Support for entrepreneurs in the Basque Country in 2026: a complete guide

The Basque Country is one of the most developed industrial regions in Spain and in Europe, and public support for business here has been built into an extensive, multi-level ecosystem. In 2026 the total budget of support instruments channelled through the SPRI Group exceeds 254 million euros, and the ecosystem itself brings together startups, SMEs, large corporations, technology parks, research centres and venture capital funds

Strategic context: what the support is built on

Strategic plans and the 2026 budget

Support for entrepreneurs in the Basque Country in 2026 does not exist in isolation — it is embedded in several interlinked strategy documents that set the priorities for funding and programmes.

PCTI 2030 — the “Euskadi 2030 Science, Technology and Innovation Plan” — is the main strategic framework for all innovation activity in the region. It sets seven priority technology areas: digital manufacturing, new materials, clean energy, health and biomedicine, smart mobility, food technology and advanced manufacturing technologies. All the major support programmes — Hazitek, Elkartek, Azpitek, Dibertsifika — steer projects towards these sectors.

Basque Green Deal sets the environmental agenda: decarbonising industry, the circular economy, energy efficiency. For business this means dedicated grants for “green” projects and mandatory ESG integration when receiving large subsidies.

Euskadi Eraldatuz 2030 is a transformational investment plan worth 1 billion euros of public money, designed to mobilise a further 3 billion euros of private capital. In 2026 new financial instruments were launched under this plan — Indartuz and Finkatuz — to support companies from the startup stage through to scaling up.

The Basque Country’s 2026 budget prioritises industrial competitiveness, digital transformation, sustainable development and support for SMEs. Budget policy is the “power supply” for the entire subsidy ecosystem.

Key institutions: who runs the support

SPRI — the Business Development Agency

The Basque Country has its own tax system: taxes are administered by the provincial Hacienda Foral rather than the national AEAT, and the reporting forms are different. This makes doing your own bookkeeping noticeably harder — in practice it is more often handed over to ongoing accounting and reporting.

SPRI (Basque Agency for Business Development) is the central body of the entire support ecosystem. The agency reports to the Basque Government’s Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment and is responsible for:

• Awarding grants and subsidies (more than 40 active programmes);
• Supporting entrepreneurship through the BIC centres and the Up!Euskadi platform;
• Helping companies enter international markets through Basque Trade & Investment;
• Attracting foreign investment to the region;
• Coordinating cooperation between companies and technology parks, technology centres and universities;
• Supporting open innovation through the BIND platform;
• Managing financial instruments (Indartuz, Finkatuz) through the Basque Finance Institute (IVF).

In 2026 the SPRI Group is allocating around 254 million euros to support companies — 8% more than the previous year.

📎 Main portal: www.spri.eus/en/support

Up!Euskadi — an interactive showcase of the ecosystem

Up!Euskadi is an open digital platform where startups, investors, corporations, accelerators and support programmes can find each other. The platform:

• Gives startups international visibility (presence at events such as Mobile World Congress);
• Connects entrepreneurs with venture capital investors and corporate partners;
• Lists all current acceleration and funding programmes;
• Is the entry point for taking part in BIND initiatives;
• Positions Euskadi as a Hub for Advanced Entrepreneurship for an international audience.

The platform targets both Spanish-speaking (spri.eus/es/ayudas/up-euskadi) and English-speaking audiences, which makes it a tool for attracting international startups.

BIND — the open innovation platform

BIND (Basque Open Innovation Platform) is a public-private platform created by SPRI in 2016. Since its launch more than 250 startups and scale-ups have gone through it, over 350 projects have been completed and more than 9.6 million euros in revenue has been generated. In 2024 the Financial Times ranked BIND 23rd among 125 leading European startup hubs. The platform includes three programmes:

🏢 BIND Corporate connects startups with large Basque industrial companies to develop innovation projects. Startups are offered paid contracts with real clients from the industrial sector.

