An editorial guide from the Akaen team, based on official ACCIÓ and Red.es information as of 16 September 2026. Funding calls change: always check the official source.
Two public programmes fund, or have funded, AI assessments for SMEs: the ACCIÓ AI adoption vouchers, in Catalonia, and the Kit Consulting programme, run nationwide by Red.es. This guide explains what each covers and under which conditions, and states something many grant pages avoid saying: As of today, neither call is open.
Both grants in one table
| ACCIÓ AI voucher | Kit Consulting | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Catalonia (Generalitat) | Spain (Red.es) |
| What it funds | Advice to incorporate AI: prioritised solutions, data, infrastructure, costs and plan | Specialist digital advice, including an AI plan for the SME |
| Amount | Up to €8,000 | €12,000, €18,000 or €24,000 depending on size |
| Who can apply | Companies in Catalonia with more than 10 employees, at least two years in business and activity in a priority sector | SMEs with 10 to 249 employees |
| Who provides the service | Consultant accredited by ACCIÓ with at least three AI projects | Digital advisers registered with the programme |
| Status | Closed: 15 May to 30 July 2026 | Closed since 31 March 2025 |
| Implementation | Until 30 July 2027 | No new call confirmed |
AI adoption vouchers (ACCIÓ, Catalonia)
What it covers
A voucher worth up to EUR 8,000 to hire an advisory service that helps the company integrate artificial intelligence: identifying and prioritising solutions, analysing and preparing available data, defining the infrastructure needed and estimating development and maintenance costs, with a short- and medium-term implementation plan.
Who can apply
- Companies with an operating establishment in Catalonia.
- More than 10 employees and at least two years of activity.
- Priority sectors listed in the programme rules: agri-food, automotive and mobility, digital, renewable energy, manufacturing, health and biomedicine.
Who provides the service
Only an adviser accredited by ACCIÓ in technology and Industry 4.0, with experience in at least three AI projects. The voucher must be spent with an accredited provider, so choose one before applications open rather than during the application period.
2026 application deadlines
Applications opened on 15 May and closed on 30 July 2026. Approved projects can be delivered until 30 July 2027. This means that a company that did not apply before 30 July cannot receive a voucher this year. It must wait for the next call, which ACCIÓ usually publishes in spring.
Kit Consulting (Red.es, nationwide)
What it covers
A voucher to hire specialised digital advisory services, including the artificial intelligence advisory service: an AI plan adapted to the SME with the required investment and necessary measures.
Amounts by size
- Up to €12,000 for companies with 10 to 49 employees.
- Up to €18,000 for companies with 50 to 99 employees.
- Up to €24,000 for companies with 100 to 249 employees, spread across several services.
Status
The single call opened in June 2024 and closed on 31 March 2025. The 2026 rules allow for new calls using remaining funds, but no date has been confirmed.
What neither grant solves
Both fund the assessment, rather than the decision. An assessment helps when the company already knows its questions: which processes cause problems, their volumes, which systems are involved and who would own the first project. A subsidised assessment left in a drawer costs zero euros and delivers no value.
Neither determines the right sequence. The grant pays for advice, but choosing the first process—with volume, clear rules and accessible data—is the company’s and adviser’s task. How to choose it, in which processes to automate first.
What to do while calls are closed
- See first what is possible, free. The first look shows what AI could do in each department of your company within 72 hours, based on your website and sector. It helps you prepare for the next funding call with a clear direction.
- If the decision cannot wait, the process audit covers the voucher’s requirements—prioritised solutions, data, infrastructure, costs and a plan—with a fixed quote agreed before starting.
- Prepare documentation required by both grants: compliance certificates, average headcount, years in business and CNAE activity code. Application windows are usually short and budgets limited.
At Akaen, we do not promise grants that are not open. If a programme opens and your company meets the criteria, we will tell you, including whether we are accredited to deliver the service at that point.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do applications reopen for the ACCIÓ AI voucher?
There is no official date. Applications for the 2026 call opened on 15 May. Check ACCIÓ’s official programme page, which publishes the rules and deadline each year.
Is it mandatory to hire an accredited consultant?
For the ACCIÓ voucher, yes: an accredited adviser with experience in at least three AI projects must deliver the service. Kit Consulting services are contracted through the programme’s registered digital advisers.
Can I carry out the assessment now and apply for a grant later?
As a general rule, grants cover services contracted during the application period rather than work done before applying. If the assessment cannot wait, assume it will be paid without a grant; check each programme’s terms before deciding.
Can the free first look help prepare an application?
It helps identify departmental use cases and which process to address first. It does not replace the grant-funded advisory service, which covers data, infrastructure and costs.
Official sources: ACCIÓ for the AI adoption vouchers and Acelera pyme (Red.es) for Kit Consulting.