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Entrepreneurship as a Career Path: Subsidies for the Creation and Consolidation of SMEs and the Self-Employed - The Case of the Valencian Community (Academic research)

Research paperAcademic researchJune 202618 pages27 min readRafael Pardo GabaldónOriginal source
Key number
€1,962,339.69
EMPYME 2025 initial budget p.9
Largest segment
60 points
Maximum points for viability and scalability in EMPYME evaluation p.10
What changed
€850,000
Maximum budget extension for rural RETA contribution subsidies p.12

Summary

  • During Spain's economic downturn from December 2007 to March 2013, overall employment loss in the Social Security system was 16 %, while loss among self-employed workers was limited to 11 %.p.4
  • The 2024 Labora innovative self-employment program provided initial grants of €5,000 for men, €6,000 for women, and €6,600 for female victims of gender violence.p.5
  • The 2024 EMDONA program supported pregnant or adopting self-employed women with hiring subsidies of €1,500 for 3-month contracts and €3,500 for 6-month contracts, capped at €4,000.p.6
  • The EMPYME 2025 program for startup and SME consolidation was established with an initial budget of €1,962,339.69, which could be expanded by up to 25 %.p.9
  • In April 2026, the Valencian Community registered more than 393,000 self-employed workers across physical, corporate, and family categories.p.9
  • The social security contribution subsidy line for small municipalities features an initial dotation of €1.7 million, with an expandable top-up of €850,000.p.12

Key insights

  1. Public employment policies in the Valencian Community are increasingly promoting self-employment as an active alternative to salaried work.p.1
  2. During deep economic downturns, self-employment serves as a refuge effect for individuals unable to secure salaried employment.p.4
  3. Emergency DANA relief measures provided immediate direct subsidies of up to €3,000 to affected self-employed individuals and small businesses.p.7
  4. The EMPYME 2025 subsidy framework exclusively covers current operating expenses while excluding initial capital investments.p.8
  5. The Valencian subsidy for self-employed social security contributions restricts eligibility to beneficiaries residing in rural municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.p.12
  6. Economically dependent self-employed workers (TRADE) are excluded from the social security contribution subsidy program despite their economic vulnerability.p.13

Topics and entities

EuropePublic funding and grantsRegulationSME finance and lendingStartup fundingGeneralitat ValencianaLABORA

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