Andalusia has opened a new, short-window aid call for its fishing fleet — and the clock is already running. Published in the Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucía (BOJA No. 211) on 30 October 2026 under the Order of 21 October 2026, the 2027 call offers two lines of grants for fishing vessels with a home port in Andalusia, co-financed through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (FEMPA) 2021–2027. The initial joint budget is €180,000. That is not a large pot, it is competitive, and applications close just ten working days after the day following publication in the BOJA — so this is a call to act on immediately, not one to file away for later.
For readers outside Spain, the important context is simple: this is regional, EU-co-financed fleet aid, not a national Spanish scheme and not an open-ended subsidy. Only vessels based in Andalusia qualify, only the two purposes below are funded, and no funded improvement may increase a vessel’s gross tonnage. If your boat is not Andalusia-based, this call is not for you — but the comparison table at the end points to other live fisheries funds that may be.
Scheme at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scheme | 2027 aid for Andalusian fishing vessels — energy efficiency and onboard safety, health, hygiene and working conditions |
| Issued by | Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Agricultura, Pesca, Agua y Desarrollo Rural |
| Published | BOJA No. 211, 30 October 2026; Order of 21 October 2026 |
| Programme | European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (FEMPA) 2021–2027 |
| Initial joint budget | €180,000 (€80,000 + €100,000), with a possible additional amount of up to €2,000,000 subject to available credit |
| How grants are awarded | Competitive (concurrencia competitiva) — applications are ranked on merit, not dealt with first-come, first-served |
| Application window | Ten working days from the day after publication of the call extract in the BOJA |
| How to apply | Electronically only, through the Junta de Andalucía electronic seat (sede electrónica) |
| Key restriction | No funded improvement may increase the vessel’s gross tonnage |
The Two Funding Lines, Explained
| Line | What it funds | Who it is for | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Energy efficiency | Onboard investments that improve energy efficiency and help mitigate climate change, such as measures that optimise energy consumption on board | Owners of fishing vessels with a home port in Andalusia | €80,000 for 2027 |
| 2 — Safety, health and working conditions | Onboard investments and individual equipment that improve hygiene, health, safety and working conditions | Crews of Andalusia-based fishing vessels, and people engaged in shore fishing (pesca a pie) | €100,000 for 2027, plus €27,643.36 already provided for in 2026 — €127,643.36 in total for this line |
Two points in that table deserve emphasis, because they are the places applicants most often misread a call like this. First, the €180,000 is the total initial budget for the whole call, shared across every successful applicant — it is not €180,000 per vessel, and no per-vessel grant rate is stated in the call reports. Second, the extra amount of up to €2,000,000 mentioned in the Order is conditional on credit being available; it is not money already in the pot, and it requires no new call if it is added. Treat the €180,000 as the real figure and anything beyond it as a possible bonus.
Who Can Apply — and Who Cannot
- Line 1: owners of fishing vessels whose home port is in Andalusia, for onboard energy-efficiency investments.
- Line 2: crews of Andalusia-based fishing vessels, and people who carry out shore fishing, for onboard investments and individual equipment improving hygiene, health, safety and working conditions.
- Not eligible: vessels based outside Andalusia; projects that would increase gross tonnage; and, by the structure of the call, anything outside the two stated purposes. If your project is about expanding capacity rather than making an existing vessel cleaner or safer, it does not fit this call.
How to Apply, Step by Step
- Confirm the call on the official source first. Look up BOJA No. 211 of 30 October 2026 and the Order of 21 October 2026 on the Junta de Andalucía’s channels, and read the full call text before you spend money on a project. Summaries — including this one — do not replace the official rules.
- Check the exact closing date on the Junta’s electronic seat. The window is ten working days from the day after the BOJA extract was published. Because working-day counting depends on the official calendar, confirm the precise closing day on the sede electrónica rather than relying on a date calculated in a news article.
- Pick the right line — and only that line. Energy-efficiency investments go to Line 1; safety, hygiene, health and working-conditions investments and individual equipment go to Line 2. The procedure codes reported for the two lines are 25512 (energy efficiency) and 25514 (safety and hygiene) — verify the code on the electronic seat when you file.
