The new call C012/24, aimed at SMEs with between 50 and 250 employees, seeks to promote the adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence in their internal operational processes. This initiative, which offers full subsidies through the Kit Consulting and Kit Digital programs, aims to drive the modernization and digitalization of medium-sized Spanish companies.

To be considered a medium-sized company and access this aid, a series of requirements must be met. The entity must have an average of between 50 and 250 employees over the past 12 months. Additionally, the turnover must not exceed 50 million euros in at least one of the last two fiscal years. For small companies that want to apply for this aid, they must have between 10 and 49 employees and a turnover exceeding 10 million euros.

This initiative has a dual objective: for medium-sized companies in the national business fabric to integrate Generative AI into their internal operational processes, and for these companies to receive prior consultancy to be well contextualized. The subsidy covers 100% of both services, eliminating any cost for the beneficiary company. To achieve this, the subsidy is structured into two programs:

  • Kit Consulting: funds a comprehensive AI consultancy service, providing the company with a detailed consultancy report.
  • Kit Digital: funds the integration of Generative AI into internal processes, offering 12 months of access to an AI platform.

Generative AI Consultancy

The goal of the consultancy is to contextualize companies before the effective integration of Generative AI, analyzing four key categories: technology, internal processes, strategy, and digitalization. The consultancy report will detail the AI applied to the specific business and industry, providing a short, medium, and long-term action plan, and evaluating the expected AI capabilities.

 

AI Platform: Operation and Benefits

The subsidy covers the deployment and 12 months of access to AI software in Spanish, useful for all departments within the company. The steps to use the platform are:

  • Train an AI model with the company's metadata, creating a contextualized "enterprise ChatGPT."
  • Select AI tools suitable for specific business tasks from a catalog of more than 200 options.
  • Assign these tools to the relevant departments or users, facilitating daily use.

According to the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, initial analyses indicate a savings of between 2 and 5 hours per week per user, with the platform continuously adapting to AI advancements.

 

Source of Funds

This initiative is financed by the Next Generation funds, created at the end of 2020 to support pandemic recovery in EU countries. In Spain, these funds are distributed through the 2021 Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, with one of its objectives focused on "Boosting SMEs." The subsidy was announced in the BOE on May 11, 2024.

The administration responsible for this subsidy is the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, through the State Secretariat for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, with Red.es as the executing entity. It is also important to note that these aids will be granted through a non-competitive procedure, in strict order of application until the available funds are exhausted, so it is important to act quickly.