While most digitalization grants fund buying technology, Kit Consulting, the Spanish public advisory-grant program, funds something rarer and more valuable: the expert judgment needed to decide which technology your business actually needs and how to implement it. Managed by Red.es and backed by 300 million euros of NextGenerationEU funding, the program had already committed over 290 million euros in advisory vouchers to Spanish SMEs by August 2025. If your company has between 10 and 249 employees and is evaluating an artificial intelligence, data analytics, or cybersecurity project, this guide explains what Kit Consulting covers, how much funding you can receive, and how it fits alongside Kit Digital.
What Kit Consulting Is and Who It Is For
Kit Consulting is a grant program managed by Red.es — an agency under Spain's Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration — designed to fund the procurement of specialist, tailored digital advisory services for small and medium-sized enterprises. It forms part of the SME Digitalization Plan 2021–2026 and the Digital Spain 2026 Agenda, and is financed through NextGenerationEU funds via Component 13 ("Boosting SMEs") of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
The conceptual distinction from other grant programs is critical: Kit Consulting does not fund the deployment of solutions; it funds the hours of an expert consultant who designs the strategy, performs the diagnosis, and builds the roadmap. In practice, it finances the "before" of any serious technology project.
The program is aimed exclusively at SMEs falling within three employee-count brackets:
- Segment A: between 10 and fewer than 50 employees.
- Segment B: between 50 and fewer than 100 employees.
- Segment C: between 100 and fewer than 250 employees.
The employee count is calculated based on workers registered under Spain's General Social Security System at the time of application. Self-employed individuals without employees and micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 workers are therefore excluded — those profiles are served by Kit Digital instead.
How Much Does Kit Consulting Offer? Grant Amounts by Segment
Kit Consulting awards a "Digital Advisory Voucher" whose maximum value depends on the size of the company. The amount is not paid in cash; it is deducted from the cost of the advisory service that the SME contracts with a program-accredited advisor. Maximum amounts are as follows:
| Segment | Employees | Maximum voucher amount |
|---|---|---|
| A | 10 to fewer than 50 | €12,000 |
| B | 50 to fewer than 100 | €18,000 |
| C | 100 to fewer than 250 | €24,000 |
Each individual advisory service is capped at €6,000, so a company can combine multiple services up to the total value of its voucher. A Segment C SME, for example, could contract four separate services at €6,000 each.
The program's total budget amounts to 300 million euros. As of 12 August 2025, Red.es had distributed 290,514,616.32 euros across segments — approximately 192 million for Segment A, 58.7 million for Segment B, and 39.8 million for Segment C — following a budget increase allocated to the smallest SMEs. This concentration in Segment A reflects where the greatest demand lies: companies with 10 to 49 employees represent by far the largest share of Spain's SME landscape.
The Advisory Services: From Artificial Intelligence to Cybersecurity
The Kit Consulting catalogue includes ten advisory services, grouped into major areas. Each service results in a concrete deliverable: a plan or diagnostic that the company can subsequently execute, either independently or with the help of other grants.
- Artificial Intelligence. Development of an AI adoption plan that defines the required investment and the measures for its implementation: machine learning techniques, automated text processing and transcription, expert systems, and specific business use cases.
- Data Analytics (basic level). Design of an input data strategy, including an investment study and process design for its deployment.
- Data Analytics (advanced level). Aimed at companies that already have analytical capabilities and need to take a qualitative step forward.
- Digital Sales. Definition of the investment and digital marketing techniques — including AI — to improve online sales performance.
- Business or Production Processes. Identification of operational improvement areas and design of a tailored plan supported by AI-related techniques.
- Business Strategy and Performance. Improvement of competitive positioning by leveraging digital capabilities.
- Cybersecurity (basic level). A well-founded security plan aligned with standards such as ISO 27001.
- Cybersecurity (advanced level). Strengthening of existing protections with more sophisticated systems.
- Cybersecurity (certification preparation). Guidance to certify an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
- 360° Digital Transformation. Comprehensive advisory spanning multiple areas of the organisation.
The AI service is currently the one that best aligns with the strategic priority of most SMEs. A well-designed AI adoption plan prevents the most costly mistake of all: investing in tools that nobody uses because they do not solve a real business problem.
How Does Kit Consulting Differ from Kit Digital?
This is the most common source of confusion, and it is worth resolving before applying for either programme, because both are compatible and complementary. The difference can be summed up in a single distinction: Kit Digital funds doing; Kit Consulting funds thinking.
| Criterion | Kit Digital | Kit Consulting |
|---|---|---|
| What it funds | Deployment of digital solutions | Advisory and consulting services |
| Who it targets | From self-employed to SMEs | SMEs with 10 to 249 employees |
| Output | A deployed tool or software | A plan, diagnostic, or roadmap |
| Example | A website, a CRM, a cybersecurity system | The plan that decides which CRM and why |
Red.es positions both programmes as a sequential pathway. The recommended order is logical: Kit Consulting first, to obtain an expert diagnosis and a clear roadmap, and Kit Digital afterwards, to implement the solutions that the advisory engagement has identified as priorities. Applying for Kit Digital without a prior strategy is the most common reason projects stall halfway through.