🏭 BIND SME is a dedicated programme for digitalising SMEs through pilot projects with startups. SMEs (up to 250 employees) based in the Basque Country define “use cases” — specific technology challenges. Startups (up to 8 years old, with a ready product) submit solutions and, once selected, carry out projects with real clients. In the 5th edition 59 startups from 11 countries were pre-selected; in the 2025 final 32 startups worked with 20 industrial SMEs.

🏛️ BIND GovTech is a new strand connecting startups with Basque public bodies. The third edition took place in 2026: 93 applications from around the world, 6 selected startups and 7 projects with organisations such as Ihobe, SPRI, Ejie, Bilbao Ekintza and Eustat. The projects are due to be presented at BIND Demo Day on 2 July 2026.

BIC centres — business incubators

Business Innovation Centers (BIC) are a network of regional business incubators operating at the level of the three historical provinces:

The BIC centres are the operators of the Ekintzaile programme — they select projects, provide tutoring, assess business plans and act as sponsors before SPRI. Without a “BIC tutor” you cannot apply for Ekintzaile.

The Basque Technology Park

The Basque Technology Park (Parke) comprises 8 campuses in three provinces (Araba, Biscay, Gipuzkoa). Its results for 2024:

• 673 companies — a record number of residents (+13 new in 2024);
• 8.243 billion euros in combined revenue (+11.5% on 2023);
• More than 642 new jobs created in 2024;
• 6 companies from the Zamudio campus made APTE’s top 100 best park startups.

The technology park is not just a “registered address”: residents get access to R&D infrastructure, laboratories and pilot lines, as well as ecosystem networking events such as K·Business for finding partners and clients.

SPRI grant programmes 2026

HAZITEK 2026 — the flagship R&D programme

Hazitek 2026 is the largest programme supporting industrial R&D. Budget: 119 million euros. The subsidies are non-repayable. Three lines:

Each SPRI line runs on its own calendar and its own application form, and application windows often close before the budget is exhausted. If dealing with the fund yourself is inconvenient, this is handled by our support with applications for regional subsidies.

Who can apply: SMEs, large companies and business associations operating in Euskadi. Priority goes to projects in the PCTI 2030 sectors.

What is subsidised: R&D staff costs, equipment, materials, consultancy, subcontracting and intellectual property protection costs.

📌 In addition, SPRI provides Technical Tax Qualification Reports (Informes Técnicos de Calificación Fiscal) — a free service that allows companies to claim R&D&I tax deductions under corporate income tax.

ELKARTEK 2026 — collaborative research

Elkartek 2026 is a programme supporting collaborative research within the RVCTI (Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network). Budget: 47 million euros.

Project types:

• Fundamental collaborative research;
• Research with high industrial potential;
• Prospective research and technology watch;
• Transformational projects of strategic importance.

The programme aims to create “technology centre + university + company” consortia, which is especially important for SMEs without their own R&D departments. Application deadline: 27 March 2026.

3.3 🧪 AZPITEK 2026 — research infrastructure

Azpitek 2026 subsidises the purchase, installation and upgrading of research equipment for technology centres and CICs. Subsidy: up to 100% for non-commercial activity and up to 50% for commercial activity. Application deadline: 27 March 2026.

DIBERTSIFIKA 2026 — growth and diversification

Dibertsifika 2026 is a programme supporting productive investment by industrial companies. Budget: 25 million euros.

Who it is for: industrial SMEs and large enterprises operating in Euskadi that want to launch new product lines, enter new markets or increase production capacity.

Minimum investment:

• for SMEs: 200,000 euros;
• for large companies: 1.5 million euros.

What is new in 2026: a pre-application (presolicitud) lets you start investing immediately, before the final decision on the subsidy, making expenses eligible from the moment they are incurred.

EKINTZAILE 2026 — for new entrepreneurs

Ekintzaile 2026 is the flagship programme for early-stage entrepreneurship. It combines a grant, mentoring and access to the resources of a BIC incubator.

