The Government has approved the 2026 call for the Ikerbat program for food and wood innovation

The Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries has approved the 2026 call and the regulatory bases of the Ikerbat program to finance innovation projects for companies in the food and wood chains. The Order of August 27, 2026, by Minister Amaya Barredo Martín, establishes a subsidy of 2.7 million euros: 500,000 euros as a 2026 payment credit and 2.2 million euros as a 2027 commitment credit. The regulation was published in the BOPV official gazette, issue number 181, on September 22, 2026, with official reference 2026/3975.

The call develops the Ikerbat strategic project of the 2030 Strategic Plan for Gastronomy and Food in the Basque Country (PEGA), and aligns with the “Healthy Food” priority line of the Science, Technology and Innovation Plan for 2030 (PCTI 2030). The grants are included in the Strategic Grant Plan for the years 2026, 2027 and 2028, and are financed by the credit charges guaranteed by Law 7/2025, which approves the General Budgets of the Basque Country for 2026.

Five grant lines and distribution of the subsidy

A total of 2,700,000 euros are allocated, distributed as follows:

• Line 1: 1,400,000 euros, R&D projects linked to the value chain of the food and wood chain (150,000 euros in 2026 and 1,250,000 euros in 2027).
• Line 2: 350,000 euros, projects to create and disseminate knowledge for the agriculture and forestry sectors (50,000 and 300,000 euros).
• Line 3: 300,000 euros, innovation projects for business processes (100,000 and 200,000 euros).
• Line 4: 350,000 euros, projects of the Operational Agent Groups of AEI Agri, intervention 7161 of PEPAC (100,000 and 250,000 euros).
• Line 5: 300,000 euros, projects of Cooperation Groups, intervention 7162 of PEPAC (100,000 and 200,000 euros).

If there is a surplus in one line, it may be redirected to other lines according to this priority order: lines 1, 3, 4, 5, and 2. The initial amount may be increased by a maximum of 30%, provided there is budget availability.

For whom and under what conditions

Beneficiaries may be companies—small, medium, and large—business associations, associations without legal personality, and property communities, as well as certified agents of the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network (RVCTI). In lines 4 and 5, groups composed of at least three independent members are required, including one dynamizing agent, and the group’s representative must have its registered office in the Basque Country.

The grant intensities are as follows:

• Basic research: 100%.
• Industrial research: 50%.
• Experimental development: 25%.
• Feasibility studies: 50%.
• Line 2: 100%.
• Line 3: 15% for large companies and 50% for SMEs.

The intensity of aid can be increased to 80% for SMEs and for projects with effective cooperation. The maximum funding per project is 400,000 euros, but this amount is subject to the European Commission approving changes to the RDP; otherwise, it will be 200,000 euros. The minimum score is 53 points for lines 1, 2, and 3, and 64 points for lines 4 and 5.

Deadlines and Processing

The period for submitting applications is one month, starting from the day after the order is published in the BOPV, that is, from September 23 to October 23, 2026. The maximum period for resolving and notifying the procedure is six months, counting from the day after publication.

The HAZI Foundation will be the collaborating entity, and the Directorate of Food Policy and Industry will manage the procedure. The resolution will be issued by Raúl Pérez Iracheta, Undersecretary of Food and Rural Development, and will be published in the BOPV. Against the order, a motion for reconsideration may be filed within one month or an administrative appeal within two months.

Financing Context

This call will be fully financed with own funds from the General Budgets of the Basque Country, as the EAFRD funds allocated to interventions 7161 and 7162 of the RDP have been exhausted. The grants comply with the following European Union regulations: Regulation 651/2014 (Articles 25 and 29), Regulation 2022/2472 (Article 38), and Regulation 2023/2831, regarding de minimis aid.

The call aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the food and wood chain by increasing the innovation capacity of companies and promoting cooperation between sector agents. The fact that the 2.7 million euro allocation is divided into two events allows for the support of multi-annual projects, and financing with own funds means the call is not conditioned by the exhaustion of EAFRD grants. The impact, therefore, will be direct across the entire value chain, from production to marketing.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco (BOPV), No. 181, September 22, 2026, Other Provisions section, pp. 1-88 (official reference: 2026/3975).