- Apply electronically only. The call is handled exclusively online through the Junta de Andalucía’s sede electrónica. Paper applications are not part of this process.
- Build a competitive application, not just a fast one. Because awards are competitive, applications are assessed and ranked on merit. Put together clear costings, a precise description of the onboard work or equipment, and evidence that the vessel’s home port is in Andalusia and that gross tonnage will not increase.
- Keep the tonnage rule front and centre. Any improvement that increases gross tonnage falls outside the call. If your planned refit touches tonnage, re-scope it before applying.
Why This Call Matters Beyond Andalusia
Small, fast, competitive calls like this one are easy to miss — and that is exactly why they matter. The budget is modest, but the purposes are the ones the whole European fleet is being pushed towards: lower energy use, lower emissions, and safer, healthier working conditions on board. The same FEMPA programme funds much larger schemes elsewhere in Europe, and the pattern is consistent: money follows modernisation that does not add fishing capacity. A successful small grant here is also a track record for a bigger application later, under a future FEMPA call or a national scheme.
For Indian readers and others outside the EU, the practical lesson is different but still useful. Watch how these calls are structured — a short window, a competitive ranking, a hard capacity cap, and electronic-only filing — because Indian state and central fisheries schemes increasingly use the same design. The discipline that wins a competitive call (precise purpose, clean costings, proof of eligibility before filing) transfers directly, whatever the country.
Other Live Fisheries Funds to Compare
If Andalusia does not fit your vessel or your location, do not force it — compare it with other open fisheries funds already covered by Fisheries India:
- Lombardy Fishers: €350,000 Fund — Apply by Dec 21 — professional inland fishers in Lombardy, Italy, under the same FEMPA 2021–2027 programme, with a much longer window.
- Ireland’s Small Fishers Get 80% Grants — €30,000 Cap — an 80% grant for small-scale coastal fishers, closing 5pm on 17 December 2026.
- England’s FaSS Grants: £250k+ Panel Deadline — 13 Nov! — England’s Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, including up to 90% for electric or hybrid engines, with a panel deadline on 13 November 2026 for larger projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the €180,000 per boat?
No. It is the initial total budget for the whole call — €80,000 for energy efficiency and €100,000 for safety and working conditions (plus €27,643.36 from 2026 for the second line). It is shared across successful applicants.
Can I apply if my boat is based outside Andalusia?
No. The call is for vessels with a home port in Andalusia, plus shore fishers in Andalusia under Line 2.
Does the extra €2,000,000 mean the budget is really €2,180,000?
No. The Order allows an additional amount of up to €2,000,000 to be added if credit is available, without a new call. Until that happens, it is not committed funding.
Is it first-come, first-served?
No. The call is competitive: applications are ranked on merit. Speed still matters because the window is only ten working days, but filing first does not by itself win a grant.
Can a funded refit make my boat bigger?
No. Improvements funded under either line must not increase the vessel’s gross tonnage.
Fact-Check Note
All dates, budgets and rules in this post were verified on 1 November 2026 against multiple agreeing reports of the call published on 30 October 2026 — including the Junta de Andalucía’s own information note as reported by Demócrata, AndalucíaYa, El Noticiario de Andalucía and esRadio Almería — all agreeing on: BOJA No. 211 of 30 October 2026; the Order of 21 October 2026; two competitive lines under FEMPA 2021–2027; €80,000 for energy efficiency in 2027; €100,000 for safety, health, hygiene and working conditions in 2027 plus €27,643.36 from 2026; a possible additional amount of up to €2,000,000 subject to available credit; no increase in gross tonnage; and electronic-only filing through the Junta’s sede electrónica, within ten working days of the day after BOJA publication. No calendar closing date is stated in this post, because the reports state the window as ten working days rather than a single verified calendar date — readers must confirm the exact closing day on the Junta’s electronic seat before filing. No per-vessel grant rate is claimed, because none is stated in the call reports. Official sources to check: the BOJA No. 211 (30 October 2026) call text and the Junta de Andalucía sede electrónica.