If you’ve landed here looking for the ENISA Young Entrepreneurs line, we have to start with some bad news: it no longer exists.
But don’t close this tab just yet, because here’s the good news: today there are stronger alternatives, with larger budgets and better alignment for innovative startups, if you know how to approach them properly.
For years, ENISA Young Entrepreneurs was one of the preferred routes for founders under 40 looking for non-dilutive public funding. However, the current framework has changed. ENISA has reorganized its funding lines and updated its access criteria.
At The Startup CFO, we help new founders understand what has happened to ENISA Young Entrepreneurs, what this change really means, and most importantly, what real options you have today to finance your startup without wasting months or making critical mistakes in the process.
ENISA Young Entrepreneurs
Until recently, ENISA operated mainly through three separate funding lines:
- ENISA Young Entrepreneurs
- ENISA Entrepreneurs
- ENISA Growth
Each line had different requirements based on founder age, project maturity, and revenue levels.
The ENISA Young Entrepreneurs line was specifically designed for founders under 40, with moderate ticket sizes and relatively accessible capital requirements. For many, it was the main entry point into public funding.
The merger of the lines: ENISA Startups & Innovative SMEs
With the launch of the new Entrepreneurship and SME Fund (FEPYME), backed by €303 million in European funds, ENISA decided to completely restructure its funding model.
The result was the disappearance of the historical lines and their integration into a single program: 👉ENISA Startups & Innovative SMEs
The goal of this change is twofold:
- To simplify management and unify evaluation criteria.
- To increase the total funding available and avoid the bottlenecks caused when annual budgets were exhausted.
From a founder’s perspective, this means you are no longer competing in a “protected category,” but in a single line where very early-stage startups compete alongside more mature innovative SMEs.
What this change means for founders
- Founder age is no longer a differentiating criterion. Teams under 40 now compete under the same rules as any other innovative project.
- Equity and own funds are now a critical requirement:
- Before: equity had to represent at least 50% of the ENISA loan amount.
- Now: 100% of own funds or equivalent is required.
Another key change is that there is now more budget and year-round open calls. The new model also brings clear improvements:
- Larger total funding volumes.
- Continuous open applications.
- Less dependence on annual State Budget approvals.
Under the new ENISA Startups & Innovative SMEs line, the change is not just formal: it requires a much more strategic approach to preparing your application.
Current alternatives to ENISA Young Entrepreneurs
The disappearance of ENISA Young Entrepreneurs has not reduced public funding options for startups in Spain. What has changed is how you access them.
Today, it’s no longer enough to “fit” by age or stage. You need to choose the right instruments, prepare a solid strategy, and in many cases combine multiple sources.
These are the three main routes that are working best in practice for innovative startups today.
ENISA Startups & Innovative SMEs: the natural replacement
For many startups, this line is the direct replacement for the former ENISA Young Entrepreneurs. However, it should not be approached as a simple continuation, as evaluation criteria are now more demanding.
ENISA now places much greater emphasis on:
- The project’s financial structure.
- The coherence of the growth plan.
- The team’s ability to execute.
The focus is no longer just on the idea or innovation, but on demonstrating that the company can sustain the loan and grow in an orderly, financially sound way.
Eligibility requirements:
- SME status under EU definition.
- Independent legal entity.
- Registered office and main activity in Spain (or significant activity via a Spanish subsidiary/office).
- Innovative and competitive business model.
- Balanced financial structure and professional management.
- Proven technical and economic viability.
- Latest filed annual accounts registered at the Commercial Registry.
- For loans over €300,000, externally audited accounts.
- Compliance with the DNSH principle (Do No Significant Harm to environmental objectives).
- Real estate and financial sector activities, among others that do not meet DNSH criteria, are excluded.
Main conditions:
- Type: Participative loan (no personal guarantees or collateral).
- Amount: €25,000 – €1,500,000
- Own funds: Equal to or greater than the amount requested
- Term: Up to 7 years
- Grace period: Up to 5 years on principal
- Interest: Two tranches:
- Fixed: Euribor + spread (approx. 4% – 6%)
- Variable: Linked to company performance, capped (approx. 5% – 6.5%)
- Arrangement fee: 0.5% of approved amount
- Repayment: Quarterly interest and principal payments
- Call: Open continuously throughout the year (not dependent on State Budgets)
👉 To fully understand how it works, updated requirements, and common mistakes, we recommend this Complete ENISA Guide.
To better understand the shift, here is a summary of how the ENISA structure has evolved:
| Characteristic | Young Entrepreneurs / Growth | Startups & Innovative Pymes |
| Structure lines | Three separate lines by age and stage | Single unified line |
| Focus | Profile based segmentation | Unified evaluation based on viability & innovation
|
| Age criterion | Relevant (especially in ENISA Young Entrepreneurs) | Not applicable |
| Max amount | Up to €1.5M (lower in Young Entrepreneurs) | Up to €1.5M |
| Max term | Up to 9 years | Up to 7 years |
| Grace period | Up to 7 years | Up to 5 years |
| Budget dependency | Annual state budgets | Permanent FEPYME fund |
| Availability | Subject to yearly subject exhaustion | Continuous open call |
| Access logic | Fit into a specific line | Strong capitalization & financial preparation |
CDTI NEOTEC: the best option for early-stage startups
For very early-stage projects, especially tech-based ones, CDTI NEOTEC has become, in many cases, an excellent entry point for funding.
The key difference is that NEOTEC is a grant, not a loan. This reduces financial pressure and allows teams to focus on product development and business model validation.
NEOTEC is particularly well suited for startups that:
- Are pre-revenue or with very limited turnover.
- Have a strong and differentiated technological base.
- Need funding primarily for technology development rather than sales scaling.
That said, technical and strategic requirements are high. You must clearly demonstrate both technological and business potential. Superficial preparation often leads to rejection.
For more details, check our comprehensive guide to CDTI grants.
Combining multiple sources: the most effective strategy
Most startups that successfully access public funding do not rely on a single instrument, but on a smart combination of resources.
Common strategies include:
- Using CDTI NEOTEC in early stages.
- Raising equity to strengthen own funds.
- Accessing ENISA later to finance growth.
- Complementing with regional (autonomous community) grants.
This approach optimizes public funding, reduces risk, and better aligns with the requirements of each stage of the project.
How we can help at The Startup CFO
At The Startup CFO, we work every day with founders who arrive asking about ENISA Young Entrepreneurs… and leave with a much stronger, more coherent funding strategy.
What we do:
Funding analysis
We analyze your startup’s real situation to determine which options make the most sense: ENISA, CDTI (NEOTEC or other lines), regional grants, or a combination.
Are you curious to know if ENISA is the best option for your startup? Check this comparison with other funding alternatives.
The goal is to avoid unnecessary applications and focus efforts where success is most likely.
Full application preparation
We handle the entire process: business plan, financial projections, economic documentation, and project narrative.
We present your case clearly, consistently, and aligned with what each agency actually evaluates.
Support through approval
We support your team throughout the entire process, handling requests, adjusting documentation, and resolving issues until final resolution.
Thinking about how to finance your startup?
Accessing public funding today requires understanding where your project stands, which instruments fit best, and how to prepare each application as part of a coherent financial strategy.
Our support combines strategic vision with hands-on execution. We analyze your case, prioritize the most promising options, and help you present solid, credible information to each agency or investor.
👉 Tell us where your startup is today, and we’ll review funding and growth alternatives with you in a free initial session: Chat on WhatsApp
