The government regulates direct subsidies to industry for 2026

The Council of Ministers approved, on September 8, 2026, Real Decreto 724/2026, of September 9, which governs the direct granting of industry subsidies for the 2026 budget year. The text, published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) No. 224 on Thursday, September 10, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-18902), is signed by King Felipe VI and countersigned by the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu Boher.

The regulation is based on Article 22.2.c) of Ley 38/2003, of November 17, the General Subsidies Act, which authorizes direct granting when reasons of public, social, or economic interest make a public call for applications difficult. The Ministry justifies this exceptional route by the unique nature of the three beneficiaries, the only entities designated to perform their respective functions.

Three entities, three missions

The decree funds three organizations that constitute the common infrastructure for quality and industrial safety in Spain, under Chapter II of Real Decreto 2200/1995:

• Asociación Española de Normalización: €1,500,000 for the payment of contributions to international standardization bodies, the management of technical committees, and secretariat work in standardization.
• Entidad Nacional de Acreditación (ENAC): €175,000 for integration into the European and international accreditation infrastructure, the digitalization of procedures, and training and communication actions.
• Fundación para el Fomento de la Innovación Industrial (FFII): €1,300,000 for the verification of the characteristics of marketed industrial products and the study of the degree of compliance with legislation.

In total, the three subsidies represent €2,975,000, funded by the credits of Ley 31/2022 of the General State Budgets, extended for 2026.

A precise legal and procedural framework

Beneficiaries have a period of seven days from the date of entry into force to submit their application electronically to the Dirección General de Estrategia Industrial y de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa, the instructing body. Payment is made in advance, without the requirement of a guarantee, and expenditures must be incurred between January 1 and December 31, 2026, with justification possible until March 31, 2027.

The decree also provides for a compatibility regime with other aid, provided that the sum of the contributions does not exceed the total cost of the activity. In the event of non-compliance, a proportional reimbursement is provided for, with full reimbursement if the execution does not exceed 75% of the planned activity.

An amendment to the Auto+ program

The third final provision amends Real Decreto 609/2026, of July 22, which governs subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles (Auto+ Program). The new Article 4.2 strengthens the eligibility conditions for beneficiaries, who must notably be up to date with their tax and Social Security obligations and not be subject to a recovery order from the European Commission.

The decree, issued under Article 149.1.13ª of the Constitution (exclusive competence of the State in matters of economic planning), enters into force the day after its publication in the BOE. It is part of the ministry’s Plan Estratégico de Subvenciones for 2025-2027 and does not constitute State aid within the meaning of Articles 107 to 109 of the TFEU.

Scope of the measure

By ensuring the continuity of standardization, accreditation, and market surveillance activities, this regulation aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Spanish industry, particularly SMEs, to promote fair competition, and to reduce risks associated with the presence of non-compliant products on the market, for the benefit of consumers and the economy as a whole.

Official reference: Real Decreto 724/2026, de 9 de septiembre, por el que se regula la concesión directa de subvenciones en materia de industria durante el ejercicio presupuestario 2026. Boletín Oficial del Estado, n° 224, September 10, 2026, Sec. I, pág. 120820. Reference: BOE-A-2026-18902.