Collaborative Calls for Proposals

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Page updated on 02/19/2026 - Published on 01/20/2025

Under the framework of the agreement signed between the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación (CDTI), the parties agree to promote and facilitate research and innovation projects from companies from the State of São Paulo and from Spain. Research and Development Projects should demonstrate the technological and beneficial contribution of the participants as well as address specific market needs or challenges and demonstrate high industrial relevance and commercial potential.

This Call is open to projects from any sector. This Call is valid for the years 2025 and 2026 with their respective deadlines: 31 March 2025, and 31 March 2026.

FAPESP and CDTI expect to receive:

A - Proposals prepared collaboratively by companies in Spain and a small business in the State of São Paulo, Brazil or

B - Projects from small business in the State of São Paulo interested in developing scientific or technological research projects in collaboration with other Spanish entities or aiming to explore the Spanish market (to be financed by FAPESP) or Spanish companies interested in developing scientific or technological research projects in collaboration with other Brazilian entities (to be financed by CDTI or by its own resources).

1. Eligibility

Each research project must aim to develop products/processes that are marketable in the global market. In addition, proposals must meet all of the following requirements:

- The products/processes to be developed must be highly innovative and with significant commercial potential.

- The results of the project must have a civil purpose.

- The partners in Spain and in São Paulo must sign an agreement that includes at least aspects related to intellectual property rights and a marketing strategy for the resulting product or process, in case of a collaborative project.

- The partners in Spain and in São Paulo must be capable of implementing the project and funding their respective share.

- The project should demonstrate the relevant scientific and technological contribution of the participants from the countries.

- The project should have an appropriate balance between the participants and the importance for both partners (minimum percentage of the budget per country: 30%), in case of a collaborative project.

- The budget must be consistent with the developments to be carried out and the technical/financial capacity of the participants.

- The consortiums that will develop the proposals must be set up in Spain and in São Paulo according to the following requirements:

• Spain: A Spanish company and a São Paulo company, associated under a collaboration agreement, must participate. Optionally, Spanish companies can go in collaboration with other research organizations such as universities and technology centers, through a subcontracting scheme.

The proposals must follow the rules of the International Technology Cooperation Projects whose information can be found on the following link: https://www.cdti.es/programas-de-cooperacion-tecnologica-internacional-pcti

• Brazil (São Paulo): A small company established in the State of São Paulo (less than 250 employees) associated with a Spanish company under a Collaboration Agreement or a small company established in the State of São Paulo interested in developing scientific or technological research projects in collaboration with other Spanish entities or aiming to explore the Spanish market.

The proposals submitted to FAPESP must follow the rules of the Innovative Research in Small Business Program (PIPE) from FAPESP – Phase 2, unless explicitly stated in this Call for Proposals.

2. Funding of participants

Participants in the selected research proposals will be eligible to receive funding from CDTI, in Spain, and FAPESP, in São Paulo.

The financial support to the participants will be provided in accordance with the laws, norms, regulations and national procedures established by each organization and country, without exchange of funds between CDTI and FAPESP, and subject to budget availability in each institution.

FAPESP and CDTI will jointly select the proposals in accordance with the rules, conditions and funding limits of each Party:

- FAPESP will fund projects under the terms, conditions and funding limits of the FAPESP PIPE – Phase 2 defined for companies with less than 250 employees in the State of São Paulo.

- CDTI will fund the Spanish participants in the terms, conditions and funding limits that apply to the International Technological Cooperation Projects (PCTI).

The modality of aid to the project will be a Partially Reimbursable Aid, with a financial coverage of up to 75% of the total approved budget, and may exceptionally reach 85%, with a reimbursable tranche and a non-reimbursable tranche.

The non-refundable tranche may reach up to 30% of the financial coverage and will always be calculated on a percentage of CDTI financial coverage of up to 75%.

In any case, the Spanish company will be funded according to the International Technological Cooperation Projects’ conditions identified on CDTI E.P.E.’s website. CDTI E.P.E. can only provide funding to Spanish companies.

For more details, please consult the next link: https://www.cdti.es/ayudas/proyectos-de-i-d

3. Submission of proposals

The applicant entities will submit the International Technological Cooperation Project Form in CDTI and FAPESP, in accordance with Annex 1, and the Consortium Agreement, following the indications in Annex 2, signed by the partners of São Paulo and Spain, within the deadline.

They will also present the corresponding profiles of R&D&I projects following the formats established by CDTI depending on the type of funding they choose (Partially Reimbursable Aid or Innoglobal Grant) and by FAPESP within their FAPESP PIPE - Phase 2. This documentation will be evaluated by experts from both countries.

