The Department of Security has called for grants for Ertzaintza athletes for the European Games in Vigo

The Minister of Security Bingen Zupiria Gorostidi signed the Order of September 15, 2026, which approves the regulatory bases and issues the call for grants for Ertzaintza athletes to participate in the European Police and Firefighters Games to be held in Vigo. The Order was published in issue number 181 of the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco on September 22, 2026, with official reference 2026/3974. The purpose of the call is to facilitate the participation of members of the Ertzaintza in the sporting event to be held in Vigo from October 9 to 18, 2026.

Twenty thousand euros and a maximum of 2,500 euros per athlete

• The economic endowment of the call is 20,000.00 euros.
• The maximum amount of the grant is 60% of the justified expenses.
• The maximum amount per request is 2,500.00 euros.

Eligible expenses include travel, accommodation and maintenance, and registration fees. Travel expenses will be paid according to the amount of the round-trip ticket from the Basque Country to Vigo, and round-trip transport to the airport via public transport or, where applicable, based on kilometers and tolls, taking into account Decree 5/2012. Regarding accommodation, hotels of up to four stars are accepted, including room and breakfast; breakfast cannot exceed 15% of the maintenance allowance.

Who can receive the grants

Applicants must be officials of the Ertzaintza at the time of submitting the request and while the Games are taking place. Furthermore, they must hold a federation license according to the modality, or be a member of a sports association, and be up to date with tax and Social Security obligations. Only one request per athlete may be submitted, and all procedures must be carried out electronically.

Sporting merits and deadlines

To receive the grant, one of the following conditions must be verified:

• Having achieved fifth place or better in the 2026 Games; for team events, it is sufficient for one member to verify this.
• Having achieved one gold medal, two silver, or three bronze medals in World or European Games held between 2009 and 2025.

Requests must be submitted from October 26 to November 8, 2026, inclusive, through the Basque Government’s electronic office. If the documentation is incomplete or contains errors, the interested party will be given a period of ten business days to correct the error.

Resolution and payment

Grants will be awarded by resolution of the Vice-Minister of Security, through a simultaneous competition procedure. If the endowment is insufficient, the initially calculated amounts will be reduced proportionally. The resolution will be published on the Gurenet portal and in the BOPV, with a maximum period of three months for resolution. Payment will be made in a single installment, within a maximum of two months following the resolution.

Appeals and validity

Orders exhaust the administrative route, and interested parties may file an appeal for reversal before the Minister of Security within one month, or directly file an administrative contentious-administrative appeal before the Administrative Litigation Chamber of the High Court of Justice of the Basque Country within two months. The Order will enter into force the day following its publication in the BOPV.

The call combines two objectives: promoting a positive image of the Ertzaintza and maintaining the physical training of members throughout their professional career. Based on the results of participation in previous years, the Department believes that such events have a positive effect among the remaining officials and strengthen the sense of teamwork.

Source: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, No. 181, September 22, 2026, Other Provisions, pp. 1-8 (official reference: 2026/3974).