Direct industry grants: 2.9 million for standardization and accreditation

The Official State Gazette publishes this Thursday, September 10, 2026, in issue number 224, Royal Decree 724/2026, of September 9, which regulates the direct granting of subsidies regarding industry during the 2026 budget year. The regulation, signed by the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu Boher, was approved by the Council of Ministers at its meeting on September 8 and enters into force the day after its publication.

Three entities, three lines of financing

The decree, issued under article 22.2.c) of the General Subsidies Law 38/2003, of November 17, justifies the direct grant for reasons of public, social, and economic interest and due to the difficulty of guaranteeing effective competition, as these are the only entities designated for their functions. The amounts are financed from the General State Budgets extended for 2026:

• Spanish Association for Standardization: 1,500,000 euros, for fees of international organizations, support for Technical Committees, and secretariat work in standardization.
• National Accreditation Entity (ENAC): 175,000 euros, for integration into the European and international accreditation infrastructure, digitalization of procedures, and training and information actions.
• Foundation for the Promotion of Industrial Innovation (FFII): 1,300,000 euros, for the verification of the characteristics of marketed industrial products and the study of the degree of compliance with legislation.

A system of quality and industrial safety

The regulation is based on the Regulation of the Infrastructure for Quality and Industrial Safety, approved by Royal Decree 2200/1995, of December 28, and on European standardization and accreditation regulations. The Spanish Association for Standardization is the only national standardization body notified to the European Commission, while ENAC is the only national accreditation body designated by Royal Decree 1715/2010. The FFII, for its part, has collaborated with the Directorate General for Industrial Strategy and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises since 1994 in market surveillance and the safety of industrial products.

Procedure and deadlines

The procedure is initiated ex officio upon the entry into force of the decree and is processed by electronic means. Beneficiary entities must submit their application within seven days from the entry into force, and the maximum period to resolve and notify is one month. Payment is made in advance of its justification, without the need for a bond or guarantee. Expenses must be incurred between January 1 and December 31, 2026, with justification submitted to the Ministry before April 1, 2027.

Modification of the Auto+ Program

The third final provision amends Royal Decree 609/2026, of July 22, which regulates aid for the purchase of electric vehicles (Auto+ Program), to specify the requirements the beneficiary must meet regarding being up to date with tax and Social Security obligations and having no pending reimbursement of aid.

The relevance of this regulation lies in the fact that it guarantees the continuity of normalization, accreditation, and market surveillance activities during 2026, reinforcing the competitiveness of the Spanish industry, especially SMEs, and reducing the risks associated with the presence of non-compliant products on the market, for the benefit of consumers.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 224, Thursday, September 10, 2026, Sec. I, page 120820 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-18902).