Itsas Garapen Elkartea has called for 2026 fishing grants with the European fund

The Basque Government Minister for Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries, Amaya Barredo Martín, has approved the regulatory bases and the call for sustainable development grants for fishing areas for 2026, under the management of the Itsas Garapen Elkartea (GALP) group and with the support of the EMFAF European fund. The Order is dated September 15 and was published in issue 198 of the BOPV official gazette on October 16, 2026, with official reference 2026/4334. The grants are aimed at coastal municipalities and the fishing sector, and the deadline for submitting applications is one month, starting from the day following the publication.

The call is based on Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation 2021/1139, which regulates the local participatory development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. In this context, the Resolution of the Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture of October 6, 2023, designated Itsas Garapen Elkartea as a local action group (GALP) for the fishing sector, and this group signed a cooperation agreement with the competent department on January 1, 2024. The grants are included in the Strategic Grant Plan for the 2026-2028 period, approved by the Order of March 4, 2026, and are financed by the 2026 budget credits established in Law 7/2025 of December 23, 2025.

Three grant lines and 2.1 million euros

The call has a total of 2,100,000 euros. Of this amount, 1,470,000 euros (70%) belong to the EMFAF fund and 630,000 euros (30%) to the General Budgets of the Basque Country. Payment credits are 100,000 euros in 2026 and 2,000,000 euros in commitment credits in 2027. Three grant lines have been established:

• Productive investments: 1,850,000 euros (50,000 euros in 2026 and 1,800,000 euros in 2027).
• Job creation: 20,000 euros, in 2026.
• Non-productive investments: 230,000 euros (30,000 euros in 2026 and 200,000 euros in 2027).

If there is a surplus in one line, it will be redirected to the remaining lines, according to the priority order of 1, 2, and 3.

Who they are aimed at and which projects will be approved

The beneficiaries of these grants may be micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), both natural and legal persons, and, in the case of non-productive investments, agents of the fishing sector: fishermen’s guilds and their federations, professional associations of the sector, producers’ organizations, and non-profit organizations. Local entities and their dependent organisms cannot receive grants.

Projects must meet the 3rd priority of the EMFAF program, be consistent with the EDLP strategy, and be located in the eligible territorial area. Furthermore, they must be technically, financially, and economically viable, and cannot have started before the application is submitted.

Deadlines, submission and resolution

The deadline for submitting applications is one month, starting from the day following the publication of the order in the BOPV official gazette. Natural persons may submit applications either in person or electronically, while legal entities must use the electronic means. Applications may be received at the three headquarters of the Itsas Garapen Elkartea group:

• Zamudio, Parque Tecnológico, Ibaizabal bidea, building 101, office 111.
• Donostia, Zuatzu business park, Zuatzu kalea, Ulia 1 building, local 4.
• Bermeo, Errosape docks s/n, San Pedro fishermen’s guild building.

The resolution must be issued and notified within a period of six months after the order takes effect. If no resolution is issued after the period has expired, the applications may be considered tacitly rejected.

Evaluation and control

Grants will be awarded through a competitive process, and projects must obtain at least 40 points. The evaluation will measure, among other things, the link to the sector, the participation of women and youth, the contribution to the blue economy, and the quality of the project. The Itsas Garapen Elkartea group will analyze the applications, and the Granting Committee will prepare a report for each project.

The maximum execution period for investments is December 31, 2026, in the case of annual investments, and December 31, 2027, in the case of multi-year investments. For employment creation grants, the created job must be maintained for at least three years.

This call renews the main tool for diversifying the economy and creating employment in fishing areas, through the FEMPA fund. It will have an impact on coastal municipalities and the fishing sector, and selected projects must meet the objectives of the blue economy and participatory local development.

Fuente: BOPV, number 198, October 16, 2026, Other Provisions, pp. 1-49 (official reference: 2026/4334).