Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of July 28, 2026, from the Under-Secretariat, publishing the Agreement with the SEPI Foundation, F.S.P., for conducting the Survey on Business Strategies |
|---|---|
| BOE Publication | August 8, 2026 |
| Entry into force | August 8, 2026 |
| Survey year | 2025 |
| Target companies | ~2,000 manufacturing companies with 10 or more employees |
| CNAE-2025 sectors | Divisions 10 to 32 (manufacturing industry) |
| Executing entity | SEPI Foundation, F.S.P. |
| Report delivery deadline | Before November 26, 2026 |
| Statistical framework | National Statistical Plan 2025-2028 |
| Category | Business Regulation |
If your company manufactures industrial products and has 10 or more employees, you have likely already received or will soon receive the ESEE 2025. It is not just any voluntary survey: it is included in the National Statistical Plan 2025-2028, which gives it official status and requires the Ministry to treat the data with statistical confidentiality. The Resolution of July 28, 2026 formalizes the agreement between the Ministry of Industry and Tourism and the SEPI Foundation to execute this edition.
What is at stake is not just an administrative procedure: ESEE results are used to design aid, incentives, and sectoral regulations. Participating with accurate data is, in practice, an opportunity for your sector to influence the policies that affect it.
What does this regulation establish?
The Resolution publishes the collaboration agreement between the Ministry of Industry and Tourism and the SEPI Foundation, F.S.P. to conduct the Survey on Business Strategies (ESEE) for fiscal year 2025. Responsibilities are distributed as follows:
| Party | Main obligations |
|---|---|
| SEPI Foundation, F.S.P. | Questionnaire design, fieldwork, sample control, and delivery of annual report before November 26, 2026 |
| Ministry of Industry and Tourism | Provision of funding and proposal of specific questions; use of data with statistical confidentiality |
The ESEE is a longitudinal panel, meaning it follows the same companies over time to detect trends in their strategies. The sample universe consists of Spanish manufacturing industry companies with 10 or more employees, covering divisions 10 to 32 of CNAE-2025. The survey is part of the National Statistical Plan 2025-2028, which reinforces its official status and its use in industrial policy decision-making.
The CNAE-2025 divisions included range from the food industry (10) to furniture manufacturing and other manufacturing industries (31-32), including textile, chemical, metallurgy, machinery, and electronics, among others.
Economic and operational impact
For most participating companies, the direct impact is operational, not economic: it involves dedicating internal time to answer the questionnaire with reliable data on strategy, investment, exports, employment, and innovation.
The indirect impact, however, can be significant:
- Aid and incentive policies: ESEE results directly feed into the Ministry's decisions on subsidies, financing lines, and sectoral regulations. Low participation or unrepresentative data can bias policies to the detriment of your sector.
- Guaranteed confidentiality: the Ministry expressly commits to using data with statistical confidentiality. No individualized company data will be published.
- Longitudinal panel nature: if your company already participated in previous editions, accumulated historical data increases the value of your participation for sectoral analysis.
The agreement establishes that the SEPI Foundation must deliver the annual report before November 26, 2026, which sets the timeframe for fieldwork. Selected companies must plan to respond during the months prior to that date.
Who does it affect?
The ESEE 2025 directly affects companies that meet these two criteria simultaneously:
- Size: 10 or more employees.
- Activity: manufacturing industry classified in divisions 10 to 32 of CNAE-2025.
The sectors covered by divisions 10-32 include, among others:
- Food and beverage industry (10-11)
- Tobacco industry (12)
- Textile, clothing, leather, and footwear industry (13-15)
- Wood and cork industry (16)
- Paper industry and graphic arts (17-18)
- Chemical and pharmaceutical industry (20-21)
- Rubber and plastic products manufacturing (22)
- Glass, ceramics, and non-metallic minerals industry (23)
- Metallurgy and metal products manufacturing (24-25)
- Computer, electronic, and optical products manufacturing (26)
- Electrical equipment and material manufacturing (27)
- Machinery and equipment manufacturing (28)
- Motor vehicle and other transport material manufacturing (29-30)
- Furniture manufacturing and other manufacturing industries (31-32)
Companies with fewer than 10 employees and those in the services, construction, or agriculture sectors are outside the scope of this survey.
Practical example
A metal components manufacturing company (division 25 of CNAE-2025) with 45 employees in Zaragoza is part of the sample universe of ESEE 2025. The SEPI Foundation, as responsible for fieldwork, may contact it to complete the questionnaire on its business strategy for fiscal year 2025: data on investment, exports, employment, innovation, and competitive strategy.
The company must respond before the SEPI Foundation closes fieldwork, with time for the annual report to be delivered to the Ministry before November 26, 2026. The data provided is protected by statistical confidentiality and will not be published individually. In return, the responses from the metallurgical sector as a whole will influence the industrial policies that the Ministry designs for the coming years.
What should companies do now?
- Verify if your company is in the panel: check that your activity is classified in divisions 10-32 of CNAE-2025 and that you have 10 or more employees. If you meet both criteria, you may be selected.
- Designate an internal responsible party: identify who in your organization (CFO, controller, general manager) has access to the strategic data necessary to answer the questionnaire accurately.
- Prepare 2025 information: the survey covers fiscal year 2025, so it is advisable to have available data on investment, employment, exports, and innovation for the year.
- Respond on time: the annual report must be delivered to the Ministry before November 26, 2026. Fieldwork will close earlier, so do not wait until the last moment if you receive the questionnaire.
- Take advantage of participation: aggregated sector data influences aid and incentive policies. A complete and accurate response benefits your industry in the design of future measures.
Frequently asked questions
Is it mandatory to respond to the Survey on Business Strategies (ESEE)?
The ESEE is part of the National Statistical Plan 2025-2028, which gives it official status. The Resolution of July 28, 2026 does not specify penalties for non-response, but the survey has the nature of official statistics and participation is the basis for sector data to be representative. If your company is selected, it is expected to cooperate.
Which companies receive the ESEE 2025?
The panel is directed at around 2,000 manufacturing companies with 10 or more employees, classified in divisions 10 to 32 of CNAE-2025. Selection and sample control are carried out by the SEPI Foundation, F.S.P., responsible for fieldwork.
Will my company data be public if I respond to the ESEE?
No. The Ministry of Industry and Tourism expressly commits to using data with statistical confidentiality. Results are published in aggregate form by sector, never individually by company.
When must the ESEE 2025 be answered?
The SEPI Foundation must deliver the annual report to the Ministry before November 26, 2026. Fieldwork will close before that date, so selected companies should plan to respond during the preceding months, likely between September and October 2026.
What does the Ministry use ESEE data for?
ESEE data feeds the industrial public policies of the Ministry of Industry and Tourism: design of aid, incentives, sectoral regulations, and analysis of the competitiveness of Spanish manufacturing industry. Being included in the National Statistical Plan 2025-2028, its results have direct impact on industrial policy decision-making.
Official source
Consult complete regulation in official source
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-17366