Internationalization aid in Spain: how to find and read calls

Where is the official source

The National Database of Subsidies (BDNS) legally collects all calls for public aid in Spain, from any administration: state, regional, and local. Each call has a file with the issuing body, the application deadline, the budget, the beneficiaries, and a link to the terms. This is where you should check any aid that comes to you through other channels.

The websites of organizations —ICEX, regional agencies, chambers— explain each program better, but the BDNS is the one that says if the call exists, if it is open, and until when.

Who issues what

At the state level, ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones manages programs for export initiation and consolidation, grouped participation in trade fairs and trade missions, and chambers of commerce execute programs co-financed with European funds for SMEs starting to export.

Each autonomous community has its foreign trade promotion agency (ACCIÓ in Catalonia, IVACE in the Valencian Community, Extenda in Andalusia, among others) with its own lines: trade fairs, missions, consulting, implementation at destination. These are usually the most accessible for an SME, because the competitor for the aid is the neighbor and not all of Spain.

The European Union does not usually provide direct aid for a specific company's export, but it does co-finance a large part of state and regional programs, and has lines for internationalization projects with European partners.

How to read a call for applications

Beneficiaries. The first line you need to read. Many calls that mention internationalization are for universities, city councils, or entities without economic activity. If it doesn't say SME, company, or self-employed, it's not for you.

Eligible expenditure. What exactly it covers: the stand at a fair, the trip, consulting, catalog translation. And what it doesn't: almost never the product or own staff.

Deadline. The application deadline, and whether applications are resolved on a first-come, first-served basis or by competitive bidding. In the first case, submitting on the first day counts; in the second, the quality of the report counts.

Amount. The percentage of the expenditure it covers and the maximum per company. Aid for 50% with a maximum of 5,000 euros is aid for 5,000 euros, no matter how much expense you justify.

What to have ready

Most calls ask for the same things: certificates of being up to date with the Tax Agency and Social Security, accounts or SME declaration, and a report of the internationalization plan. Having a written plan —which markets, why, with what actions and what budget— is what distinguishes an approved application from one rushed on the last day.

Frequently asked questions