This is the Line of Aid for Testing and Experimentation Infrastructures, an initiative designed to facilitate the development, validation and scaling of technologies by companies, especially SMEs.
This new call is positioned as a key tool to promote technology transfer and accelerate the arrival of new solutions to the market.
Purpose of the aid
The main objective of this line is finance investment projects aimed at the construction and/or improvement of testing and experimentation infrastructures.
These infrastructures are intended to provide support services for business innovation, allowing companies to:
- validate technologies in real or simulated environments
- develop prototypes and demonstrators
- Scale technological solutions
- accelerate the arrival to the market of new products, processes or services
In addition, the line seeks reinforce the role of interface agents in the innovation ecosystem, such as technology centers, science parks or incubators, facilitating the transfer of knowledge to the business fabric.
Beneficiaries of grants for Testing and Experimentation Infrastructures
Entities that:
- Are validly constituted
- have their own legal personality
- have a tax address in Spain
Specifically, the call is aimed at:
- Technology Centres and Technological Innovation Support Centres (state or territorial level)
- Scientific-Technological Parks
- Incubators
- Knowledge Transfer Offices
- Associations and foundations with regular economic activity
- Companies
Type of fundable projects
The help is aimed at investment projects carried out by a single entity aimed at creating or improving technological infrastructures.
Testing and experimentation infrastructures are considered to be those that include:
- test benches
- pilot lines
- technological demonstrators
- test facilities
- Living laboratories
- technological capabilities and associated resources
These infrastructures must be aimed at providing services to companies, especially SMEs, that need to validate or test technologies before commercialization.
Type of aid and financial conditions
The line is instrumented by Partially Reimbursable Grants (APR) funded by the CDTI.
The main conditions are:
- Coverage: up to 75% of the approved budget
- Non-refundable tranche (grant): 15%
- Interest rate: fixed, referenced to the Euribor at one year
- Advance payment: up to 50% (expandable to 75% with guarantees)
- Amortization period: 9 years old. Semiannual amortization of both principal and interest on the aid.
- Shortfall: 1 year since the end of the project
In addition, the CDTI may request guarantees based on the entity's economic-financial analysis, although in some cases these may be reduced or eliminated.
It is important to note that the beneficiary entity must provide at least the 25% of the cost of the project with own resources or external funding without public aid.
Features of the project
Projects eligible for this aid must meet the following conditions:
- Minimum budget: 175,000€
- Maximum budget: 25,000,000€
- Duration: between 9 and 24 months
- Execution: a single milestone (with the possibility of extensions)
In addition, the aid must have a incentive effect, implying that the request must be submitted before starting the project.
Eligible costs
Investments necessary for the construction or improvement of infrastructures are considered eligible, including:
Tangible assets
- terrains
- buildings and facilities
- machinery
- teams
Intangible assets
- patents
- licenses
- technical knowledge
- intellectual or industrial property rights
In all cases, the costs must be directly related to the project and be necessary for the operation of the infrastructure.
Any investment that is not duly justified may be excluded from the eligible budget.
Evaluation of aid projects for Testing and Experimentation Infrastructures
The CDTI will evaluate requests based on:
- the technical quality of the proposal
- The viability of the project
- the entity's technical capacity
- economic-financial solvency
As a result of the financial analysis, the CDTI may require additional conditions, such as:
- capital increases
- re-establishment of the balance of assets
These conditions must be accepted before the approval of the project.
Deadlines for the call
Requests may be submitted:
- Since March 16, 2026
- Throughout the year
- Through the electronic office of the CDTI Innovation
This turns the line into an open call, allowing entities to plan the request based on the status of their project.
In a context where the validation and scaling of technologies is key to competitiveness, these types of infrastructures play a fundamental role in accelerating innovation.
