The Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI) has launched the Science and Innovation Missions 2026 call, a public funding scheme for strategic R&D projects carried out through business collaboration. The objective of this grant, one of the main schemes at national level, is to foster innovative solutions to major national challenges through collaboration between companies and research organisations. It is aimed at large-scale projects with a strong technological component and an impact-oriented approach.
The call opened on 12 May and will remain open until 12 June 2026 (12:00). This is a competitive funding scheme open to business consortia composed of between 3 and 6 companies per project, including at least one SME, all with a presence in Spain (registered office or establishment). As the consortium does not have its own legal personality, one company will act as coordinator.
Eligible projects must meet a number of key requirements, including:
- Being R&D projects carried out through business collaboration.
- Having a strategic focus aimed at addressing socioeconomic challenges.
- Falling within one of the defined missions:
- Energy: resilient energy systems.
- Aeronautics: efficiency and sustainability.
- Health: particularly in the field of women’s health.
- Security and defence: strategic autonomy.
- Agri-food: food sovereignty.
- Housing: sustainable and industrialised construction.
- Projects must combine research and development activities, with particular emphasis on industrial research.
These grants support projects with a budget ranging from €3.5 million to €10 million, with a duration of 3 to 4 years. The funding intensity may reach up to 80%, depending on the type of company and the activity. In addition, each participating company must assume a minimum investment (€175,000), and no single company may account for more than 70% of the total budget.
Eligible activities include direct costs such as personnel and equipment costs, subcontracting, overheads and other additional operating costs, expenses related to the audit report, and travel costs linked to project coordination.
For further information, you can find the full text of these grants at the following link.
