SODERCAN opens grants to hire specialized technical personnel

The Society for the Regional Development of Cantabria, S. A. (SODERCAN) has opened the 2026 call for its Specialized Technical Personnel program, aimed at supporting the permanent hiring of graduates in the region’s companies. The resolution, signed on August 20, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria number 166, dated August 28, 2026, with the reference CVE-2026-6702.

The initiative, attached to the Ministry of Industry, Employment, Innovation and Trade of the Government of Cantabria, seeks to incentivize the specialization of workforces, professional access to the labor market, and the return of talent to the region. It is framed within the company’s Strategic Subsidy Plan and the Cantabria Internationalization Plan 2025-2028, and is governed by the regulatory bases of Order IND/31/2026, of July 6, published in BOC number 135 on July 15, 2026.

Two lines of aid and budget

The call is organized into two lines, with a maximum budget of 800,000 euros charged to the Cantabria Budget Law 4/2026:

• Line I. International commercial technical personnel: 300,000 euros, for commercial expansion activities and market diversification.
• Line II. R&D technical personnel: 500,000 euros, for R&D+i projects, feasibility studies, and innovation management.

The intensity of the aid can reach 70% of the eligible budget for the first 12 months of employment, 80% in cases of talent return, and up to 90% for those who have been beneficiaries of SODERCAN internationalization scholarships in the ICEX Commercial Offices. In any case, the maximum amount per application is 25,000 euros.

Who can apply

Beneficiaries may include companies, including self-employed workers and mutualists, of any legal form and size, provided they have a workplace in Cantabria where the technical personnel are incorporated. Companies and public entities are excluded.

• The hired person must hold a university degree or a higher-level vocational training qualification.
• The contract must be permanent, full-time, with a minimum annual gross salary of 24,000 euros.
• In the case of talent return, the person must have been born in Cantabria or completed their studies there and have worked outside the region for at least 12 months.
• Remote contracts, relief contracts, and those who have already been supported by SODERCAN in previous calls are not eligible.

Deadline and processing

Applications may be submitted until October 30, 2026, electronically through the SODERCAN grants manager at ayudas.sodercan.es. The procedure is processed under a competitive bidding regime, with evaluation criteria that reward the impact of the activity, professional profile, experience, company size, and equality measures.

The call reinforces Cantabria’s commitment to qualified talent as a lever for competitiveness, combining the drive for internationalization and innovation with the creation of stable employment. For the region’s SMEs and freelancers, it represents a concrete opportunity to incorporate technical profiles with public support of up to 90% of the costs during the first year.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, no. 166, August 28, 2026, page 41126 (official reference: CVE-2026-6702).