The CDTI Innovation adds an additional EUR 100 million to the initial budget allocation for the NEOTEC and MISIONES SCIENCE AND INNOVATION 2026 calls

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), the State Agency for Innovation of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, will publish in the coming days the extraordinary budgetary extension of 100 million euros that will be applied to the projects presented to the 2026 calls of NEOTEC and SCIENCE AND INNOVATION MISSIONS whose technological line is of dual profile, security and/or defense.

In line with the deployment of the Industrial and Technological Plan for Security and Defense approved by the Government of Spain, this extraordinary budgetary expansion is based on the objective of accelerating the arrival on the market of technological innovations based on knowledge and strengthening the strategic autonomy of the country, without undermining the actions in support of innovation in the field of non-dual or civil technologies, since the new budget package will allow to increase the number of projects that can be supported with respect to the initial endowments.

At a time when Europe is accelerating to protect its industrial base and gain technological sovereignty, the enlargement announced by the CDTI Innovation puts Spain in an active position: more applied science, more business innovation and more results in people’s lives. The combination of technological entrepreneurship (NEOTEC) and large-scale collaborative projects (MISIONES CIENCIA E INNOVACIÓN) not only closes the gap between laboratory and market, but also creates capabilities that remain in the ecosystem-country: talent, intellectual property, advanced suppliers, pilot plants and investment confidence.
 

NEOTEC 2026 Call for EBTS

In its case, NEOTEC, CDTI’s flagship program for technology-based companies (EBTs) at an early stage, doubles its budget for 2026, which is increased to 40 million euros with 20 million to be allocated to EBTs that develop innovative technologies of a dual nature (applicable to the civil and security and defense sectors). This focus preserves NEOTEC’s essence of supporting the creation and consolidation of EBTs, boosting talent and accelerating knowledge transfer, as well as adding traction to projects with high scaling capacity and technological externalities.

NEOTEC constitutes the public performance of an early bridge between the knowledge generated in universities, units, centers and R&D organizations and its conversion into business by new EBTs. This budgetary expansion will allow us to meet the very high demand of the programme since, usually, only between 15% and 25% of the proposals submitted tend to receive funding, leaving a very high number of proposals with notes greater than 70 points without assistance for budgetary reasons. In addition, dual technologies provide a multiplier effect and accelerate the transfer from the field of knowledge to transversal application solutions (energy, health, industry 4.0, space, security), raising the potential for scaling and attracting investment.

In terms of value contribution, the doubling of NEOTEC’s budget allocation intensifies the creation of new EBTs and their early consolidation with technical equipment and intellectual property as the core of the competitive advantage; professionalization of the transfer and business development, integrating research talent and business management; and exerting a network effect in territorial ecosystems (incubators, accelerators, universities, science parks) and lever for private rounds.

With the $20 million expansion, CDTI Innovation makes it easier for more projects to reach higher TRL within the support period, improving their position to enter the market and compete internationally.
 

Convocatoria MISIONES CIENCIA E INNOVACIÓN 2026: cooperación empresarial para retos país y autonomía tecnológica

The Science and Innovation Missions Program, which finances large cooperative projects led by companies that address strategic challenges with high-impact pre-competitive research, raises its total allocation to 140 million euros. The initial allocation of the call, of 60 million, is now extended with an additional 80 million that will go to projects presented that are in line with the mission “New capabilities to advance strategic autonomy in security and defense”. The objective is to accelerate the technological maturation of critical solutions (medical countermeasures against NRBQ crises; advanced technologies for the improvement of flight behavior and performance of subsonic self-propelled systems; architecture and technologies enabling a new combat tactic; PNT and robust communications solutions for disputed environments and restrictive conditions; innovative applications of laser technologies; propulsion systems of high energy density and low observability for UAs of extended autonomy) and maximize the dual synergies between civil and security and defense uses.

The new budgetary reinforcement intensifies several key effects associated with the call for proposals:

• Dual technological traction: to increase national technological sovereignty in critical areas, reducing dependencies and vulnerabilities of the associated value and supply chains and taking advantage of the dual potential of technologies developed in the civil field. These technologies provide civil applications (healthcare, energy, transport, industry) while reducing dependencies in critical segments.
• Cooperation and critical mass: consortia of 3 to 6 companies with at least one SME, minimum subcontracting of 15% to research centers and budgets between 3 and 10 million define the most suitable profile to accelerate the learning curve and share risk at the technological border.
• Results oriented ecosystem: the combination of multi-year deadlines, specialization and collaborative governance favors verifiable results (patents, prototypes, demonstrators), new supply chains and internationalization opportunities.

The expansion of resources will also allow us to multiply the impact of public action on society, with more projects, better territorial balance and greater diversity of solutions. For citizens, this translates into areas, among others, such as:

• Health: technologies that allow the development of new pharmaceutical and other capacities against multiresistant microorganisms and other future challenges that affect human and animal health; research and the development of knowledge, treatments, tools and/or medical devices that work in pathologies or medical conditions that are highly prevalent, more serious or exclusive to women.
• More efficient, sustainable and resilient aeronautical sector: Development and application of advanced technologies towards more sustainable mobility and strengthening the Spanish aeronautical ecosystem against international competition.
• Mobility and decarbonization: platforms and solutions that reduce costs and emissions in collective transport and logistics, contributing to climate objectives.
• Real economy: skilled employment, new industrial capacities and productivity; more opportunities for technological SMEs and startups in European value chains.

More information on the increase in NEOTEC’s budget allocation at: https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-B-2026-29714

More information on the increase in the budget allocation for MISSIONS, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION at: https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-B-2026-29713 
 

About the CDTI Innovation

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2025, within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2024-2027, the CDTI provided 2,423 million euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.
 

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