Chips JU 2026 Direct Grants: Funding for R&D in Semiconductors

Key data

Spanish entities participating in the European semiconductor ecosystem have, since April 1, 2026, faster access to national public funding. Real Decreto 269/2026 establishes that prior selection in an international competitive call from Chips JU (European Joint Undertaking) is sufficient condition to receive direct aid in Spain, without processing an additional national call.

This is relevant because, until now, obtaining Spanish public funding for a project already approved at European level required passing a second national competitive process. With this Real Decreto, that step disappears for projects under the UNICO Chips JU I+D programme.

What does this regulation establish?

Real Decreto 269/2026 regulates the direct award of grants to semiconductor and chip research projects that have been previously selected in international competitive calls from the European Union Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU).

The key elements of the regulatory framework are as follows:

• Direct award modality: No new national call is required. Selection at European level acts as the enabling criterion to receive Spanish aid.
• Enabling programme: UNICO Chips JU I+D, specifically designed to channel Recovery Plan funds towards the Spanish microelectronics ecosystem.
• Funding framework: Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia, funded by the European Union through Next Generation EU.
• Technological scope: Semiconductor and chip research projects, aligned with the European strategy for technological autonomy in microelectronics.
• Process streamlining: By eliminating the national call, the time between European project approval and the availability of complementary national funds is reduced.

Economic and operational impact

The main impact of this regulation is not a new burden, but a funding opportunity for entities already active in European chip projects. The most relevant operational and economic implications are:

• Reduction of administrative burden: Entities selected in Chips JU do not need to prepare a separate national application. This reduces management costs and waiting times.
• Access to Next Generation EU funds: The funding comes from the Recovery Plan, which implies eligibility and justification conditions specific to these European funds. Entities must be prepared to meet the associated traceability and audit requirements.
• Complementarity with European funding: The Spanish aid acts as national co-financing for the project already approved by Chips JU, which can significantly improve the overall financial viability of the project.
• Limited time window: Being linked to the Recovery Plan and Next Generation EU, the programme has a defined time horizon. Entities with ongoing projects or in the approval phase must act quickly.

Who is affected?

This regulation directly affects the following entities with presence or activity in Spain:

• Technology companies in the semiconductor, microelectronics and hardware sector that participate or plan to participate in Chips JU projects.
• Private or mixed research and development (R&D) centers with activity in the European chip ecosystem.
• Universities and public research bodies that collaborate in European microelectronics consortia under the umbrella of Chips JU.
• Technology startups and scale-ups in the semiconductor space that have accessed or are in the process of accessing European competitive calls.
• R&D managers and funding officers in any of the above entities, who must be familiar with the direct award procedure to activate the national grant.

Practical example

A Spanish chip design company based in Madrid participates in a European consortium and its project is selected in an international competitive call from Chips JU. Before Real Decreto 269/2026, this company had to wait for Spain to launch a specific national call and compete again to obtain Spanish public co-financing.

Under the new framework, European selection is sufficient condition. The company can directly initiate the national grant award process through the UNICO Chips JU I+D programme, without the need for a second competitive process. This can mean weeks or months saved in processing times, and allows the project to be planned with greater financial certainty from the outset.

The same scenario applies to a Basque technology center or a university research group that forms part of a Chips JU consortium: European approval automatically opens the path to direct Spanish aid.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify the project status in Chips JU: Confirm whether the project in which the entity participates has been selected in an international competitive call from Chips JU. Only selected projects are eligible for direct award.
2. Review the requirements of Real Decreto 269/2026: Read the full text published in the BOE on April 2, 2026 to identify specific eligibility conditions, required documentation and application deadlines.
3. Contact the managing body: Identify which public body manages the UNICO Chips JU I+D programme and initiate contact to learn about the specific procedure for applying for the direct grant.
4. Prepare justification documentation: The funds come from the Recovery Plan and Next Generation EU, which implies strict requirements for traceability, auditing and expenditure justification. Prepare internal control systems to meet these standards from the start of the project.
5. Act urgently: The programme is linked to Next Generation EU, which has a defined time horizon. Delaying the process may result in losing the available funding window.

Official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-7447