Eligibility Requirements and How to Apply, Step by Step
Beyond the employee-count threshold, an SME must meet several conditions to access the voucher:
- Have its fiscal domicile in Spanish territory.
- Meet the SME definition under European Union criteria.
- Be current on tax and Social Security obligations.
- Not be classified as a company in difficulty.
- Be registered in the census of the Spanish Tax Authority (AEAT).
Temporary joint ventures (UTEs) and public-sector entities are excluded. Once eligibility is confirmed, the process follows these steps:
- Register on Acelera Pyme and complete the digital self-assessment, which provides guidance on which services best match your current level of digital maturity.
- Apply for the voucher through the Red.es electronic registry. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis (non-competitive procedure), until the available budget is exhausted.
- Choose an accredited Digital Advisor. Advisors are companies and professionals that have passed a programme accreditation process and appear in a public catalogue. They are the ones who deliver the service and to whom the voucher payment is made.
- Formalize the service agreement with your chosen advisor.
- Service delivery, which must be completed within approximately three months from the validation of the agreement.
Programme Status in 2026: Timelines, Remaining Funds, and What to Verify
It is worth being precise here, as a considerable amount of outdated information is in circulation. Kit Consulting launched in May 2024 with a single call for applications, whose submission deadline was extended on successive occasions and whose budget allocation for the smallest SMEs was reinforced at the end of 2024. During 2025, Red.es reported that approximately half of the target SME population had already applied, and the agency began managing residual funds: released budget that is reallocated to valid applications that had previously gone unmet due to budget exhaustion.
Looking ahead to 2026, activity is concentrated on the formalization and execution of vouchers already awarded: agreements linked to vouchers granted from 28 February 2026 onwards must be formalized before 31 May 2026. This means the programme's focus has shifted from attracting new applications to delivering on existing commitments.
Important: before making any plans, check the current status of the call on the Red.es electronic registry and the Acelera Pyme platform. Dates and fund availability change frequently, and any guide — including this one — must be cross-referenced with the official source at the time of application.
How to Use Kit Consulting for an AI or Data Project
The real value of Kit Consulting lies not in the money, but in what it prevents: months of trial and error and technology decisions made in the dark. For the voucher to deliver genuine returns, the advisory engagement must translate into an actionable plan — not a presentation that ends up in a drawer.
If your company wants to use the voucher for an artificial intelligence project, a quality advisory engagement should leave you with three things: a prioritized inventory of use cases ranked by impact and feasibility, a realistic investment and return estimate for each, and a roadmap with milestones, dependencies, and the profiles required. That deliverable is what transforms a vague intention ("we want to use AI") into a project with a budget and clear ownership.
At Technova Partners, we support SMEs and enterprises through precisely this phase: from diagnosis to implementation. Our work in data and artificial intelligence services and AI training always starts from a use case with a measurable return, not from technology for technology's sake. And once the advisory engagement is complete and it is time to implement, Kit Consulting links naturally to Kit Digital and to other funding lines within Next Generation EU funds.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kit Consulting
Can I apply for Kit Consulting if I have already received Kit Digital? Yes. The two programmes are compatible and complementary. In fact, the recommended sequence is to use Kit Consulting first to define the strategy, and Kit Digital afterwards to implement the solutions identified.
What if my company has fewer than 10 employees? In that case you are not eligible for Kit Consulting, which starts at the 10-employee threshold. Self-employed individuals and micro-enterprises have their own path through Kit Digital, with amounts and solutions tailored to that profile.
Is the voucher paid in cash? No. The voucher is not a direct transfer to the company: it is a credit deducted from the cost of the service provided by the accredited Digital Advisor. The SME contracts the advisory engagement and the voucher amount is applied directly against the invoice.
How long do I have to deliver the service once the voucher is granted? The service must be completed within approximately three months from the validation of the agreement with the advisor. It is therefore important to have a clear scope defined before formalizing the agreement, not after.
What deliverable do I receive at the end? It depends on the service, but it is always an actionable plan or diagnostic: an AI adoption plan, a data strategy, a cybersecurity plan aligned with ISO 27001, and so on. The deliverable is the foundation on which the real project is subsequently executed.
Conclusion
Kit Consulting is one of the most well-designed grants in the Spanish public catalogue precisely because it funds what is most often missing: expert judgment before investment. To recap the essentials:
- It targets SMEs with 10 to 249 employees and awards vouchers of €12,000 to €24,000 depending on size, with a cap of €6,000 per service.
- It covers ten advisory services, with artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cybersecurity as the flagship areas.
- It is complementary to Kit Digital: strategy first, implementation second.
- In 2026, the programme is in its formalization and execution phase; always verify the current status on the Red.es registry before applying.
Ready to use an advisory voucher to design your AI or data roadmap with a measurable return? Talk to our team and we will help you turn the grant into a project that genuinely moves the needle for your business.
