Fund your project with INNTERCONECTA STEP from CDTI

INNTERCONECTA STEP is a grant programme managed by CDTI Innovación that funds collaborative R&D projects led by companies working on strategic technologies for Europe: digital technologies, clean and resource-efficient technologies, and biotechnology.

The programme aims to strengthen the strategic positioning and competitiveness of Spanish industry while promoting cooperation between companies and knowledge-generating centres.

INNTERCONECTA STEP is open to groups of companies that meet the following requirements:

• Consortia of 2 to 6 companies, including at least one SME and two companies that are independent of each other.
• Duly incorporated companies with their own legal personality and registered offices in Spain.
• The project must be carried out in at least two eligible autonomous communities, and each company must designate a single autonomous community for its activities.
• Participating companies must sign an internal consortium agreement and appoint a coordinating company to represent the consortium before CDTI.
• The consortium must involve research organisations through subcontracting representing at least 10% of the eligible budget.
• No company may participate in more than two applications under this call.

• Collaborative R&D projects led by companies.
• Alignment with at least one of the STEP technology areas listed in Annex I of the call.
• Eligible budget of between €1 million and €4 million per project.
• Minimum eligible budget of €175,000 per participating company.
• Activities carried out in at least two eligible autonomous communities.
• At least 10% of the eligible budget must be subcontracted to research organisations.
• No participant may account for more than 70% of the project’s eligible budget, taking into account the applicable conditions for linked or associated companies.
• Balanced budget distribution throughout the project implementation period.
• Compliance with State aid rules and the DNSH principle (Do No Significant Harm).
• Projects involving the development of technology for military use will not be funded.
• Companies required to file annual accounts must have filed the annual accounts required under the call with the relevant registry.

INNTERCONECTA STEP funds collaborative R&D projects developed in at least one of the three STEP technology areas:

1. Digital technologies: artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems, semiconductors, quantum technologies, advanced connectivity and sensing technologies.
2. Clean and resource-efficient technologies: renewable energy, energy storage, hydrogen, net-zero technologies and other solutions for a more sustainable industry.
3. Biotechnology: DNA and RNA, bioinformatics, cell and tissue engineering, nanobiotechnology, proteins and other molecules, process biotechnology and gene vectors.

Projects must demonstrate their alignment with at least one of these areas, in accordance with the technologies listed in Annex I of the call and the priorities of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP).

• INNTERCONECTA STEP includes a minimum budget reserve of €10 million for R&D projects related to women’s health.
• The reserve is intended for projects that contribute to the development of knowledge, treatments, diagnostic tools, medical devices, prevention or monitoring of medical conditions that are highly prevalent, more severe or exclusive to women.
• Projects must fall within at least one of the three STEP technology areas and meet all general INNTERCONECTA STEP requirements.
• To qualify for this reserve, applicants must explicitly justify in the application form the project’s suitability and its expected contribution to women’s health.
• Proposals related to pregnancy or oncology will not be eligible for this specific reserve, in accordance with the exclusions set out in Annex II.

INNTERCONECTA STEP offers non-repayable grants for industrial research and experimental development projects. The funding intensity depends on the company’s size, the type of activity and the conditions for effective collaboration.

Maximum funding intensities

The maximum funding intensity applicable to each beneficiary is calculated according to the project’s activities. The grant awarded will not be lower than 40% of each beneficiary’s eligible budget, without prejudice to the applicable maximum limits.

Project budget

• Minimum budget: €1,000,000.
• Maximum budget: €4,000,000.
• Minimum budget per company: €175,000.

Eligible costs under INNTERCONECTA STEP CDTI

• R&D personnel: researchers, technicians and support staff dedicated to the project, in accordance with the territorial assignment requirements.
• Equipment and capital assets: depreciation costs corresponding to their use during the project.
• Contract research, technical knowledge and patents acquired or licensed for the project.
• Consortium coordination consultancy: up to €15,000 per project and year for the representative entity. General services for managing and processing the requested funding are not eligible.
• Audit report: up to €1,500 per beneficiary and year.
• DNSH compliance validation: up to €3,000 for the representative entity, through an ENAC-accredited organisation.
• Travel for coordination meetings between partners: up to €5,000 per beneficiary, in accordance with the call’s conditions. Subsistence expenses are not funded.
• Other direct costs: materials, supplies and operating expenses directly related to the project.
• Indirect costs: a flat rate of 15% of eligible personnel costs.