- Applicants from Spain. Spanish companies must submit R&D project application to the CDTI through its electronic site, where the applicant will be allowed to process the documentation electronically and to consult, once submitted the situation of the project. The presentation should be made at the following link: https://sede.cdti.gob.es/AreaPrivada/Expedientes/accesosistema.aspx

- Applicants from the State of São Paulo. The companies in São Paulo are required to submit a proposal containing the items and documents described at the SAGe System at the following link: https://sage.fapesp.br/

- Propostas > Nova Proposta Inicial > CDTI - PIPE - Fase 2 Direta – Chamada de Proposta (2025)

- Propostas > Nova Proposta Inicial > CDTI - PIPE - Fase 2 Direta – Chamada de Proposta (2026)

4. Evaluation and selection of the projects

FAPESP in São Paulo and CDTI in Spain will carry out independent evaluations of each R&D proposal in accordance with their National/Institutional Laws and Regulations.

5. Publication and communication of the results of the selection

The partners from São Paulo, Brazil, and from Spain whose proposals have been selected will be informed of the result and the amount of funding by their respective implementing organization.

6. Schedule

Item	Deadline
R&D Call for Proposals (International Application) (CDTI)	1ª – 31 March 2025 2ª – 31 March 2026
Full Application for funding (FAPESP and CDTI)	1ª – 30 April 2025 2ª – 30 April 2026
Notification of Selected proposals (FAPESP and CDTI)	1ª –15 December 2025 2ª –15 December 2026

7. Additional Information

As alternative funding of Spanish participants, CDTI has program of grants called INNOGLOBAL intended to promote international cooperation in research and development, in order to encourage international cooperation in R&D, which is convened on a regular basis. The conditions of participation in this program will be set by the call in each case. To know if there is currently an open call for this program you can check the following link: https://www.cdti.es/ayudas/innoglobal

8. Contact information

Spain – CDTI Javier Romero Phone: +34 915815607 e-mail: brasil@cdti.es

São Paulo – FAPESP Patrícia Pereira Tedeschi e-mail: chamada-cdti@fapesp.br

Annex 2. - Guide to prepare an international project collaboration agreement (FAPESP and CDTI)

The purpose of this document is to provide a list of the main points that are advised to be included when creating a Cooperation Agreement between partners of Brazil and Spain. The Cooperation Agreement must be drafted carefully and it is recommended to receive assistance from a legal advisor.

INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITIONS

• Identify all participating entities with their official representatives.

• Describe the objectives to be achieved in the cooperation of the project as a preamble.

• Define the key terminologies, both from the legal and technical point of view. (Consortium, knowledge, project, coordinator, main researcher, etc.)

OBJECTIVES OF COOPERATION

• Describe the project in general terms and if necessary indicate more details should be presented in the technical annexes.

• Define the limits of cooperation from the technical point of view and the results foreseen in the deliverables.

PROJECT EXECUTION

• Indicate the responsibility and contribution of each participant in the execution of the project.

• Define steps, milestones and project planning.

• Rights of use of existing and pre-existing knowledge, as well as of the one developed in the project.

ORGANIZATION

• Indicate who plays the role of coordinator and project responsibilities.

• Define the composition of the project management team and the decision-making power of its members, what is the method to follow in decision-making, who acts as the main researcher and his responsibilities, communication channels between the participants, the method of follow-up and control to follow during the execution of the project and if there is the possibility of incorporating new participants.

FINANCING

• Overall budget of the project and planning of expenses and costs of all participants per year and type of cost. If planning is not followed, can updates be made on the budget and work plan? How?

• Report whether the cooperation agreement is valid only if public funding is obtained.

PUBLICATION, PROTECTION AND OWNERSHIP OF RESULTS

• Detail the access conditions of the different participants to pre-existing knowledge.

• Are you aware of the existence of the intellectual property rights of your competitors? Can the results of the cooperation project be exploited without infringing them?

• Report on how the ownership of the results will be distributed among project participants.

• Indicate how the results will be protected. Decide if a property contract should be signed regarding the development of know-how and/or patents.

• Once the project is finished, will the results be exploited jointly or individually? With geographic or technical criteria?

• Will the owner of the know-how or patents allow the results to be licensed to the project partners? Can sub-licenses be granted?

RESPONSIBILITY

• Explain the degree of liability of each partner regarding their counterparts and third parties in the event of injury or damage, how the damage caused will be compensated, what sanctions will be implemented in the event of failure of contractual obligations or termination of the relationship contractual. It is also convenient to clarify what are considered causes of force majeure.

• Will there be any type of penalty in case of withdrawal from the project, commit a fault or be separated from the cooperation consortium?

FINAL CLAUSES

• Indicate when the agreement enters into force, for how long and if by part or by all participants.

• Determine the terms of contract termination and the consequences of the resignation of one or more partners, particularly in terms of communication, ownership and exploitation of results.

• Stipulate the legal administration before which, in case of dispute, legal actions or arbitration may be taken.

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