The CDTI Innovation allocates up to 70 million to strategic technology R&D projects in the 2026 call for Cervera grants for Technology Centers

  • The call finances strategic R&D&I programs in seven priority technological areas, five linked to security and defense capabilities and two in the civil field
  • The projects, developed by groups of between 4 and 7 technology centers, can receive a grant of up to 100% of the project budget, with an eligible budget of between 2 and 5 million euros per project
  • Since its launch in 2019, the Cervera program has funded 45 projects with the participation of 62 technology centers and a cumulative grant of 182.4 million euros in four previous calls

Convocatoria CERVERA 2026
The deadline for submitting applications is from June 11 to July 10, 2026
ANNOUNCEMENTS

The CDTI Innovation, the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, has just launched the Cervera 2026 call for Technology Centers, an action aimed at strengthening the capacities of applied research and knowledge transfer of Spanish technology centers in strategic technologies, endowed with up to 70 million euros of grants in competitive competition. The deadline for submitting applications is from June 11 to July 10, 2026.

For the call of 2026, the CDTI Innovation has identified seven priority technological areas organized in two groups. The greatest novelty is the definition and selection of priority technologies related to security and defense, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense, with the objective of advancing strategic autonomy and strengthening applied research capacities in sectors of high interest for national security and industrial competitiveness:

Cervera priority areas related to security and defense:
1.Advanced digital twins for the reinforcement of defense
capabilities 2.Quantum sensors applied to defense
3.Enabling technologies for vehicles in hypersonic flight
4.Technologies for kinetic electromagnetic systems
5.Advanced metamaterials and nanomaterials for defence and security applications

Priority areas Cervera civil:
6.Circular economy
7.Intelligent transport

In its four previous editions (2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025), the Cervera Centres program of the CDTI Innovation has financed 45 projects with the participation of 62 technology centers, with a total grant of 182.4 million euros, 98.6% of the available endowment. The approved projects comprise 213 operations (participants), with an average concession of 4.05 million euros per project and 0.86 million euros per participant. Cervera aid has been distributed in 15 of the 17 autonomous communities, notably the Basque Country (24.6% of the contribution of the CDTI), the Valencian Community (16.5%) and Galicia (13.3%), accumulating among the three 54% of the aid granted.

 

Profile of the grants

Beneficiaries

  • Clusters of Technology Centres and/or Technology Innovation Support Centres (CAITs) at the state level registered in the Register of Technology Centres
  • The groupings must consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 7 centers
  • The coordinating entity of the group must be a Technology Center
  • Each center may be submitted in a maximum of 3 applications, although only one may refer to the technologies of the civil scope group. In total, you can only act as coordinator in two of them
  • Members must sign an internal agreement that regulates the functioning of the group

Type of call

  • Competitive concurrence with filing deadlines.

Deadline for submission of applications

  • From June 11 to July 10, 2026

Type of help

  • Subsidy of up to 100% of the budget of the strategic program presented by the group. Obtaining the aid also involves the accreditation of the beneficiary as “Cervera Centre of Excellence”.

Budget of the call for proposals

  • Up to 70 million euros, distributed among priority technologies related to security and defense and civil technologies

Characteristics of the project

  • Minimum eligible budget per project: 2,000,000 euros
  • Maximum eligible budget per project: 5,000,000 euros
  • Minimum participation per entity: 10% of the eligible budget
  • Maximum participation per entity: 35% of the eligible budget (the coordinator can reach up to 50%)
  • Duration: multiannual, 3 or 4 years, starting on January 1, 2027
  • Strategic Programs may include one or more priority technologies belonging to the same technological area

Criteria for evaluation

  • Strategic research and development objectives and feasibility of the strategic programme (40%)
  • Training and human resources incorporation activities (20%)
  • Internationalization (20%)
  • Exploitation and dissemination of results (20%)

Submission of applications

More information available at:
https://www.cdti.es/ayudas/ayudas-cervera-para-centros-tecnologicos-2026

 

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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