The State Research Agency (AEI) updates its call schedule, including 2025
The State Research Agency (AEI) has updated its schedule of funding calls, for the first time including those planned for 2025. This move aims to improve transparency and facilitate planning for researchers, universities, and research centers. While the agency intends to meet the published deadlines, adjustments may arise due to the administrative complexity of the process.
The updated calendar includes key dates for major programs such as Europa Excelencia, Proof of Concept, and Research Consolidation, with final resolutions expected between December 2025 and April 2026. A highlight is the “2025 Proof of Concept Projects” call, open from June 19 to July 10, with a total budget of €30 million. It targets projects previously funded under “Knowledge Generation” or “Research Challenges” (2020–2022) that did not receive funding in the 2023 Proof of Concept call. Each project may receive up to €300,000 in funding. To clarify doubts, the AEI hosted an informative webinar on June 18, the recording of which is available online.
Updated Calendar for Upcoming Calls
The AEI has published an updated schedule of planned calls, with the goal of keeping the scientific and technical community informed about the current and upcoming funding opportunities.
This renewed schedule includes, for the first time, calls expected to be published in 2025. Additionally, minor adjustments have been made to reflect the current state of the administrative processing of various calls.
The AEI stresses that, although there is a strong commitment to meeting the planned deadlines, some changes may occur due to the complexity of the administrative procedures involved, which often require action from other government bodies. These factors include regulatory updates, approval by the Council of Ministers, budget reallocations, and authorizations from the State Attorney’s Office and the Ministry of Finance.
“The new calendar is now available. You can consult it here.”
With this update, the AEI reaffirms its commitment to transparency and predictability, which are essential for researchers, universities, and research centers to plan their participation in R&D&I calls effectively.
Key Dates in the 2025 Schedule
The document includes a detailed timeline for several initiatives financed with national and European funds. Highlights include:
- Europa Excelencia 2025
- Application period: June 2025
- Provisional resolution: October 2025
- Final resolution: December 2025
- Proof of Concept Projects 2025
- Application period: June 2025
- Provisional resolution: November 2025
- Final resolution: February 2026
- Research Consolidation 2025
- Application period: June 2025
- Provisional resolution: February 2026
- Final resolution: April 2026
Proof of Concept Projects Now Open for Applications
Among the AEI’s listed programs, the 2025 Proof of Concept Projects call stands out. This initiative is aimed at promoting the effective transfer of scientific results to the market or to society. The call, officially published in Spain’s Official State Gazette (BOE) on June 7, is open from June 19 to July 10, 2025, at 2:00 PM (mainland Spain time).
With this call, the AEI seeks to consolidate a more agile and effective innovation ecosystem, helping public research results in Spain to become real solutions to social, economic, and technological challenges.
Eligible applicants include projects funded under the Knowledge Generation or Research Challenges calls between 2020 and 2022, as long as they did not receive funding in the 2023 Proof of Concept call. The new application must be submitted in the same modality (individual or coordinated) as the original project, unless justified otherwise.
The Proof of Concept Projects 2025 call has a total budget of €30 million, distributed across two years (2026 and 2027). Each project may receive up to €300,000 to cover both direct and indirect costs.
To support interested applicants, the AEI organized an informative webinar on June 18, addressing questions about requirements, application procedures, and evaluation criteria.
Watch the full recording!
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