The grants for the digitalisation and innovation of Official Chambers of Trade abroad and Federations of Chambers, provided by the Secretariat of State for Trade, fund modernisation and digital transformation projects for Chambers and Federations, with the aim of strengthening their communication systems and online services in order to enhance the competitiveness of Spanish companies overseas.

This line of grants is included in Component 13 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, “Boost to SMEs”, which encompasses projects aimed at developing investments and reforms designed to foster entrepreneurship and growth, facilitate the digital transition, promote business innovation, and support trade and its internationalisation.

The drive towards internationalisation translates into strengthening the capacities and instruments of the Spanish export support system, as well as reactivating foreign trade and foreign direct investment as key drivers of economic recovery. Within this framework, measures for the modernisation and digital transformation of Official Chambers of Commerce abroad and Federations of Chambers—key players in supporting foreign trade—take on particular importance.

To this end, the Digitalisation and Innovation Plan for Spanish Official Chambers of Trade Abroad has been included in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. This plan, designed by the Secretariat of State for Trade in collaboration with the Federations, pursues the following objectives to equip them with the digital tools necessary to strengthen their work and improve their efficiency for the benefit of Spanish foreign trade:

• To provide connectivity to Spanish companies operating within each Chamber’s jurisdiction.
• To increase companies’ visibility in a context of reduced physical presence in international markets.
• To expand and diversify the catalogue of services offered to companies.
• To systematise, centralise and integrate information.
• To collect, process and store data entirely in digital format for application within local institutional networks.

Eligible expenditure

• Development of management tools, intranets and websites, or the upgrading of existing ones.
• Development of member-to-member services; digital implementation of the services catalogue; creation of new digital business formats that facilitate connectivity, generate new opportunities and higher-value content; development of services for the sale of certificates and digital signatures; and implementation of cybersecurity measures.
• Upgrading of technical means for access to internet services, including access to virtual platforms, fibre-optic or broadband internet, and server upgrades to promote digital transformation, including remote working.
• Adaptation of physical facilities for virtual events and investment in technical equipment for live streaming.

The Ministry’s website contains the relevant links, documentation and other information of interest regarding the procedure.​