INTERES Invest in Spain

The “InnoEmpresa” Program to Support Innovation at Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (2007-2013), which constitutes the main tool for supporting SMEs, incorporates significant improvements, including most notably the prioritization of aid lines directly related to improving the innovative capacity of enterprises (in a broad rather than a purely technological sense), the opening of all envisaged aid lines at the direct request of the SMEs, an increase in the maximum aid for investment in tangible or intangible assets, a specific focus on projects to be implemented by different companies and agencies under a collaboration or consortium arrangement, etc.

With a budget of €500 million for the 2007-2013 period, the InnoEmpresa Program also receives co-funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of approximately €95 million, and further financing from the Autonomous Community Governments that so desire, within the framework of the SME Industry-wide Conference.

The aid lines envisaged in the InnoEmpresa Program are classed in three groups: (i) Organizational Innovation and Advanced Management; (ii) Technological Innovation and Quality (iii) Innovation projects under collaboration or consortium arrangements.

SMEs belonging to the following industries are eligible for the aid granted under the InnoEmpresa Program: (i) industry, including agrofood; (ii) construction; (iii) tourism; (iv) businesses; and (iv) services, as well as the so-called “intermediary bodies” (i.e., public or private non-profit organizations which habitually provide services supporting innovation at SMEs and which have sufficient material and human resources) which pursue activities supporting SMEs in the foregoing sectors.

In the first few months of 2008, the Autonomous Communities have been publishing the various calls for aid applications for regional projects under the InnoEmpresa Program.

However, as from 2008, projects of a supra-regional nature (involving enterprises from various Autonomous Communities) are included in the National Program for Innovation Projects and, specifically, the Instrumental Action Line for R&D&I projects, with the call for 2008 aid applications in April.

In addition to the InnoEmpresa Program, SMEs may be eligible for other aid instruments, including most notably the ICO Line-SME (endowed with €7,000 in 2008).

For more information on Investment aid & incentives, you can download the following document: