Horizon Europe: direct EU funding for companies in Spain

Between 2021 and 2024, companies and institutions in Spain won 4,507 million euros in Horizon Europe grants, which puts Spain third by grant funding, second by number of participations and first in project leadership across the whole EU (CDTI, February 2026). The 2026-2027 work programme has just been approved with an investment of €14 billion. If your company does R&D&I, this direct European funding is one of the most powerful and least explored routes open to Spanish SMEs.

What is Horizon Europe?

Horizon Europe is the European Union's framework programme for research and innovation for 2021-2027. With a total budget of €95,517 million, it is the largest R&D&I funding programme in the world. Unlike Next Generation EU funds, which the member states manage, Horizon Europe awards funding directly from the European Commission to the companies and consortia that win its calls.

The programme is built on three pillars:

For companies, Pillar III (Innovative Europe) is the most accessible: it funds individual SMEs and start-ups directly, with no need to build an international consortium.

Does your company develop innovative technology? Contact us to work out which Horizon Europe programme fits you.

EIC Accelerator 2026: up to €2.5 million for your SME

The EIC Accelerator is the flagship Pillar III programme for companies. In 2026 it has a budget of €414 million and funds start-ups and SMEs with disruptive (deep tech) technologies.

Funding options

2026 calendar

One of the main changes in 2026 is the move to 6 cut-off dates a year (there used to be 3), roughly every two months: January, March, May, June, September and November. That gives you far more flexibility over when to submit.

2026 strategic challenges

• Advanced materials for renewable energy and energy storage
• Enabling technologies for fusion plants
• Biotechnology for regenerating agricultural soils
• A European value chain for critical raw materials
• Deep tech for climate change adaptation

Who can take part in Horizon Europe?

For the EIC Accelerator (Pillar III)

• SMEs and start-ups applying on their own and established in EU member states
• With disruptive technology (deep tech): digitalisation on its own is not enough, there has to be radical technical innovation
• Any sector, although the strategic challenges set by the Commission are prioritised

For collaborative projects (Pillar II)

• International consortia of at least 3 entities from 3 different countries
• Companies of any size can take part, and SMEs get better terms
• CDTI acts as the National Contact Point in Spain and coordinates participation

Spain in Horizon Europe: results that show the potential

CDTI figures (February 2026 report) confirm how much weight Spain carries:

• 4,507.6 million euros in grants won (2021-2024)
• 4,813 R&D&I activities funded
• More than €5.3 billion of R&D&I investment generated in Spain
• 11,227 Spanish participations in approved proposals
• Companies take the largest share of the grant funding: 32.2% of the total
• Universities account for 22.0%

The figures show that Spanish companies are already reaching Horizon Europe successfully. But SME participation could be far higher: many do not know they can reach European funding directly, without going through the Spanish government.

Spanish companies take 32% of Horizon Europe funding. Find out how to reach it with support from Tecnocim Innova.

Horizon Europe against other grants: when to choose each route

The strongest approach combines several routes: go to Horizon Europe for the riskiest research phase and top it up with R&D&I tax deductions to maximise the tax return on the costs the European grant does not cover.

How to prepare a competitive proposal

Competition in Horizon Europe is demanding. For the EIC Accelerator, the success rate sits at around 5–8%. What matters:

1. A clear technical edge: the proposal has to show radical innovation, not an incremental improvement
2. A team with a track record: demonstrable experience of the team in the technology proposed
3. European market potential: the evaluator needs to see scale beyond the local market
4. A solid business plan: Horizon Europe does not only fund science, it funds businesses built on science
5. Measurable impact: a concrete contribution to the EU's strategic challenges

Your next step

Horizon Europe is the most ambitious R&D&I funding programme in the world, and Spanish companies are proving they can compete in it. The 2026-2027 work programme opens new opportunities with €14 billion behind it and a wider calendar of calls.

At Tecnocim Innova we help you assess whether your project fits Horizon Europe and prepare a competitive proposal. We handle both the European application and the complementary CDTI grants and tax deductions that maximise the total return.

Contact us for a free assessment of your project in the context of Horizon Europe.