NEW INNTERCONECTA STEP CALL FROM CDTI PUBLISHED. IMPULSO invites you to an ONLINE WEBINAR on its main features.

We are pleased to inform you that the new call for Innterconecta STEP from CDTI (Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation) has just been published in the National Grants Database, with a total budget allocation of 90 million euros.

The objective of this new program is the funding of Regional Consortia working on cooperative R&D projects, with an interregional cooperation approach, led by companies pursuing relevant research based on disruptive technologies that propose solutions to strategic challenges in the areas identified by Regulation (EU) 2024/795 of the European Parliament and of the Council of February 29, 2024, establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) to improve the strategic and competitive positioning of Spanish industry while promoting public-private cooperation.

On April 22 at 12:00 PM, IMPULSO will organize an ONLINE WEBINAR to explain the NOVELTIES of this program, which offers a GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO FOSTER R&D ACTIVITIES in the business sector of the regions indicated in the call.

Register for the Webinar here

Below, we outline the main characteristics of this program:

BENEFICIARIES:

Business consortia formed by at least 2 companies and a maximum of 6, with two of them being autonomous from each other and one of them being an SME.

Projects must be executed in at least two of the Autonomous Communities or Cities indicated in the call: Andalusia, Canary Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Ceuta*, Valencian Community, Extremadura, Galicia, Melilla*, and Region of Murcia.

*In this case, companies with headquarters and development activities in these Autonomous Cities are eligible.

TYPES OF PROJECTS:

Cooperative R&D&I projects, led by companies, aimed at developing original products, processes, or services superior to existing ones, which are aligned with one of the STEP technological areas:

• Digital technologies: Artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, advanced connectivity, cybersecurity, robotics, and microelectronics.
• Clean and resource-efficient technologies: Net-zero emission solutions, carbon capture and storage technologies, heat pumps, renewable energies, energy efficiency, hydrogen, etc.
• Biotechnologies: Essential medicines for the EU, biotechnology (molecular, industrial, and crop), pharmaceuticals, etc.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS:

• Internal agreement governing the consortium, signed before the grant application.
• Appoint a
• Multi-year projects.
• Duration: Starting in 2025 and ending on 12/31/2027 or 06/30/2028.
• Project budget: from €1M to €4M.
• Budget per company: Minimum €175,000. No participant may have more than 70% of the eligible budget.
• Balanced budget distribution throughout the project and among companies.
• Subcontracting: At least 10% of the total budget to research organizations.
• Compliance with the DNSH principle.
• Incentive effect.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

These include the following:

• Contribution to the development of fundamental technologies in the Union, technology, and innovation of the proposal. From 0 to 15 points, with a minimum of 7 required.
• Quality of the technical proposal, execution plan, and exploitation of results. From 0 to 30 points, with a minimum of 15 required.
• Consortium capacity in relation to the proposal. From 0 to 35 points.
• Assessment of socio-economic and environmental impact. From 0 to 20 points.

ELIGIBLE COSTS

The following are included:

• Personnel costs (at the workplace in the Autonomous Community).
• Costs of instruments and inventoriable material (depreciation).
• Contractual research, technical knowledge, and patents purchased or licensed from external sources under arm’s length conditions.
• Consultancy to support the coordination tasks of the representative of the group (limit €15,000/year).
• Overheads and other additional operating expenses derived directly from the project.
• Costs of the auditor’s report (limit per beneficiary €500/year).
• Costs of the DNSH compliance validation report, carried out by an entity accredited by ENAC (maximum €3,000 and only for the representative of the group).
• Travel expenses derived directly from the project, linked to coordination meetings between consortium members (maximum €5,000/beneficiary).
• Indirect costs of the project: calculated based on the cost methodology (fixed cost of 15% of personnel costs).

TYPE AND INTENSITY OF AID:

The aid will be granted in the form of a grant and will have a maximum aid intensity between 40% and 80%, depending on the type of project and company size:

The aid intensity limit for each project and beneficiary will be a weighted average based on the budget distribution between each type of activity (industrial research or experimental development) and the maximum aid intensity corresponding to the beneficiary and the activity.

GUARANTEES

Not applicable.

ADVANCES

Possibility to request an advance of up to 60% annually.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:

Application period. From 04/11/2025 to 05/19/2025 at 12:00 PM.

If your company has a project that fits this call and you are interested in applying for funding, at IMPULSO we offer a comprehensive support service throughout the entire life of the file, from the preparation of the application proposal to the final justification and collection. Thanks to our experience, you will be able to take advantage of this great funding opportunity.

04/08/2025