ICEX NEXT 2026: apply by 30 October

What ICEX has published

The Spanish Official Gazette (BOE) of 10 October 2026 published the extract of the Resolution of 8 October of ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones approving the call for grants under the ICEX NEXT Programme. The full text is in the National Grants Database under number BDNS 934425.

ICEX NEXT is a programme to start and consolidate exporting. It gives the company specialised advice from expert consultants to develop its international strategy and subsidises certain expenses that support its growth in third markets.

The call has a single selection procedure. Applications are submitted from the day after the extract was published, 11 October, until 30 October 2026 at 14:00.

Who can apply

Spanish companies that are SMEs under Annex 1 of Regulation (EU) 651/2014 can apply. Associations and foundations are excluded.

The company needs its own product or service that can be sold abroad and its own brand, and it must not be a commercial or production subsidiary of a foreign company. If it is a service company, the services must be provided abroad.

Turnover must exceed 300,000 euros. The exception is recently created technology-based companies, for which the minimum is zero. Recently created means registered five years ago or less, or seven in biotechnology, energy, industrial and other strategic sectors, or companies with their own technology.

If the company did not reach that figure in 2025, turnover at the time of application can count, as long as it is justified with documents such as quarterly VAT returns or invoices. ICEX assesses that documentation at its discretion.

Who is left out

Companies that have already taken part in ICEX start-up programmes, such as PIPE or ICEX NEXT, cannot participate. There is one exception: companies that took part between 1997 and 2012 and had turnover above 1,500,000 euros in the last financial year can be beneficiaries.

Nor can companies with unpaid debts to ICEX or those that fail the requirements of article 13 of Law 38/2003, the General Grants Law. A company that stops meeting an entry requirement after becoming a beneficiary loses that status.

The company also needs at least one employee who takes charge of the international project and its own website. There is no minimum share of international sales: this call pays special attention to companies that want to consolidate or boost their position abroad and to those whose business model requires them to be global from the start.

Budget and allocation

The maximum amount of the call is up to 3,600,000 euros, subject to budget availability. It can increase by up to 1,800,000 additional euros if funds are available.

Because it is a single procedure, applications that reach the minimum score but do not fit in the budget are rejected in the final resolution. Those companies cannot be beneficiaries in this call.

The BOE extract does not state the grant percentage. That figure and the other conditions are in the full text of the call in the BDNS, which is worth reading in full before applying.

What to prepare before 30 October

1. 01

   Check the entry requirements

   SME status, own brand, exportable product or service, turnover above 300,000 euros and no previous participation in PIPE or ICEX NEXT.

2. 02

   Gather proof of sales

   The 2025 figures and, if you do not reach 300,000 euros, quarterly VAT returns or invoices for the current year.

3. 03

   Appoint the international lead

   One employee responsible for the international project, and a working company website.

4. 04

   Read the full text

   The call in the BDNS and the regulatory rules: Order ICT/1063/2019, amended by Order ECM/727/2024.

5. 05

   Submit the application on time

   The deadline is 30 October 2026 at 14:00. Documents are submitted digitally signed by the company's legal representative.

How Exporta helps

With Exporta you reach the application with the market work already done. The market reports by country and product bring together tariffs, demand and competition so you can justify which markets you prioritise. The public grants section shows calls with an open deadline, so you do not miss any.

And with Find customers and the CRM you can start contacting distributors in your sector without waiting for the resolution.