Digital Kit: aids and steps to digitalize your SME

Did you know that the Spanish Government launched the Digital Kit Program to promote the digital transformation of SMEs and self-employed workers? If you are part of one of these groups and have not yet applied for the grants, there is still time, since the application deadlines have been extended until December 2024.

In this post, we will tell you everything you need to know about it. 

Digital Kit: What Is It? 

The Digital Kit is a program of the Spanish Government that aims to promote the digitalization of the economic and productive activities of SMEs and self-employed workers through the subsidy of digital solutions. This aid extends to all sectors regardless of the type of business, since the main goal of this initiative is to promote the digital transformation of the country’s business landscape. 

It is a set of grants financed by the European Union’s Next Generation funds within the framework of the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Economic Resilience Plan. From this plan derive the Digital Strategy 2026 and, within it, the SME Digitalization Plan 2021–26, in which the Digital Kit is one of the most prominent measures. 

With a budget exceeding €3 billion, the program focuses on 10 critical categories for accelerating the digitalization of businesses, where promoting digital skills and implementing new technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence) are the main purposes of the grants. 

Who Are the Beneficiaries of the Digital Kit? 

As mentioned, the Digital Kit is aimed exclusively at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as self-employed workers.

What Are the Objectives of the Digital Kit? 

The Digital Kit has five main objectives: 

• Promote the digitalization of SMEs and self-employed workers.

• Encourage digital transformation for as many SMEs as possible.

• Boost the digital maturity of companies and targeted workers.

• Strengthen SMEs through digital solutions.

• Improve access to digital solutions.

Requirements to Access the Digital Kit 

Meeting the following requirements allows access to the Digital Kit: 

• Be within one of the following categories: microenterprise, small business, or self-employed worker.

• Be within the financial limits of each business category.

• Be registered and meet the minimum period of activity.

• The company must not be in crisis.

• Have fulfilled all obligations to the Tax Agency and Social Security.

• Be free from prohibitions set forth in the General Subsidies Law (Law 38/2003 of November 17, art. 13.2).

Steps to Apply for the Digital Kit Aid 

If you have wondered how to apply for the Digital Kit for your business or self-employed activity, there are 3 necessary steps to access the aid. Let’s see what they consist of: 

1. Registration. The first step is to register on the official website and complete the required information in the sections that make up the self-diagnostic test. The information provided at this stage is essential to determine the company’s level of digitalization and to personalize the offer of digital solutions accordingly.

2. Catalog of Digital Solutions. This is a list of available solutions covering the most important categories related to promoting the digitalization of SMEs and self-employed workers. One or more solutions can be selected, depending on the real needs of the business.

3. Application for the Digital Kit. After the first two steps, it is necessary to complete the application form. Once this is done, the process of requesting digital solutions for SMEs and self-employed workers is complete.

Types of Aid Included in the Digital Kit

The Digital Kit includes several categories of digital solutions for SMEs and self-employed workers. Which ones are they?

• Website creation and strengthening of online presence.

• Creation of an e-commerce store for online sales activities.

• Promoting SMEs on social media.

• Digitalization and optimization of customer management.

• Implementation of business intelligence tools for informed decision-making.

• Implementation of virtual office tools and services for communication and human resource management.

• Digitalization and automation of SME processes.

• Issuance of electronic invoices.

• Secure communication between employees and the company.

• Implementation of advanced cybersecurity measures.

Deadlines to Access the Digital Kit 

The deadlines to access the Digital Kit were established through several calls during the 2021–2023 period. In the first call, SMEs with between 10 and 49 employees were considered.

Subsequent calls were segmented according to the size of the applicant companies: between 3 and 10 employees, and between 3 and 0 employees. 

The grants were set at amounts according to the composition of each group: €12,000, €6,000, and €2,000, respectively.

Given the program’s success, the application period has been extended until December 31, 2024. During this additional period, companies and self-employed workers can submit their applications to access the different digital solutions.

The calls are available on the official Acelera Pyme.