SPRI has approved and called for grants for the ESA BIC Eus…

SPRI-Basque Business Development Agency has approved the 2026 regulatory bases for the ESA BIC Euskadi program grants and has opened the call for applications. The resolution signed by general director Jon Ansoleaga Ugarte on October 1st was published today, October 26, 2026, in issue number 204 of the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco official gazette, with official reference 2026/4492. The call has a budget of 360,000 euros and finances grants of up to 60,000 euros per project, split equally between SPRI and the European Space Agency (ESA).

The grant line was not created from scratch. At the end of 2025, ESA launched a competitive procedure to select new managers for ESA BIC incubation centers in Spain, which envisioned the creation of new implementations. SPRI applied together with actors from the Basque entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, and the Basque proposal was one of the new headquarters selected in the state. Subsequently, the agency formalized a cooperation contract with ESA (ESA Contract No. 4000151583/25/UK/AL/an), which regulates the operation of the program and the services to be provided to the incubated companies.

The program is included in SPRI’s Strategic Plan for the 2025-2028 period, approved by the Order of January 24, 2025, and is aligned with the priorities of the Plan de Industria – Euskadi 2030. The bases have been published fulfilling the publication requirement established in article 8.3 of Ley 20/2023.

What the program offers

ESA BIC Euskadi combines financing and technical support, both for spin-off projects based on space technologies and for spin-in projects that direct the transfer of ground technologies into the space sector. Among the services:

50 hours of business coaching and 10 hours of intellectual property and legal consultancy.
20 hours of specialized technical support, with strategic sector partners, including testing and validation.
Spaces and facilities under improved conditions, for a maximum of two years.
Assistance in seeking financing: investment networks, venture capital, and other public and private aids.
Participation in exclusive sector events and networking.
Economic aid of up to 60,000 euros, for activities directly linked to the production and development of the project.

360,000 euros and 60,000 euros per project

The continuation of the day is worth 360,000 euros, coming from SPRI’s budgets and included in the 2026 General Budgets of the Basque Country. This amount is financed 50% by ESA, according to article 3.1 of the contract; therefore, a maximum of six projects will be able to participate. The aid is non-repayable, covers up to 100% of eligible expenses, and is granted under a competitiveness regime. It is processed as de minimis aid, according to Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, and the beneficiary may not receive more than 300,000 euros in de minimis aid over a three-year period.

Who may submit applications

Commercial companies with less than five years of seniority may be beneficiaries, provided they meet the following conditions:

Having the center of activity in the Basque Autonomous Community.
The project being accepted by a Basque Business Innovation Center (BIC).
Obtaining the approval of the TEB evaluation committee.
The project having a demonstrable link to the space sector or the use of space technologies.

Natural persons may also apply, but the grant will be subject to the condition of presenting documentation proving the creation of a company. BIC Araba, BIC Bizkaia Ezkerraldea, BEAZ, and BIC Gipuzkoa have been appointed as supporting organizations, and they will take charge of project identification, initial documentation verification, and monitoring.

Deadlines and evaluation

The application period will begin on October 27, the day after publication, and will end on November 27; technical support will end at 15:00 on that same day.
The TEB committee will be composed of representatives from SPRI, ESA, and the Spanish Space Agency, and they will evaluate the projects after hearing the presentations.
A maximum of 100 points will be distributed among five criteria: team and track record (25), technology and service (20), value proposition and market (20), business model and risk (15), and activity proposal (20).
To be a beneficiary, at least 40% must be achieved in each section and 60 overall points.
The resolution must be notified within six months, counting from the day the application is completed.

Execution and payment

The project execution period will be between 12 and 24 months from the signing of the Incubation Contract. The aid will be provided in three payments: an advance of 20,000 euros after the Incubation Contract is formalized; another 20,000 euros as an interim settlement upon submission of the Mid Term Report; and the final 20,000 euros, or the remaining amount to be justified, upon submission of the Final Term Report. Eligible expenses include, among others, research and development in space technology and services, prototyping and proof of concept, development of specific software and hardware, internal personnel linked to the project, and external technical consultancy.

The call strengthens the Basque Country’s positioning as a reference center for space entrepreneurs and opens the way to attract qualified talent. The term is no longer than one month, and the amount of aid is limited to 60,000 euros per project, but strict technical conditions must be met: the approval of a BIC and a committee composed of representatives from ESA, SPRI, and the Spanish Space Agency. For new startups in the space sector, therefore, it is direct access to public funds and, at the same time, a gateway to enter within ESA’s international incubation network.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, number 204, October 26, 2026, section I (Other provisions) (official reference: 2026/4492).