Key terms:

• Subsidy: a non-repayable grant of up to 30,000 euros;
• Coverage: up to 70% of costs (up to 100% when a new legal entity is created);
• Implementation period: up to 18 months.

Line 1 — Entrepreneurship: for individuals or new companies at the stage of developing and launching an innovative idea.

Line 2 — Intraentrepreneurship: for existing companies launching a new line of business to diversify their core activity.

What is funded: business training, consultancy services, technical studies, prototypes and mock-ups, participation in trade fairs and business intelligence.

Condition: the project must be supervised by a BIC tutor. Without one you cannot apply.

HAZTEN+ 2026 — startup acceleration

Hazten+ 2026 offers non-repayable grants for small innovative companies and technology startups with high growth potential. The programme targets the scale-up stage: it funds the costs needed to accelerate the growth of an existing company (acquiring customers, expanding the team, entering new markets).

Artificial intelligence 2026

The “AI and data” programme 2026 offers subsidies for industrial companies to implement AI solutions.

• Subsidy: 60% of costs, up to 100,000 euros per company;
• Programme budget: 11 million euros;
• What it covers: consultancy, engineering, software and hardware for AI projects.

Alongside it, the “Data maturity diagnosis” programme subsidises up to 80% of consultancy costs (maximum 12,000 euros) for auditing a company’s data — the first step before implementing AI.

Industrial cybersecurity 2026

Ciberseguridad Industrial 2026 provides 11 million euros in subsidies to protect industrial companies from cyberattacks and data leaks.

• Subsidy amount: up to 50% of costs;
• What it covers: hardware and software, security audits, staff training, consultancy.

MERKAEKIN — support for retail entrepreneurs

MerkaEkin is a programme of the Basque Department of Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs worth 2.42 million euros. It is aimed at retail entrepreneurs and service businesses.

Two lines:

• Asesoramiento (consultancy): subsidises the preparation of a business plan when opening or expanding a shop/service business;
• Merkataritza-Ekintzaile (investment): funds the creation of new retail projects.

The programme is especially relevant for entrepreneurs opening physical outlets or service companies as part of local high-street retail.

Becas BEINT — internationalisation grants

Becas BEINT 2026 are Basque Trade & Investment grants of up to 80,000 euros for professionals developing the international trade links of Basque companies.

The Basque Trade & Investment agency is a “one-stop shop” for internationalisation. It provides tailored services, financial support, help finding partners, business missions and representation at international trade fairs.

Financial instruments and access to capital

Emergency funding: a 450 million euro line through Elkargi

In response to the global tariff shocks of 2025, the Basque Government together with Elkargi (a mutual guarantee company for SMEs) launched a funding line of up to 450 million euros for companies affected by international tariffs:

Basque instruments are usually combined with national ones — ENISA, CDTI and ICO credit lines. The full list with amounts and conditions is in our overview of business development grants in Spain. A convenient way to follow calls for applications is Grantomat: it checks them five times a day and sends a notification when a suitable programme appears — including regional lines.

• Loans: from 100,000 to 1.5 million euros for SMEs; from 30,000 euros for the self-employed;
• Term: up to 5 years with a possible grace period of up to 2 years;
• Mechanism: guaranteed loans through Elkargi and banks.

In 2026 Elkargi also launched a 100 million euro line with CaixaBank for SMEs, retail businesses, the self-employed and entrepreneurs.

The Indartuz fund — investing in transformation

Fondo Estratégico Indartuz is a new investment fund of the Basque Finance Institute (IVF), launched with 65 million euros and a target size of 400 million euros. It works as a “fund of funds” — indirect investment through professional managers. Four strands:

1. Scalability Programme (Escalabilidad) — supporting venture capital funds that invest in Basque startups and SMEs;
2. Flexible debt — non-standard debt instruments for transformational projects;
3. Advanced infrastructure;
4. Social transformation.

