Cupons ACCIÓ: direct grants to innovate in Catalonia

Cupons ACCIÓ are the most popular grant line run by ACCIÓ (Agència per al Creixement de les Empreses, the Catalan business development agency) and the one that reaches the most companies operating in Spain's north-eastern region of Catalonia: more than 5,000 SMEs have received one of these vouchers in recent years (ACCIÓ, 2025). Their main advantage is that they are awarded on a non-competitive basis — that is, in the order applications arrive, without competing against other projects. If you meet the requirements and apply in time, you get one.

What Cupons ACCIÓ are and why they are different

Cupons ACCIÓ are direct grants that fund the purchase of specialist advisory services by SMEs with operations in Catalonia. Unlike other public grants, they do not finance asset investment or new hires: they finance expert services in innovation, international expansion, strategy, sustainability and digital transformation.

What sets them apart:

• Non-competitive award: applications are settled in the order they arrive until the budget runs out (there is no scoring and no ranking)
• 100% funded in most lines (no private co-funding)
• Fast process: a simple application and a quick decision compared with other grants
• Accredited provider: the service is bought from a provider on the catalogue accredited by ACCIÓ
• Flexible delivery: a long execution period (until September 2026 for the 2025 vouchers)

The Generalitat de Catalunya puts around 9 million euros a year into this line, 20% more than in previous years (Govern.cat, 2022).

Could your company benefit from an ACCIÓ voucher? Request a free assessment and we will tell you which voucher fits your project.

What types of Cupons ACCIÓ are there?

The offer is organised into several thematic lines. These are the main ones and their maximum amounts:

The largest voucher: the Industria 4.0 — Rollout line reaches €20,000 and funds the real integration of technologies such as IoT, robotics, applied AI or additive manufacturing into the production process.

Who can apply for Cupons ACCIÓ?

General requirements:

• Be an SME under the EU definition (fewer than 250 employees)
• Have an operating site in Catalonia
• At least 4 years of trading history for the innovation and Industria 4.0 vouchers
• Be up to date with tax obligations and with Spanish Social Security
• Not have exceeded the de minimis aid ceiling (€200,000 over 3 tax years)

Sectors: every sector can apply, although the Industria 4.0 vouchers are aimed above all at industrial and manufacturing companies.

Important: self-employed people and micro-businesses with less than 4 years of trading can apply for the international expansion and strategy vouchers, but not for the innovation and Industria 4.0 ones.

What the vouchers cover in practice:

The vouchers do not fund just any consultancy: they fund specific services delivered by providers on the catalogue accredited by ACCIÓ. Those providers have passed a validation process that confirms their expertise. The most sought-after services include:

• Strategy: business model assessment, spotting diversification opportunities, innovation roadmap
• Industria 4.0: digital maturity assessment, IoT or AI pilots on the shop floor, integration of monitoring systems
• International expansion: target market research, finding distributors, export plan
• Innovation: industrial property audit, preparing European patent applications, access to Horizon Europe calls
• Sustainability: corporate carbon footprint calculation, decarbonisation plan, circular economy strategy

Every voucher requires the service to be delivered by an accredited provider from the ACCIÓ catalogue, which is published on the agency's website.

How to apply for an ACCIÓ voucher step by step

The process is faster than for other grants, but it needs preparation:

1. Check the current call

Calls are published in the DOGC (Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya, the official gazette of the Catalan government) and on the ACCIÓ website (accio.gencat.cat). A call opens each year with a budget assigned to each line.

2. Prepare the application before the call opens

Because the award is non-competitive, the vouchers run out fast. Having the paperwork ready before the window opens is what keeps you from missing out.

3. Submit the application online

You file through the Generalitat processing portal with a digital certificate. The application covers company details, a description of the project and the choice of accredited provider.

4. Decision and contracting of the service

ACCIÓ decides in order of arrival. Once approved, the company contracts the accredited provider from the ACCIÓ catalogue and the service is delivered.

5. Delivery and reporting

The company pays the provider and, once the costs are properly reported, ACCIÓ reimburses the funded amount. The delivery period usually runs until September of the year after the call.

How to avoid missing out:

• Get all the paperwork ready before the window opens
• File the application on the first day of the call
• Choose the accredited provider in advance (using the catalogue on the ACCIÓ website)
• Be clear about the project and its objectives before applying

Did you know that the Industria 4.0 Cupons ACCIÓ can cover up to €20,000 of rolling out technologies such as AI, IoT or robotics? Discover Cupons ACCIÓ →

How to combine Cupons ACCIÓ with other grants

The vouchers are only the starting point. The most effective approach combines them with other sources of funding:

1. ACCIÓ voucher (up to €20,000) — initial assessment and technology rollout
2. CDTI grants (PID or LIC) — for the full technical development once feasibility is proven
3. R&D&I tax deductions — a tax saving of 25–42% on innovation spending
4. Social Security contribution reductions for research staff — a 40–50% cut in the Social Security contributions of the R&D team
5. Kit Digital — for complementary digitalisation solutions
6. Next Generation funds — for larger projects tied to the green or digital transition

An example of how an industrial SME in Catalonia can combine them:

A manufacturer in the Vallès area can use an Industria 4.0 — Assessment voucher (€8,000) to define its digital roadmap. With that assessment done, it applies for a Rollout voucher (€20,000) for an IoT pilot on the shop floor. If the project has enough R&D content, it moves up to CDTI with a PID grant for the full development. Finally, it claims R&D&I tax deductions on all its innovation spending and Social Security contribution reductions for the research staff it has hired. The combined return can exceed 60% of the total investment in digital transformation.

Do you want to put Cupons ACCIÓ to work in your company? At Tecnocim Innova we help you identify the right voucher and combine it with grants, tax deductions and contribution reductions. Contact us for a no-obligation review.