SODERCAN changes internationalization grants to direct concessions

The Governing Council of Cantabria approved Decree 74/2026, of October 22, which regulates the direct granting of subsidies from SODERCAN, S. A. aimed at promoting internationalization activities for companies in Cantabria. The regulation is published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria number 207, of Wednesday, October 28, 2026 (official reference CVE-2026-8378), and replaces the competitive bidding regime with a direct grant system, with an aid intensity of 70% and a maximum amount of 50,000 euros per applicant. The decree enters into force the day following its publication, that is, October 29, 2026.

The text was signed by the president María José Sáenz de Buruaga Gómez and the Minister of Industry, Employment, Innovation, and Trade, Eduardo C. Arasti Barca, and is based on article 22.3.c) of Law 10/2006, of July 17, on Subsidies of Cantabria, which allows for direct granting when reasons of public, social, or economic interest exist that hinder a public call. The program is part of the First Internationalization Plan of Cantabria (2025-2028) and the Strategic Subsidy Plan of SODERCAN, a public company attached to the Ministry of Industry. Funding will be charged to the credits enabled in the company’s budgets.

From previous competition to permanent procedure

Until now, SODERCAN called for these grants through Order IND/10/2024, of March 18, published in BOC number 65, of April 4, 2024, with a competitive bidding procedure in its ordinary modality. The new decree repeals that order and establishes a direct grant which, according to its own preamble, seeks to streamline management and simplify administrative action.

The change has two practical effects highlighted by the regulation:

• Projects that meet the requirements will be able to access the grants without being subject to rigid submission deadlines linked to a previous call.
• They will also not be conditioned by the budgetary limitations of a closed call.

Files that are under instruction or already resolved under Order IND/10/2024 at the time of entry into force will continue to be governed by that regulation, according to the sole transitional provision. The decree justifies the change based on geopolitical and economic instability, the volatility of trade flows, rising logistics and energy costs, and exchange rate fluctuations.

Five expenditure lines and 70% aid

The grant covers 70% of the total eligible budget, with a ceiling of 50,000 euros per applicant and a minimum budget of 5,000 euros. The actions must already be fully executed and paid at the time of application, with invoices issued after October 11, 2025. Up to two applications per calendar year are permitted.

Eligible expenses are organized into five lines:

• Line 1. International promotion: trade fairs and congresses with own exhibition stand, participation as a visitor, individual prospecting trips, trade missions, and reverse missions.
• Line 2. Advertising in professional media of the destination country and commercial adaptation of the product (labeling, technical sheets, packaging, and translations).
• Line 3. International market studies and implementation feasibility studies, with a maximum of 6,000 euros.
• Line 4. Certifications, product approvals, and registration or renewal of trademarks in foreign markets.
• Line 5. Audit report from the Official Registry of Auditors (ROAC), eligible for up to 900 euros.

Travel and accommodation are covered by a fixed-amount travel allowance per trip, determined according to the destination country in Annex II and unique regardless of the number of people traveling; for international trade fairs with an exhibition stand held in Spain, the allowance is 800 euros. VAT, merchandising, catering expenses, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications, and the acquisition of fixed assets are excluded.

Cantabrian companies with activity in Annex I

All companies, including self-employed individuals, regardless of their legal form and size, with a workplace in Cantabria and activity falling under any of the headings of the Economic Activities Tax listed in Annex I, may be beneficiaries. Public companies and entities, activities based exclusively on e-commerce and franchises, as well as companies in crisis, are excluded.

The processing is the responsibility of the New Market Prospecting and Internationalization Area of SODERCAN, with a correction period of 10 business days. The resolution will be adopted by the CEO of SODERCAN within a maximum period of three months from the application, with an administrative appeal of one month before the head of the Ministry of Industry and notification through the Grant Manager. The grants are de minimis and are subject to the limit of 300,000 euros over three years under Regulation (EU) 2023/2831.

Impact on the exporting fabric

The regulation affects the entire Cantabrian exporting sector, which gains a permanent application channel and no longer has to compete for a closed budget, but loses the comparison between projects. For companies, the change translates into greater legal certainty and a faster procedure; for the Ministry of Industry, it means simpler management of aid and the requirement to justify each file with an audit report registered in the ROAC.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, number 207, of October 28, 2026, Governing Council, pages 55209-55241 (official reference: CVE-2026-8378).