CDTI Neotec 2026: €325,000 Non-Repayable Grant [Guide]

In the 2025 call, CDTI awarded €40 million to 130 technology start-ups through the Neotec programme (Ministerio de Ciencia, December 2025). These are non-repayable grants of up to €325,000 per company, with not a single euro to pay back. If your start-up has a technology base and is less than 3 years old, Neotec is probably the most powerful public funding you can reach in Spain. The 2026 call opens in April.

What is CDTI Neotec?

Neotec is the CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación) programme that funds the first steps of technology-based companies, known in Spain as EBT. Unlike other CDTI lines, which offer loans, Neotec awards non-repayable grants: money you do not have to pay back.

The amounts depend on whether the company brings doctorate holders into its team:

The 2025 call had a budget of €40 million (€20M initially plus €20M added under the Plan Industrial y Tecnológico para la Seguridad y la Defensa). On top of that, €5 million was set aside for projects led by women, an allocation that ran out with 17 projects approved.

Does your start-up have a technology base? Contact us to assess whether your company fits Neotec 2026.

Who can apply for CDTI Neotec?

The eligibility requirements are precise:

• Age: more than 6 months and less than 3 years from incorporation to the closing date of the call
• Size: be a small company (fewer than 50 employees, turnover below 10 million euros)
• Minimum share capital: €20,000
• Not listed on a stock exchange
• Not have been a beneficiary of Neotec in earlier calls
• Technology base: the business has to centre on exploiting products or services that need technology or knowledge developed out of research activity

The key point is the definition of a technology-based company: your start-up has to build its strategy on intensive command of scientific and technical knowledge. Neotec funds business projects built on technology, not commercial plans with a minor technology component.

What costs does Neotec cover?

The grant covers a wide range of costs:

• Staff: researchers, technicians, doctorate holders and self-employed partners of the company
• Tangible and intangible assets: equipment, software, licences, patents
• Subcontracting: up to 50% of the total budget (universities, technology centres, laboratories)
• Materials and consumables: components, prototypes, reagents
• Other costs: rent, utilities and professional services directly tied to the project

Real results: Neotec 2025 in figures

The decision on the 2025 call (Ministerio de Ciencia, December 2025) gives concrete figures on the programme:

• 130 companies funded out of 607 applications submitted (a 21% approval rate)
• €40 million in grants awarded
• 17 projects led by women (€5 million reserved, budget fully used)

Sectors with the most approved projects

Where the projects are

The Spanish regions with the most approved projects: Madrid (28%), Catalonia (24%), the Valencian Community (14%), the Basque Country (8%) and Andalusia (5%). Catalonia is the second region by number of Neotec start-ups.

How to prepare a winning application

With a 21% approval rate, preparation is what makes the difference. What a competitive bid needs:

1. Technology at the centre: the evaluator has to see that your product or service rests on real R&D&I, not on applying existing technology with nothing new added
2. A solid technical team: the founding team's experience in the technology field is decisive. If you bring in a doctorate holder, the grant rises to €325,000
3. A scalable business model: Neotec looks for start-ups with growth potential, not local niche projects
4. A realistic financial plan: a budget consistent with the project's objectives and the company's capacity
5. Intellectual property: holding, or being in the process of obtaining, patents, utility models or registered software adds points

Do you need help with the application? At Tecnocim Innova we run the whole process, from the eligibility assessment to the technical writing. Talk to our CDTI grants team.

Neotec and other start-up grants: a combined strategy

Neotec does not stand alone. A technology start-up can combine several funding lines:

At Tecnocim Innova we handle both grants and R&D&I tax deductions. We can design a complete funding strategy for your start-up that combines Neotec with everything else available in Spain.

Your next step

The CDTI Neotec 2026 call opens in April. If your start-up has a technology base and is between 6 months and 3 years old, now is the time to prepare the application.

Contact Tecnocim Innova for a free assessment of your project. We help you work out whether you meet the requirements and prepare a competitive bid.