News from January 2026: the first public call for applications has opened under the Scalability Programme. Requirements for funds: a minimum size of 50 million euros and a 2:1 investment ratio (the fund must invest twice as much in Basque companies as it received from Indartuz). It operates as a “permanent window” with assessments twice a year: 30 April and 31 October.

Finkatuz — direct investment in anchor companies

Finkatuz is an instrument for direct long-term equity stakes in strategic companies with the aim of “anchoring” them (arraigo) in the Basque Country. Completed deals include stakes in Ayesa and Talgo (railway engineering). In 2026 the Finkatuz criteria were widened to cover companies of all sizes and sectors.

HAZTEN SCALE UP — a public venture capital fund

In 2026 a new public venture capital fund, HAZTEN SCALE UP, FCR, is being set up to make direct investments in startups and SMEs with high growth potential. The fund will complement Indartuz and Finkatuz under Euskadi Eraldatuz 2030.

Provincial programmes: Biscay, Álava, Gipuzkoa

Biscay: a 63 million euro support plan

Diputación Foral de Bizkaia activated 63 million euros in business support in 2026 — the largest package in the province’s history (+22.6% on 2025). Of this, 31.18 million euros are direct non-repayable subsidies under 18 programmes. Four thematic blocks:

New in 2026: a dedicated line for startup acceleration and a new option for the R&D departments of large companies to be beneficiaries of programmes in their own right. The full Guía de Ayudas 2026 is available as a PDF.

Álava: up to 80,000 euros for startups and green projects

Diputación Foral de Álava opened two parallel programmes in 2026:

Emprender en Álava 2026 — up to 80,000 euros for new and expanding companies. Two lines: creating new businesses, and consolidating/expanding them.

Álava Innova–Descarboniza 2026 — subsidies of 20 to 60% of costs (maximum 20,000–60,000 euros) for projects in:

• Product/process innovation;
• Implementing advanced digital technologies;
• Decarbonisation, energy efficiency and the circular economy.

Programme budget: 2,000,000 euros. Application period: 1 January – 16 March 2026. Beneficiaries: companies, the self-employed, technology centres, universities, associations.

Gipuzkoa: programmes through BEAZ and BIC Gipuzkoa

The province of Gipuzkoa supports entrepreneurs through BIC Gipuzkoa (founded in 1993), which specialises in innovative and technology startups, and through BEAZ (a business development agency) with a wide range of services from advice to access to incubation space.

Green transformation: Basque Green Deal and ESG

Basque Green Deal

Basque Green Deal (BGD) is the strategic framework for the region’s “fair and sustainable economic development”. For business this means:

• Dedicated funding lines for decarbonising industry;
• Subsidies for improving the energy efficiency of production;
• Support for circular economy projects (circular economy subsidies 2026);
• Integration of European funds (ERDF, Just Transition Fund) into regional programmes.

BasquESG — sustainability for SMEs

Iniciativa BasquESG is a systematic tool for introducing ESG criteria into Basque SMEs, launched as a project of the “Plan de Industria Euskadi 2030”. Goal: to reach 500 SMEs by 2026.

The mechanism: large anchor companies “pull” their SME suppliers along the value chain towards adopting sustainability reporting standards adapted to the reality of small businesses. A new round of registrations opened in February 2026 (50 places for SMEs).

Innovation, talent and vocational training

Under the Sixth Vocational Training Plan the government is allocating 770,000 euros for the 2025–2026 academic years to provide cover for teachers at vocational training (FP) centres, freeing them up to run innovation and entrepreneurship projects together with industry.

TKNIKA, the technology centre of the FP system, acts as the operator for assessing and transferring R&D results linked to the PCTI 2030 priorities. This creates a unique link between vocational training and the real needs of companies.

The ecosystem and the international context

The Basque Country is steadily strengthening its position as a European innovation hub:

• Bilbao Slush’D 2025 — a successful debut in Bilbao of the Nordic startup conference Slush, bringing together funds with 8 billion euros AUM, 200+ investors and 150+ startups from 40 countries;
• The Financial Times names Euskadi Europe’s best region for logistics for foreign investment;
• Bilbao is among the top 10 European cities for attracting foreign direct investment;
• BIND is ranked 23rd among 125 leading European startup hubs by the FT.

