New 2026 call for aid for knowledge exchange in the agri-food and forestry sector for almost 10 million euros

• The deadline for submitting applications is May 18th.
• The aid is co-financed 43% by the EAFRD and 57% by the ministry

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) published on April 16 in the Official State Gazette (BOE) a new call for aid to promote the exchange of knowledge, innovation and training in the agri-food sector , with a budget of 9.81 million euros.

These grants, which are part of the rural development pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan, are co-financed 43% by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and 57% by the Ministry. The training activities funded are solely those aimed at enhancing the digital skills of professionals.

DEADLINE AND APPLICATION FOR AID

The application period began on April 17th and ends on May 18th. Applications can be submitted by individual entities at the national level or by groups of up to five applicants, which, in any case, must have a supra-regional character, both in their composition and scope of implementation.

Grants of up to €500,000 per proposal, with a minimum amount of €70,000, may be requested. The implementation period for these initiatives runs from the date of application until May 2028, with an interim payment in 2027 and a final payment.

Eligible activities must include the organization of events of all kinds, in-person demonstrations, and training programs in the field of digitalization. All of these must be of interest to rural areas and the private agri-food sector.

These grants, intended for the exchange of knowledge and training activities, have been designed as a direct instrument to strengthen the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (SCIA/AKIS), by promoting information flows, interaction between key actors and the transfer mechanisms that support this model.

Its design responds to the cross-cutting objective of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to modernize the agricultural sector by promoting knowledge, innovation and, above all, the effective adoption of technological and social innovations by the agri-food sector and rural areas.

INFORMATION DAY ON THE MAP

To present the details of this call for proposals, an information session will be held on April 23rd in a hybrid format – both in person at the Ministry headquarters and online – organized in collaboration with the School of Industrial Organization (EOI). The Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund (FEGA) and the Directorate General for Rural Development, Innovation, and Agri-food Training will participate in the event.

More information about this information session is available at this link.