The Department of Culture has approved the 2026 grants for maritime heritage

Ibone Bengoetxea Otaolea, First Vice-President of the Basque Government and Minister of Culture and Language Policy, has signed the Order of July 15, 2026, which establishes the regulatory bases for grants to enhance maritime and shipbuilding cultural heritage and issues the call for the 2026 event. The Order was published in the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco (BOPV) number 160, on August 24, 2026, with official reference 2026/3675.

The Order complies with the mandate established by Law 6/2019, of May 9, regarding Basque Cultural Heritage, and is a continuation of the first calls to protect the maritime sector. The text itself acknowledges that the traditional sector is in decline and on the verge of disappearing, and, paradoxically, its protagonists have begun to organize to provide technical assistance and maintenance to the few remaining cultural traces. The grants are located within the Plan Estrategiko de Subvenciones 2025-2028 (PES) and the Plan Anual de Subvenciones 2026 (PAS) plans, and will be charged to the credit included in the 2026 budgets.

Four grant lines

The call has a budget of 135,000 euros, divided into four grant lines:

• 1st line (50,000 €): works for the musealization of wooden ships, including studies, security and access works, signage, and exhibition preparations.
• 2nd line (55,000 €): rigging and preparation of wooden ships to provide service to the public in 2026.
• 3rd line (15,000 €): repair and adaptation of wooden ships owned by natural persons or non-profit associations.
• 4th line (15,000 €): activities and events carried out by associations or private organizations to enhance maritime heritage.

Amounts and conditions

The maximum amounts of the grants vary according to the line:

• In the 1st and 2nd lines, 75% of the eligible budget, up to a maximum of 30,000 euros.
• In the 3rd line, a maximum of 3,000 euros; with a maximum of 1,000 euros for docking or maintenance costs in Basque ports.
• In the 4th line, a maximum of 5,000 euros.

Applicants must have their residence or activity in the CAPV, and in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd lines, they must be the owners of the ships or have the owner’s permission. Projects must be completed by December 31, 2026, and applications must be submitted within a period of one month starting from the day after the publication of the order, either in person at the Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Intellectual Property and Legal Custody (Donostia-San Sebastián street 1, Vitoria-Gasteiz), or electronically through the Basque Government’s electronic office.

Evaluation criteria

Applications will be evaluated by a Evaluation Committee, in accordance with the competition rules, and each line has its own criteria. At least 60 points must be obtained in lines 1, 2, and 4, and 15 points in line 3. Among other things, the cultural interest of the activity, the antiquity of the vessel (one point per decade, maximum 10), the state of conservation, the percentage of original elements, Basque typology and whether it was made in the Basque Country, and the case of vessels classified as icons are evaluated. In line 4, additionally, the quality of the activity, external impact, level of self-financing, and gender perspective are evaluated.

This call is of special importance, as the maritime sector has almost disappeared and its remnants, especially wooden vessels, are residual. Therefore, the grants not only protect the material heritage but also promote the transmission of a living maritime culture, which is a fundamental part of the Basque identity.

Source: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, number 160, August 24, 2026, OTHER PROVISIONS section (official reference: 2026/3675).