Subcontracting conditions

• At least 10% of the project’s eligible budget must be subcontracted to research organisations.
• Subcontracting may account for up to 50% of each beneficiary’s eligible budget.
• For regulatory preclinical trials and clinical trials in health-related R&D projects, the limit may reach 70% of the eligible budget.
• Companies belonging to the consortium may not subcontract the funded activities to one another.

The CDTI INNTERCONECTA STEP 2026 call establishes the following official deadlines:

• Opening date: 17 November 2026.
• Application deadline: 23 December 2026, at 12:00 noon (Spanish mainland time).
• Mandatory project start date: 1 January 2027.
• Project end date: 31 December 2028 or 30 June 2029, depending on the project’s duration, without prejudice to any authorised extensions.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the CDTI electronic headquarters.

Consult the official INNTERCONECTA STEP 2026 call to review the requirements and supporting documentation.

1. Form the consortium of companies

Form a consortium of 2 to 6 companies, including at least one SME and two companies that are independent of each other. The project must be carried out in at least two eligible autonomous communities. Participating companies must sign an internal consortium agreement and appoint a coordinating entity to represent them before CDTI.

2. Validate STEP technology alignment and the budget

Check that the R&D project falls within one of the three STEP technology areas: digital technologies, clean and resource-efficient technologies, or biotechnology.

The eligible budget must be between €1 million and €4 million, with a minimum of €175,000 per company. In addition, the project must allocate at least 10% of the eligible budget to subcontracting research organisations.

3. Prepare the technical proposal and documentation

Draft the technical project proposal in accordance with Annex III of the call, with a maximum of 70 pages, excluding the cover page and table of contents. Include the objectives, STEP technology alignment, work plan, itemised and justified budget for each company, consortium capacity and expected impacts.

Prepare the internal consortium agreement, declarations of responsibility and documentation proving that the annual accounts required under the call have been filed.

The consortium agreement may explicitly refer to the activities and budget details included in the application, rather than duplicating that information.

If the project applies for the women’s health budget reserve, it must explicitly justify its suitability and contribution to the reserve’s objectives in the application form.

Also prepare the information required to demonstrate compliance with the DNSH (Do No Significant Harm) principle. Declarations of responsibility are submitted with the application, while the positive compliance report issued by an ENAC-accredited organisation is required at the corresponding stage of the grant award procedure.

4. Submit the application through CDTI

Submit the application electronically through the CDTI electronic headquarters, within the deadline specified in the INNTERCONECTA STEP deadlines section.

Each participating company must complete and electronically sign the corresponding forms and declarations. Subsequently, the consortium’s representative entity will formally submit the application and its supporting documentation.

5. Evaluation, decision and project implementation

CDTI will evaluate proposals through a competitive selection procedure, considering their contribution to STEP technologies, technical quality, consortium capacity and socioeconomic and environmental impact.

Applications must achieve a minimum score of 50 points to be eligible. Grant awards will also depend on budget availability and ERDF funding in the autonomous communities where the project is carried out.

Funded projects must be implemented and reported in accordance with the conditions and timetable established in the official call and the grant award decision.

INNTERCONECTA STEP and EIC STEP Scale-Up are two funding instruments for strategic technologies.

Both programmes support strategic technologies for Europe, but address different funding needs:

• INNTERCONECTA STEP provides CDTI grants for collaborative R&D projects led by companies and developed through regional cooperation.
• EIC STEP Scale-Up provides equity investments of between €10 million and €30 million to startups, SMEs and small mid-caps seeking major funding rounds to scale strategic technologies.

Both instruments are aligned with STEP priorities, but have different eligibility requirements, target beneficiaries and funding objectives.