In 2025 Maddyness magazine called Biscay Europe’s “hidden tech superpower”, noting its particular focus on climate technology and sustainable manufacturing.

🧭 Part IX. A practical guide: where to start in 2026

By type of entrepreneur and project stage:

🌱 Idea / early stage (before registering a company)

Step zero is always the same: get an NIE, choose a legal form — autónomo (self-employed) or SL (limited company) — and register, because no programme will accept an application without an entry in the register. How this works step by step is described in our business registration in Spain service. A non-resident founder also has to deal with their immigration status: a startup residence permit has to be renewed with proof that the project is actually operating, and sometimes it pays to switch to a different type of permit — both scenarios are covered in our article on renewing and modifying the startup visa.

1. Contact your nearest BIC centre (Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa or Araba) for an initial consultation;
2. Apply for Ekintzaile 2026 — up to 30,000 euros for maturing an idea + 18 months of mentoring;
3. Register on Up!Euskadi for visibility in the ecosystem.

🚀 Startup (a company up to 8 years old with a ready product)

1. Explore BIND SME or BIND Corporate to win your first paid contracts with industrial companies;
2. Apply for Hazten+ 2026 to accelerate growth;
3. Consider BIND GovTech if your product can be used in the public sector;
4. Keep an eye on the setting-up of the HAZTEN SCALE UP fund for equity investment.

🏭 Industrial SME (up to 250 employees)

1. Hazitek 2026 (up to 50% of R&D costs, budget 119 million euros) — priority no. 1 for companies with R&D;
2. Dibertsifika 2026 (25 million euros) — for investment in expanding production;
3. AI 2026 (up to 100,000 euros) and Cybersecurity 2026 (up to 50%) — for digitalisation;
4. Loans through Elkargi — if you need liquidity.

🌿 Companies with “green” projects

1. Álava Innova–Descarboniza (if based in Álava);
2. SPRI + Ihobe circular economy and energy efficiency programmes;
3. Taking part in BasquESG through a chain of large partners.

🛍️ Retail and services

1. MerkaEkin — a dedicated programme for retail entrepreneurs;
2. Emprender en Álava (if based in Álava) — up to 80,000 euros;
3. Diputación de Bizkaia subsidies under the “Entrepreneurship” block.

🌍 Companies entering foreign markets

1. Basque Trade & Investment — a full package of internationalisation services;
2. Becas BEINT — up to 80,000 euros for foreign trade managers;
3. Basque Enterprise Europe Network (EEN Basque) — support with European Horizon grants and links with foreign partners.

Full directory

Main portals

SPRI grant programmes

BIND and the ecosystem

Provincial programmes

Financial instruments

Strategy documents

Key takeaways

The system of support for entrepreneurs in the Basque Country in 2026 is one of the most mature regional ecosystems in Europe. Its distinctive features:

The Basque Country is just one of seventeen possible scenarios, and your choice of region changes both taxes and the subsidies available. For a comparison across the country as a whole, see our article on doing business in Spain.

1. Multiple levels: support operates simultaneously at the level of the autonomous community (SPRI, Gobierno Vasco), the provinces (Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Araba) and municipalities — creating many entry points for different types of entrepreneur.

2. Coverage of the company’s full life cycle: from maturing an idea (Ekintzaile) through scaling up (Hazten+, BIND) to mature investment (Dibertsifika, Finkatuz, Indartuz) — every stage has a dedicated instrument.

3. Open innovation as the norm: BIND has successfully turned cooperation between startups, corporations and public bodies into a systematic process with measurable results.

4. The green agenda is built into everything: you cannot obtain a large subsidy without taking into account ESG criteria and the goals of the Basque Green Deal.

5. International outlook: the ecosystem actively attracts foreign startups and investors, is English-friendly and offers direct access to European funds through EEN Basque.