Spain opens €35 million grant scheme for food-processing investments
The regional government approved the call through an order dated November 3rd, 2026, under the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan for 2023–2027. The scheme falls within intervention 6842.2 and draws financing from three sources: the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the government of Castilla y León and Spain’s central administration. Its stated purposes include supporting investment in industrial facilities and economic development in rural areas.
Eligible investment categories cover establishing industrial plants, expanding existing premises and upgrading facilities. The programme seeks to increase the region’s capacity to process agricultural and livestock raw materials. Small and medium-sized enterprises, large companies and individuals conducting economic activities may participate, subject to the requirements applicable to their projects. Applicants must check their proposed investments against the eligibility rules and submit the documentation required by the regional administration.
Dairy processors, including cheesemakers, can seek support for qualifying expansion, technological improvements and plant modernisation. Their applications will compete alongside projects from other food-industry activities under a competitive selection procedure. The call covers processing and marketing investment across the agrifood sector, with awards governed by the scheme’s regulatory conditions. For dairy businesses, the potential uses described include improving production processes, raising efficiency and adapting facilities to market requirements.
The application procedure also provides for consideration of submissions made in advance from March 29th, 2025, under the stipulated conditions. Companies seeking funding must follow the call’s rules when preparing and filing their projects. Selection will determine which investments receive support, while the financing conditions will govern the assistance available to successful applicants.
The government of Castilla y León wants a growing share of the region’s agricultural and livestock output to undergo processing within its territory. Its stated objectives are to retain more of the value added generated from primary production and support industrial investment and employment. In dairy processing, the investment opportunities described include converting milk into products with greater commercial value, introducing technology and adapting plants to changing production needs.
Figures cited by the regional department put annual turnover for Castilla y León’s agrifood industry at €16.93 billion. The sector comprises 2,737 businesses and employs 45,616 people. Official estimates cited in the article place the region’s share of Spain’s agrifood industry at around 10%, measured both by turnover and by the number of companies.
