CDTI Delegates Contracting to Executives: What Changes for Bidders in 2026

Key data

If your company bids or has active contracts with the CDTI, from April 10, 2026 there is a change you should know about: it is no longer a single body that signs all contracting resolutions. The Resolution of April 10, 2026 from the CDTI establishes a formal delegation of competencies in public contracting matters, distributing the capacity for resolution among different management levels of the organization.

The objective is to streamline the processing of files. In practice, it means that different CDTI executives can now sign adjudications, contractual modifications and resolutions, according to the hierarchical level corresponding to each type of act.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution formalizes the delegation of competencies in public contracting matters among the management bodies of the CDTI (Center for Technological Development and Innovation, E.P.E.). It is based on two regulatory pillars:

• The Public Sector Contracts Law, which regulates how public organizations manage their bidding and adjudication processes.
• The regulations on the legal regime of the public sector, which allow delegating competencies among bodies of the same organization to improve administrative efficiency.

The result is a hierarchical distribution of decision-making capacity: instead of all contracting acts having to be signed by the highest management body, different levels of the CDTI structure are empowered to resolve files within their delegated competencies.

It is important to emphasize what this resolution does not change:

• It does not modify the conditions for accessing CDTI financing.
• It does not alter the requirements for requesting subsidies or aid from the organization.
• It does not affect the evaluation criteria for R&D+i projects.

Economic and operational impact

The direct impact for companies is not economic in terms of additional costs, but operational and legal validity. There are two practical consequences that should be on the radar of any company with contractual activity with the CDTI:

• Validity of administrative acts: A contracting act signed by a body that does not have the corresponding delegated competence may be challengeable. Verifying that the resolution, adjudication or modification you receive is signed by the competent body is now more relevant than before.
• Liaison and processing: As competencies are distributed among different executives, the contact person for each phase of the file may vary. This can speed up processing timelines, but also requires knowing which management level you should interact with at each stage of the process.

For companies with multiple contracts or simultaneous bids with the CDTI, this organizational change can affect the internal management of their files and expected response timelines.

Who does it affect?

• Technology and innovation companies that participate in CDTI bids for R&D+i contracts.
• SMEs and startups that access CDTI public contracts as part of funded projects.
• Large companies with supply, services or consulting contracts awarded by the CDTI.
• Public sector entities (universities, technology centers, research organizations) that contract with the CDTI.
• Legal advisors and bid managers who process files on behalf of companies before the CDTI.
• CFOs and financial directors of companies with active contracts who must validate the correct signature of received administrative acts.

Practical example

A technology company has an active bid with the CDTI for an R&D+i services contract. Before this resolution, the adjudication had to be signed by the highest-level management body of the organization.

With the new delegation of competencies, the adjudication can be signed by a lower-level executive than the one who historically signed, as long as they have the delegated competence for that type of contract. The company receives the adjudication resolution signed by that executive.

What the legal team or bid manager should do is verify that the signing body actually has the delegated competence for that specific act, consulting the resolution published in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-8937). If the signature corresponds to a body without delegated competence for that type of act, the act could be challengeable, with the consequences of delay and cost that this implies.

What should companies do now?

1. Consult the complete resolution in the BOE (BOE-A-2026-8937) to identify which CDTI management bodies have delegated competencies and for what types of contracting acts.
2. Review active files with the CDTI and verify that administrative acts received from April 10, 2026 are signed by the body with corresponding delegated competence.
3. Update internal validation protocols for CDTI contractual documents, incorporating verification of the signing body as a mandatory step.
4. Inform your legal team or external advisor of this change so they take it into account in the review of future adjudications, modifications and resolutions.
5. Contact the CDTI if you have doubts about which executive is the competent contact for your specific file, especially in R&D+i contracts in processing.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For