MADRID, 24 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) – Expenses will be subsidized for a maximum amount of 24,000 euros for two years and specialized advice on foreign trade will be offered. Spanish SMEs and startups will be able to apply from this Tuesday, September 24, until October 15, to participate in the 'ICEX Next' program, aimed at promoting their internationalization through advice and financial aid. This will be the first period in which these companies will be able to register for this program, although there will be a second application window that will cover from November 25 to December 17. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, through this 'ICEX Next' program, will allocate 6 million euros this year to support Spanish SMEs and startups to promote their internationalization. This program will cover 250 companies and may be extended to another 75 depending on demand, for which a total budget of 7.8 million euros is expected to be mobilized. The 'ICEX Next' programme is co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is aimed at companies that want to boost the internationalisation of their business, approaching new foreign markets or consolidating existing ones. By advising SMEs that enter the programme, the aim is to help them define or adapt their international strategy and boost their growth in third markets. To this end, ICEX makes two support mechanisms available to SMEs and startups. The first consists of specialised advice on foreign trade and the second subsidises, for two years, the expenses incurred in the process of internationalising the business, with a maximum of 24,000 euros. Beneficiary companies will have a minimum of 30 hours of specialised and personalised advice in person and online from an expert consultant approved by ICEX to design and launch or review the international business strategic plan. In addition, they will have access to specialised consultancy in other areas, such as digital transformation, international contracting, international digital strategy or participation in international tenders. They will also be able to obtain grants of up to 24,000 euros to cover 60% of the costs of the actions included in their international strategic business plan. These expenses include market research and studies; the international promotion of the brand, products or services; the development of a commercial network; the contracting of technological tools and solutions to implement international trade or the implementation of digital marketing strategies. The conditions to participate in the program are to be a Spanish SME or startup, have their own product or service and their own brand, not be a foreign commercial or production subsidiary, not have a company in crisis, invoice more than 300,000 euros in 2023 (not applicable to technology-based startups), have personal and material means to face internationalization, and have their own website.
SMEs and startups will be able to request ICEX aid for their internationalization from this Tuesday
