Guadalajara subsidizes virtual fencing collars against the Iberian wolf

The Provincial Council of Guadalajara has opened a call for grants, endowed with 300,000 euros, for holders of extensive or semi-extensive cattle farms in the province to acquire collars with “virtual fencing” functionality as a protection measure against attacks by the Iberian wolf. The extract of the agreement, approved by the Governing Board on July 14, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Guadalajara number 162, dated August 25, 2026, with identifier BDNS 920282.

The call is processed under a competitive bidding regime in accordance with Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Law on Subsidies, and is governed by the Council’s General Ordinance on Subsidies, approved by the Plenary on February 21, 2025, and published in BOP number 71 on April 11, 2025. The aid is integrated into the Strategic Grant Plan 2026-2028, approved by the Plenary on February 20, 2026, and contributes to the strategic objective of stimulating rural and economic development.

Purpose and beneficiaries

“Virtual fencing” collars are considered to be devices placed on animals that allow their location to be determined from a mobile application and define grazing enclosures that alert the livestock farmer when the herd leaves them, thus avoiding the installation of physical fences. Beneficiaries may be holders of extensive or semi-extensive bovine farms located in the province, registered in the General Register of Livestock Holdings (REGA) with a zootechnical classification for reproduction for meat, milk, or mixed production.

• Natural persons, legal entities, or entities without legal personality.
• Jointly owned farms.
• Each applicant may obtain aid for one farm, and exceptionally for a second if credit remains available.
• Retirement pension recipients and those subject to the prohibitions of Article 13 of Law 38/2003 are excluded.

Amount and eligible expenses

The grant covers up to 80% of the cost of acquiring the collar, with a maximum of 270 euros per collar (excluding VAT). The eligible period runs from January 1 to December 31, 2026, and the acquired assets must be used for the same purpose for five years. The credit is charged to item 414.77926 of the 2026 budget.

• VAT is not an eligible expense.
• If the applicant was already a beneficiary of the aid from the Resolution of 03/12/2024 of the General Directorate of Rural Development, the amount will be reduced so that the total financed by both administrations does not exceed the limit of 80% or 270 euros per collar.
• The grants are compatible with other subsidies for the same purpose.

Deadlines and evaluation criteria

Applications may be submitted within 15 business days from the day following the publication of the summary, through the Provincial Council’s electronic office, the general registry, or any of the means provided for in Law 39/2015. The maximum period for resolution is six months, and the lack of an express resolution legitimizes dismissal by administrative silence.

The assessment prioritizes the farms most exposed to wolves:

• More than 10 attacks on cattle in 2024-2025: 10 points.
• From 5 to 10 attacks: 7 points; from 1 to 5 attacks: 5 points.
• Farms of less than 20 LSU: 10 points; from 20 to 50 LSU: 7 points; more than 50 LSU: 5 points.
• Municipalities in attack zones: 5 points; bordering: 4; less than 100 km: 3; between 100 and 150 km: 2; others: 1 point.

In the event of a tie, the municipality with the smallest population will be prioritized and, as a last resort, the order of submission. The call continues the line started in 2025, when grants were awarded under BDNS number 856889 (BOP number 179, of September 18, 2025).

The measure represents direct support for the province’s livestock farmers, who will be able to protect their herds against predation by the Iberian wolf without the need to install permanent physical fencing, reducing costs and facilitating the management of extensive livestock farming. The full text of the call can be consulted in the National Grants Database and on the Provincial Council’s website.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Guadalajara, No. 162, August 25, 2026, announcements section (official reference: BDNS 920282).