SPRI has launched scholarships to bring women into industry with 975,000 euros

SPRI-Basque Business Development Agency has approved the bases regulating the “Women into Industry” scholarships and the 2026 call, with a budget of 975,000 euros. The source of the decision is the Resolution of September 17, 2026, signed by general director Jon Ansoleaga Ugarte, and it was published in issue number 185 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country on September 28, 2026 (official reference: 2026/4023). The objective of the program is to integrate women into production positions within industrial companies in the Basque Country, through a path that links training and subsequent hiring.

The bet for a more competitive industry

According to the text, SPRI considers gender equality not only as a matter of human rights, but also as a fundamental element for the competitiveness of the Basque industry. According to reports produced for the World Economic Foundation, women make up 50% of the world’s population and 47% of the labor force, but only around 20% of industrial staff. In the Basque Country, women represent 21.7% of total employment in industrial companies.

The program is located within the Industry Plan – Euskadi 2030, approved by the Governing Council on September 30, 2025. That plan includes “Women into Industry” as a transformative project, linked to the strategic priority of attracting new talent to industry, and provides for institutional coordination between the departments of Industry, Employment, and Education, together with clusters and universities.

What the program finances

The aids are non-refundable grants and will be awarded through a continuous call procedure. They are de minimis aids according to European Commission Regulation 2831/2023, and each beneficiary entity may not receive more than 300,000 euros over a three-year period.

By concept, these are the main amounts:

• Training courses: maximum 6 months and 7,000 euros per person, with a minimum dedication of 120 hours per month, up to 100% of the cost.
• Endowment of each scholarship: 1,000 gross euros per month for each woman, for a maximum of 6 months, with at least 120 hours of training per month.
• Management, administration, communication, and advertising expenses: 2,000 euros for each scholarship granted.

Training must be exclusively in-person and must have the approval of Lanbide. The execution of the courses must start no later than November 15, 2026, and end within the following six months.

Who can participate and in what timeframes

Public and private legal entities may participate in the call, provided they were established at least two years before submitting the request, pay the Tax on Economic Activities in the Basque Country, and have the capacity to provide training. Industrial companies may also be beneficiaries if they make a hiring commitment. Employment agencies, outsourcing companies, and multi-service staffing companies are excluded.

Each beneficiary organization must offer to manage scholarships aimed at at least six women, and no maximum number of scholarships is established. Applications may be submitted electronically from the day following the publication of the bases in the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco until November 12, 2026. Training projects that started from September 1, 2026, will also be accepted.

Hiring Commitment

The completion of the training will activate the hiring commitment made by the company. Beneficiaries must commit to hiring at least 50% of the people who start the training within six months of the start of the training; this period may be extended by three months in duly justified cases. Contracts may be indefinite or for at least six months, and must be adapted to the production positions and the profile of the hired person.

If the 50% commitment is not met, the right to receive 50% of the subsidy will be lost. If fewer than 60% of the granted scholarships are actually assigned, the possibility of being a beneficiary in future calls of the program will be lost.

Deadlines and Guarantees

If applications are incomplete, SPRI will provide a 10-day period to correct the errors. The resolution must be issued within six months from the submission of all documentation, and if there is no response within that period, the application will be considered rejected. 50% of the aid will be paid in advance after 10 business days from the notification of the resolution, and the remaining 50% will be liquidated after the justification is submitted.

Against the resolution, an optional reconsideration appeal may be filed before the General Directorate of SPRI within one month, or directly a contentious-administrative appeal within two months.

Impact

This call for 975,000 euros directly affects industrial companies and training organizations, and is a tool to respond to the situation where the presence of women in Basque industry remains at 21.7%. This scheme, which links training and hiring, aims to boost the entry of female talent to alleviate the shortage of profiles in the sector and improve the competitiveness of companies.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, n.º 185, 28 de septiembre de 2026, Otras Disposiciones, pp. 1-23 (official reference: 2026/4023).