The Ministry of Industry and Tourism has established the regulatory bases for the granting of aid to industrial projects in the agri-food sector, within the framework of the Strategic Project for the Recovery and Economic Transformation of the Agri-food Sector (PERTE Agri-food). These grants, granted on a non-competitive basis, seek to promote innovation and sustainability in the sector.

The Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU instrument, includes 10 lever policies and 31 components that bring together a coherent set of investments and reforms. This plan aims at economic recovery and the transformation of the productive and social model towards a more sustainable, digitalised, egalitarian Spain with greater social cohesion.

To implement this plan, a figure of public-private collaboration known as the Strategic Projects for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) has been created. These projects are engines of structural transformation in strategic sectors, promoting research and innovation with a disruptive and ambitious approach, beyond the current state of the art.

The agri-food sector is fundamental to the Spanish economy and rural development, positively influencing culture, landscape, gastronomy and traditions. It contributes 2.5% to the national GDP and represents 24.2% of the manufacturing sector, employing 22.6% of its workers and generating 20.4% of the value added. This sector, made up of more than 28,000 companies, mainly SMEs, is key to addressing demographic challenges and promoting environmental sustainability. The Agri-Food PERTE aims to promote innovation, digitalisation and sustainability, thus guaranteeing the competitiveness and future resilience of the sector.

DETAILS OF THE CALL

 Application Deadline:

• Opening: 19/09/2024 at 9:00 a.m.
• Closing: 21/10/2024 at 2:00 p.m.

Types of grants: Grant, loan, or a combination of both. In the 2024 call, only subsidies will be offered.

Incompatibility: These grants are incompatible with other grants for the same project.

Deadline for execution of the actions: Until 30/06/2026.

Beneficiaries:

 The following industrial activities within the agri-food sector will be eligible for the aid:

• Food processing, production or processing, beverage manufacturing and tobacco industry, according to Section C-Divisions 10, 11 and 12 of the National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE 2009).
• Entities in the fisheries and aquaculture sector may only submit projects in the line of Research, Development and Innovation.
• Industrial activities not included in the previous CNAE, such as calibration, classification, handling, transformation, conservation and packaging of food products.
• Not eligible:
  • Logistics operators.
  • Distribution sector.
  • Activities in the primary sector or the HORECA channel (Hotels, Restaurants and Cafeterias).

Seniority requirement: Companies must have been operating for at least 3 years, until 21/10/2024.

Lines of Action:

 The projects must fall under one of the following lines:

• Research, Development and Innovation Line:
  • Industrial research.
  • Experimental development.
  • Innovation in organization.
  • Innovation in processes.
• Line of Innovation in Sustainability and Energy Efficiency:
  • Innovative investments in environmental protection.
  • Energy savings, renewable energies and improvements in energy efficiency.
• SME Investment Line:
  • Investments in tangible and intangible assets in the agri-food sector, including expansion of production capacity, creation of new establishments and transformation of production processes.

Thematic Priorities:

 Projects must be aligned with one of the following priorities:

• Circular economy and eco-innovation: Optimisation of resources, recycling, eco-design.
• Decarbonization and energy efficiency: Implementation of technologies to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency.
• Advanced materials and products: Development and improvement of innovative products.
• Innovation in quality and safety: New methodologies, quality improvements and traceability.
• Digital technologies: Advanced solutions in artificial intelligence, robotics, sensors, and more.

 Limits and Funding:

• Building and installation costs: They may not exceed 50% of the eligible cost of the project.
• Maximum aid per company and project:
  • Industrial research: up to €35,000,000.
  • Experimental development: up to €25,000,000.
  • Innovation in organization and processes: up to €12,500,000.
  • Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: up to €30,000,000.
  • SME investment: up to €8,250,000.

 Minimum investment:

• • SMEs: from €200,000.
  • NON-SMEs: from €400,000.

For the 2024 call, the aid will be exclusively in the form of a grant, with a maximum limit of €4,000,000 per company and for all projects presented. In addition, the amount of the subsidy may not exceed the turnover of the annual accounts for the year 2022.

Our team of experts, with more than 25 years of experience, is prepared to carefully analyse and manage the grants and subsidies that best suit your needs.

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