready, ICEX NEXT, or Expande programs (30), the website (30), and location in priority areas (10). In the consolidation lines, points are awarded for having an internal or external export department (40), the website (30), sustainability, equality, or social responsibility certifications (20), and priority areas (10).

The execution period for the projects spans from June 1, 2026, to May 31, 2027. Eligible activities include international promotion actions, commercial agendas, advertising campaigns, promotional material, travel, patent registration and, only in lines 3 and 4, participation in international tenders called by multilateral organizations or foreign public institutions. The aid is subject to the de minimis regime of Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, with a limit of 300,000 euros per company over three years.

The call arrives at a time of renewal for the regional internationalization strategy and offers SMEs, freelancers, and cooperatives from Castilla-La Mancha full financing for their foreign promotion plans, with special attention to the fashion sector and territories at risk of depopulation. The one-month deadline and the requirement for electronic processing make the date of November 9, 2026, the key reference for interested companies.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 195, October 9, 2026, section III, page 36283 (official reference: 2026/7259).