Álava increases agricultural investment grants by 518,222 euros

The Governing Council of Álava has approved an increase in the budget allocation for the resolution of the 2026 call for investment grants in agricultural holdings, in the amount of 518,222.55 euros, in order to address all submitted applications. This is stated in Agreement 527/2026, of July 28, published in the Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava (BOTHA) number 101, of September 4, 2026, with reference 2026-02517.

The call was initially approved by Agreement 120/2026, of March 3, of the Governing Council, charged to item “40101. G/414400/77000429 Agricultural Holding Investments 2026” of the expenditure budget of the Provincial Council of Álava for the 2026 financial year, for an amount of 3,046,700.41 euros. The agreement provided that these credits could be increased within the limits of Article 21 of Foral Regulation 11/2016, of October 19, on Grants of the Historical Territory of Álava, up to a maximum of one hundred percent of the initially reserved credit.

The deficit detected after the study of applications

Once the application period ended and the study of the applications was completed, the calculation of the grant amount necessary to address all requests totaled 3,564,922.96 euros, which revealed a budget deficit of 518,222.55 euros. The distribution of the required amount by annual installments was as follows:

• 2026: 846,700.41 euros.
• 2027: 1,900,000.00 euros.
• 2028: 818,222.55 euros.

To cover the deficit, the Governing Council agreed to increase the allocation in the budget item by the following amounts:

• 2026: 350,000.00 euros.
• 2028: 168,222.55 euros.

Financing through credit transfers

Given the existing deficit both in the current annual installment, in which there was only an available balance by linkage of 3,399.78 euros, and in the 2028 annual installment, which had no available balance, Agreement 479/2026, of July 21, of the Governing Council approved the credit transfer files M_T00/2026/0000000066 and M_T01/2026/000000009 of the 2026 budget of the Provincial Council of Álava, for amounts of 346,600.22 euros and 168,222.55 euros, respectively.

With this increase, the final amount of the call amounts to 3,564,922.96 euros, distributed across the annual installments of 2026 (846,700.41 euros), 2027 (1,900,000.00 euros), and 2028 (818,222.55 euros).

Support for the incorporation of young people into the sector

The agreement emphasizes that the viability of investments made by young people seeking to enter the agricultural sector depends on these grants, a specific objective set out in Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021, within the framework of the strategic plans for the common agricultural policy (CAP). The grants are also necessary for the remaining holdings, as they improve their operation and sustainability by reducing costs and contributing to the mitigation of climate change.

The agreement, adopted upon the proposal of the provincial deputy for Agriculture, Noemí Aguirre Quintana, was signed by the general deputy, Ramiro González Vicente, and the director of Agriculture, David Fernández Sarabia, in Vitoria-Gasteiz on July 28, 2026.

The extension ensures that agricultural holdings in Álava, and especially those owned by young people, can execute their investment projects and sustainable business development in the rural areas of the territory, thereby fulfilling the commitments acquired within the framework of the CAP Strategic Plan (PEPAC).

Source: Official Gazette of the Historical Territory of Álava (BOTHA), no. 101, September 4, 2026, I - General Assemblies of Álava and Provincial Administration, page 1/2 (official reference: 2026-02517).