€453,000 for municipalities against drugs: what is the FEMP 2026 grant

Key data

Spanish municipalities and provinces have available in 2026 €453,000 channeled through FEMP to finance local policies for reducing drug demand and other addictions. The Royal Decree 767/2026, of 30 September, regulates this direct award, published and in force since 2 October 2026.

This is not a competitive open call: the State grants the subsidy directly to FEMP, which acts as a distributing entity to the municipal sector. This is the third consecutive year that this same mechanism is used, following the fiscal years 2024 and 2025.

What does this regulation establish?

Royal Decree 767/2026 regulates the direct award of a grant to the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) to promote policies for reducing drug demand and other addictions at the municipal level during fiscal year 2026.

The direct award—without competitive bidding—is justified by reasons of public and social interest, under article 22.2.c) of the General Subsidies Law. This mechanism allows funds to reach municipalities more quickly without the timelines and requirements of an ordinary public call.

The funds are allocated to the following areas of action:

• Prevention of drug addiction and other addictions at the local level
• Treatment of people with addiction problems
• Rehabilitation and social integration of those affected
• Harm reduction associated with drug use
• Training of municipal professionals and technicians in drug addiction and addictions

FEMP is obligated to justify expenses and to submit to the monitoring controls established in the decree itself. Financing comes mostly (€450,000) from the Fund for assets seized from illicit drug trafficking and related crimes, supplemented with €3,000 from extended budgets.

Economic and operational impact

From an economic perspective, this grant means that 99.3% of the funds come from the Fund for assets seized in anti-drug operations, which means it does not directly compete with other ordinary budget items.

The mechanism of direct award to FEMP—rather than an open call to each municipality—has relevant operational consequences:

• Municipalities do not apply individually for this grant: it is FEMP that manages and distributes the funds.
• It allows reaching municipalities that cannot access other state aid lines in addiction matters, especially smaller ones with limited administrative capacity.
• FEMP assumes the responsibility for justifying expenses and monitoring controls before the General State Administration.
• Being the third consecutive year with the same mechanism, there is already a consolidated management framework between FEMP and the State.

Comparison of fiscal years with the same direct award mechanism:

Who does it affect?

• Spanish municipalities and city councils with active or developing programs in drug addiction and addictions.
• Provincial councils and other local entities with responsibilities in local public health policies.
• Municipal technicians and managers of social services, public health and addiction prevention.
• Small local entities that cannot access other state funding lines in this matter.
• FEMP itself, as direct beneficiary and fund manager.
• Professionals and training teams in drug addiction working at the municipal level.

Practical example

A medium-sized city council that does not meet the minimum requirements to access competitive state calls in addiction matters—due to lack of technical structure or failure to meet required population thresholds—can benefit from this indirect route through FEMP.

In practice, that city council can request FEMP financing for, for example, a training program for municipal technicians in harm reduction or to co-finance a service for care and treatment of people with addictions in its territory. FEMP, as manager of the €453,000, distributes funds among municipalities that demonstrate need and execution capacity, without each one having to apply individually to the State.

This model is especially useful for rural municipalities or those with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, which are usually excluded from major national calls due to their administrative limitations.

What should local entities do now?

1. Contact FEMP to learn about the criteria and timelines for internal distribution of the €453,000, since the grant has already been awarded and is in force since 2 October 2026.
2. Review existing municipal programs in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, harm reduction and training in drug addiction to identify financeable needs.
3. Prepare supporting documentation for programs and expenses, given that FEMP is obligated to justify expenses to the State and will pass this requirement on to beneficiary municipalities.
4. Verify if the municipality has access to other state lines in addiction matters: if not, this FEMP route is especially relevant.
5. Designate a technical manager to coordinate the relationship with FEMP and monitor the controls established in Royal Decree 767/2026.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at 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-2026-20472