The Spanish government first announced its digital improvement programme back in November 2021, but it wasn't until early 2022 that the specific details of the scheme were revealed, known as the 'Kit Digital'.
The Digital Kit programme was scheduled to run until 2023 with an initial investment of €500 million, but this has now been extended and it's still possible to apply for it in 2024.
Initially, the grant was only available to self-employed workers and companies with several employees, but it is now open to sole traders and very small businesses with between 0- 3 employees as well.
Autónomos (self-employed workers) and small business owners in Spain have had a tough time in recent years, with the pandemic, rising cost of living and some of the highest social security contributions in Europe.
The Spanish government's scheme is aimed at helping many of these small business owners out by covering the cost of digital improvements, from websites to social media management and marketing campaigns.
READ ALSO - Self-employed in Spain: What you should know about being ‘autónomo’
How will the 'Kit Digital' work?
The Digital Kit grants are distributed in the form of vouchers of for small companies and autónomos who want to undertake a digital transformation of their businesses.
Initially, the full amount of one of these vouchers was €12,000, but in 2024 this has changed so that now companies with between 100 - 250 employees can get up to €29,000.
The amount you are granted depends on the size of your company and what services you need. For example, sole traders or those with 1 - 3 employees were allotted vouchers of up to €2,000. In 2024, this has been increased to €3,000.
These vouchers are then passed on to 'digital agents' - a series of companies authorised by the government to develop these projects, which they call "digital solutions". That means that self-employed workers and small businesses will not receive the funds directly and may not be able to choose exactly which company to hire for the digital improvements.
Instead, it will be the digital agents who receive the final payment and will take care of the paperwork and digital improvements. There are currently more than 10,800 of these agents registered.
READ ALSO: How to set up an online shop in Spain
What digital improvements are available?
The digital transformation projects that can be financed with the Digital Kit fall into several different categories, which the government defines as:
- The creation of web pages and visibility of the company on the internet (Google rankings, SEO)
- Electronic commerce
- Social media management
- The improvement and digitisation of customer management systems
- Business intelligence and analytics
- Virtual office tools and services
- Digitisation and automation of business processes
- Electronic billing
- Secure communications
- Cybersecurity
Who will be eligible for the Digital Kits?
In order to be eligible for the Digital Kits, you must:
- Be a small business, micro business or autónomo (A small business is considered to be one that has more than 10 employees and no more than 50 and a micro business has less than 10 employees whose annual turnover does not exceed €2 million).
- Meet the financial and cash limits that define the categories of each type of company
- Not be considered a company in crisis
- Be up to date with tax and social security payments
- Not be subject to an outstanding recovery order from the European Commission
When can I apply?
The applications for all autónomos and small companies have been open since 2022, so whatever the size of your business you can currently apply.
How do I apply?
In order to apply, you must register at www.acelerapyme.es and complete the self-diagnosis test. This will allow the government to know what level of digitisation your company has already and what you need.
In order to register you will need your NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) and your CNAE, which is the code that identifies what type of business you run.
You can then check the catalogue of digital solutions, where you can choose one or several of those offered by digital agents that best suit the needs of your business.
Remember, those businesses that have already registered will be given priority.
You can also request the Association of Self-Employed Workers (ATA) to help you apply for the kits by filling out the form found at www.autonomoskitdigital.es.
Once you have been through all these steps, you can then request the Digital Kit online through the same website you registered on.
Be aware that you may have to wait several months to see if you've been approved and it's not guaranteed for everyone.
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