How to fund AI deployment in your SME with grants while complying with the EU AI Act
In 2026 there are open calls funding AI deployment in SMEs with significant cover.
- The Spanish Government allocated 40 million euros to AI grants for SMEs in 2026 through Red.es.
- Extremadura funds AI tool deployment covering up to 85 % of the investment.
- The Basque SPRI offers up to 100,000 € a year and expressly includes advisory services for AI adoption.
- Galicia keeps its ERDF digital transformation grants active, with cover of up to 50 %.
- Kit Digital has extended its categories to include AI and automation solutions.
- The Article 4 AI literacy obligation of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 has been in force since 2 February 2025.
Which calls are open and how much they cover
| Programme | Scope | Cover | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI programme for SMEs (Red.es) | National | Depends on the line | €40 M total budget |
| Deployment of AI tools | Extremadura | Up to 85 % | €100,000 per entity |
| Artificial Intelligence (SPRI) | Basque Country | Depends on the activity | €100,000 per year |
| ERDF digital transformation (IG300C) | Galicia | Up to 50 % | Depends on the call |
| Kit Digital · AI categories | National | Voucher | Depends on the segment |
| Ticket Innova | National | Voucher | Up to €7,000 |
Table reviewed on 4 August 2026. Deadlines change: always check the official record in the National Subsidies Database.
Which costs are eligible and which are not
Criteria are not uniform across calls, but the pattern repeats. Development or licensing of the solution is usually eligible.
Internal staff time, office or general-purpose software and generic hardware are usually excluded.
The right order: comply, fund, deploy
The sequence is not commercial, it is operational. Each step produces the input for the next.
Comply
EU AI Act diagnosis and governance. It produces the AI system inventory and the prioritised use case map.
Fund
Finding the call that fits, assessing the real probability of success in advance, and drafting the proposal.
Deploy
Design and deployment of the solution, with compliance built in from day one.
Reversing the order causes two recurring problems. The first: a proposal describing an intention instead of a project.
The mistakes we see in practice
The most expensive is enthusiasm. A company discovers 100,000 € is available and builds the project around the money.
The second is treating compliance as an administrative annex. In an AI project, governance is not an annex.
And the third, the quietest: applying for everything. Ruling out matters as much as selecting.
Frequently asked questions
Are there grants to deploy artificial intelligence in an SME in 2026?
Yes. In 2026 a state programme run by Red.es with 40 million euros coexists with regional lines.
Is consulting for AI adoption or EU AI Act compliance an eligible cost?
In several calls, yes. The Basque SPRI AI line expressly includes advisory services as eligible activity.
Why must the compliance diagnosis come before applying for the grant?
Because the diagnosis produces exactly the inputs the technical proposal needs: the system inventory and the use case map.
Can you apply for a grant just to train the team in AI?
Job-applied AI training can be funded through the FUNDAE credit the company has already paid into.
Which costs are usually excluded?
Usually internal work, office or general-purpose software even if it embeds AI, and generic hardware.
How long does the whole process take?
The compliance diagnosis is delivered in days. The technical proposal depends on the call's deadline.
What if I have already deployed AI without a prior diagnosis?
You do it in reverse: first the inventory of what is already in use and its classification, then the regularisation.
Does this also apply to a non-profit or a university?
Yes, with caveats. Many AI lines target SMEs and the self-employed, but innovation calls have their own rules.
Written by Guillermo Taboada, CEO and founding partner of EstratégicaMente (Interim Manager Consulting, S.L.), and lecturer at the Universidade da Coruña.
Published on 4 August 2026 · Last updated: 4 August 2026 · This page is reviewed monthly.