Webinar – Convocatoria de subvenciones 2026 de Agenda 2030 para Entidades SOCIALES

Webinar overview

The webinar is an official “second-time” transparency session by Spain’s General Directorate of the 2030 Agenda (Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda) to make the 2026 call for grants—published on May 20—clearer and easier to apply for by participating social entities and universities.

Policy context and rationale

• The ministry frames the grants as part of Spain’s implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Agenda 2030, aligned with the revised sustainable development strategy.
• Key update: in February 2026, the Council of Ministers approved the second revised sustainable development strategy (until 2030), described as a localized planning framework that:
  • references all 17 SDGs,
  • adds 100 local targets,
  • highlights four “country challenges”:
    • strengthening the welfare state,
    • circular/fair economy,
    • eco-territorial structuring,
    • “free equal lives in community”,
  • was developed with broad consensus across administrations and civil society.
• The webinar also emphasizes universality and “leave no one behind,” including attention to vulnerable groups and intergenerational equity (e.g., young and older people).

Funding amount and grant lines

• The ministry states it increased funding for 2026 despite difficult times.
• Total funding for these lines: €18.10 million, +6.5% versus last year, across four lines.
• Focus of this session: social entities and universities, with the following amounts referenced:
  • Social activities: €9.299 million (also stated as €8,299,000.22 for the call discussed)
  • University category: €1 million
• Other lines mentioned for context:
  • Local entities: €5.9 million
  • Seasonal workers accommodation/residence: €2.6 million
  • Future Activists Awards: €200,000
• Since 2021, the ministry reports distributing €75.4 million, expecting the total this year to exceed €90 million.

What projects are eligible

The call funds initiatives aligned with Agenda 2030, including:

• actions that promote political/social influence for public policies,
• pilot projects and implementation of good practices,
• R&D projects developing new methodologies/scenarios for agenda implementation,
• networking and multi-actor alliances (SDG 17),
• communication initiatives and transformative campaigns promoting the agenda.

Who can apply (beneficiary requirements)

• Eligible beneficiaries are legal persons, including:
  • associations, foundations, and other private non-profit entities,
  • entities in the social economy,
  • universities.
• Applicants must comply with:
  • obligations under Spain’s General Subsidies Law, and
  • the specific call rules.
• The webinar repeatedly warns:
  • only one project per entity can be submitted,
  • submitting more than one, or appearing in multiple projects as an executing entity, will lead to rejection.

Key application rules and deadlines

• Applications are submitted through SIGES.
• If SIGES fails, there is an exceptional alternative via electronic registry, but the justification must be provided.
• Deadline:
  • applications open from May 20,
  • due by June 22 (since June 21 is a Sunday).
• Applicants are advised not to wait until the last day due to limited technical support.
• Execution period:
  • one year from the publication of the award resolution in the national grant database.
• Notification approach:
  • no individual selection notification;
  • the award resolution is published in the national grant database and sent to the BOE for publication.

Mandatory documents / annexes

Applications require four annexes:

1. Annex 1: applicant/entity details and project basic data.
2. Annex 2: the project report (central document), must match Annex 1 and be completed within the deadline.
3. Annex 3: declaration on being up to date with repayment obligations.
4. Annex 4: declaration regarding not being prohibited under Article 13 of the General Subsidies Law.

Additional requirements for certain entities may include:

• proof of legal representation / power of attorney,
• legalized and registered statutes (for private non-profit organizations).

Budget structure and grant calculation

• Funding request limits (call’s subsidy subject to the rules):
  • projects must request between €25,000 and €300,000 (with different tiers mentioned in the webinar),
  • proposals outside these ranges are not admitted.
• Final subsidy:
  • proportional to the evaluation score, using the formula described.
  • Example: if a request is €100,000 and scored 90, the final subsidy would be €90,000.
• Payment regime:
  • an advance payment after the concession resolution is issued,
  • with justification later.
• Eligible expenses:
  • only expenses strictly necessary,
  • tied to the subsidized activity,
  • executed within the grant execution year.
• Subcontracting:
  • defined as outsourcing total or partial execution of essential activities,
  • hiring staff is not subcontracting (it falls under personnel),
  • budget table and application sections must be consistent,
  • further requirements follow the justification manual.

Evaluation criteria (how proposals are scored)

The webinar described a scoring structure with a maximum of 40 points for technical quality + economic viability, including:

• suitability to grant objectives (up to 10),
• coherence of activities/methodology/timeline (up to 10),
• sufficiency and capacity of human/material resources (5),
• budget clarity/proportionality (5),
• innovative methodology (10).

Additional scored areas include (as mentioned):

• applicant experience and specialization,
• project societal impact (territorial impact, beneficiaries, social interest, country challenges),
• scope and dissemination/outreach,
• value of innovative multi-actor collaboration.

Noted constraint:

• entities cannot create a “group” of applicants, but collaboration with other entities is allowed and positively valued.

Disputes, timing, and administrative process

• The ministry expects a concession resolution within 6 months of BOE publication (around October), potentially extending if needed.
• Before payment, beneficiaries may need to provide updated compliance documentation (tax/social security) if they did not authorize data consultation.
• Appeals:
  • administrative and contentious-administrative appeal routes after the resolution is issued are mentioned.

Q&A highlights from the webinar

• Individuals cannot apply; only legal entities.
• State status is not required.
• Prior beneficiary status does not guarantee re-selection and provides no extra points, though track record is considered.
• Projects can be territorial (even within one community/locality), but territorial scope affects scoring.
• Projects must primarily address issues in Spain (not international cooperation grants).
• Co-financing:
  • no fixed minimum was stated,
  • but applicants must reliably demonstrate it and reflect it in the application;
  • lack of real co-financing may lead to sanctions due to competition integrity concerns.
• The call is described as not subject to de minimis rules (per webinar statement).
• If the awarded amount is less than requested, beneficiaries can modify activities/budget accordingly (within the rules).

Overall message

The ministry presents the call as competitive but focused on continuous improvement:

• applicants are encouraged to apply,
• high-quality projects may face higher cut-off scores over time,
• presenters emphasized reviewing:
  • the official SIGES manual,
  • the justification manual,
  • the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document,
• and using the provided grant email boxes for issues and procedural questions.

Presenters / contributors

• Luis Simón — Deputy Director General of the 2030 Agenda (2030 Agenda Directorate)
• David Perej — General Director of the 2030 Agenda
• Mario — Technical grants team member (General Directorate of the 2030 Agenda)
• Lourdes — Technical grants team member (General Directorate of the 2030 Agenda)