Cervera 2026: Up to €70 Million to Strengthen Strategic R&D at Technology Centres

Cervera 2026: Up to €70 Million to Strengthen Strategic R&D at Technology Centres

The Cervera 2026 call, launched by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through CDTI Innovación, will allocate up to €70 million to strengthen the strategic R&D capabilities of technology centres. The funding will support collaborative programmes in applied research and technology transfer carried out by consortia of four to seven Technology Centres or Technological Innovation Support Centres (CAITs). Projects must have a budget ranging from €2 million to €5 million, may receive up to 100% funding, and will run for three or four years, starting in January 2027. The call prioritises seven technological areas, five related to security and defence—such as quantum sensors, advanced digital twins and metamaterials—and two civilian fields: the circular economy and intelligent transport. In addition to financial support, successful applicants will be awarded the Cervera Centre of Excellence accreditation. The application deadline is 10 July 2026.

The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, through the Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI Innovación), has launched the 2026 Cervera Grants for Technology Centres, one of Spain’s main public funding instruments aimed at strengthening applied research and technology transfer.

The call has an initial budget of €20 million, which may be increased by up to an additional €50 million if further funding becomes available before the grants are awarded. Consequently, the total budget could reach €70 million.

The grants will finance large-scale strategic R&D&I programmes carried out collaboratively by groups of technology centres, with the objective of strengthening their scientific and technological capabilities while generating knowledge and solutions with strong potential for transfer to industry.

Applications may be submitted until 10 July 2026 at 12:00 noon (mainland Spain time) through the electronic headquarters of CDTI Innovación.

What are the project requirements?

Strategic programmes must have an eligible budget between €2 million and €5 million and may receive grants covering up to 100% of eligible costs.

Projects will be multiannual, lasting three or four years, with activities starting on 1 January 2027. The budget must be distributed in a balanced manner throughout the implementation period.

Funding will support the activities required to achieve the objectives of the strategic research, development and innovation programmes. Activities of an economic nature will not be eligible for funding.

In addition to financial support, successful applicants will obtain Cervera Centre of Excellence accreditation in the corresponding priority technology.

Who can participate?

Applications must be submitted by consortia made up of between four and seven Technology Centres and/or Technological Innovation Support Centres (CAITs) operating at the national level and registered in the corresponding official register.

The coordinating entity must be a Technology Centre, and all participating organisations must sign an internal consortium agreement governing the operation and management of the partnership.

The financial contribution of each member must be balanced:

• Each entity must account for at least 10% of the eligible project budget.
• The maximum participation of each entity is 35%.
• The coordinating Technology Centre may account for up to 50% of the total eligible budget.

Each centre may participate in a maximum of three applications and act as coordinator in no more than two. In addition, only one of its proposals may relate to the civilian technologies listed in Annex II.

Seven priority technology areas

The 2026 Cervera Call identifies seven priority technology areas, grouped into two main categories.

Security and defence technologies

• Advanced digital twins for strengthening defence capabilities.
• Quantum sensors for defence applications.
• Enabling technologies for hypersonic flight vehicles.
• Technologies for kinetic electromagnetic systems.
• Advanced metamaterials and nanomaterials for defence and security applications.

Civilian technologies

• Circular economy.
• Intelligent transport.

Strategic programmes may address one or several priority technologies, provided they all belong to the same technological area.

The inclusion of five security- and defence-related technology areas is one of the main new features of the 2026 edition. The call is aligned with Spain’s Industrial and Technological Plan for Security and Defence, supporting the country’s strategic autonomy and reinforcing its scientific and technological capabilities.

A well-established programme supporting applied research

Since its launch in 2019, the Cervera Programme has funded 45 projects involving 62 technology centres, with a total of €182.4 million awarded through its previous four calls.

Over the years, the programme has become a key instrument for promoting collaboration among technology centres, strengthening applied research capabilities, and accelerating the transfer of knowledge and technology to industry.

The 2026 edition further reinforces this mission by supporting large-scale collaborative projects focused on technologies considered strategic for Spain’s competitiveness, sustainability, and technological sovereignty.

How can artica+i help?

Preparing a competitive proposal for the Cervera Call requires a robust scientific and technological strategy, the creation of a well-balanced consortium, and effective coordination of the programme’s objectives, activities, budget, and expected impact.

At artica+i, we support technology centres throughout the entire proposal preparation process, including:

• Assessing the project’s eligibility and strategic fit.
• Defining the scientific and technological strategy.
• Structuring the work programme.
• Preparing the technical and financial proposal.
• Coordinating the consortium and the overall application process.

Are you preparing a proposal for the Cervera 2026 Call? Contact our team to assess your project’s fit and plan a successful application.