An unprecedented boost for Madrid's entrepreneurs
The Community of Madrid has taken a significant step in supporting freelancers and microenterprises, announcing a new line of direct grants that can reach up to 150,000 euros. This programme, which has a total budget of 5 million euros for this year, is designed to finance 50% of investments in businesses that have been operating for at least three years.
During the inauguration of the VII Forum of Entrepreneurs, organised by the National Federation of Freelance Workers' Associations (ATA), the Minister of Economy, Finance and Employment, Rocío Albert, highlighted how these grants can be crucial for entrepreneurs. “These subsidies will serve to hire additional staff, transform commercial premises or acquire machinery and software that will boost their businesses,” Albert stated.
Taking the opportunity, Rocío Albert also celebrated the historic record reached in March with over 441,542 self-employed workers. For her, starting a business in Madrid is not only an economic opportunity but also a social responsibility. “The growth in the number of freelancers reflects the entrepreneurial spirit that characterises our community,” she added.
As efforts are made to further encourage this positive trend, the budget allocated to new freelancers for 2026 has been increased by 40%, raising direct grants for entrepreneurship to 37 million euros. Among the highlighted initiatives is the well-known Zero Rate, as well as grants that can reach up to 6,200 euros to facilitate the launch of new economic activities.
In an effort to reduce the administrative burden on entrepreneurs, an agreement has been signed with the Chamber of Commerce, which will allow for minimising the paperwork required to access these grants. In particular, if the requested grant is below 70,000 euros, it will be awarded without requiring extensive documentation.
Aside from financial support, Rocío Albert mentioned that they have implemented over 110 training actions, covering thirteen different specialties such as business management and leadership skills. These initiatives have benefited more than 1,400 people and have been an integral part of the effort to close the digital gap among freelancers; around 8 million has been invested in digital training that has reached about 24,000 people.
Despite the challenging economic context at the national level, Madrid maintains its labour strength with nearly 3,879,420 affiliates to Social Security, which represents an unemployment rate of just 7%, very close to full employment. The minister emphasised that although Madrid accounts for only 14% of the Spanish population, it contributes nearly 20% of the national GDP thanks to the joint efforts of businesses and freelancers.
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