In short: the UNHCR grants for refugee entrepreneurship (ACNUR in Spanish) give up to €10,000 per project and organisation, but not to individuals. The money goes to organisations led mainly by forcibly displaced people (refugees, asylum seekers) or stateless people, or to community organisations with experience in asylum. Projects must help displaced or stateless people who live in Spain. The 2026 call closed on 29 January 2026 and the next one has not been announced: we expect it between December 2026 and January 2027, so it makes sense to prepare the project now.
In person or by representative? This is not a personal procedure: the organisation submits the proposal. The official UNHCR grants page does not say through which channel it is sent or which documents are required.
What it is
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, supports initiatives led by refugees and stateless people with money and technical advice. Since 2022 it has worked directly with associations led or co-led by refugees, asylum seekers and stateless people, offering them resources and training. Projects must support the reception, inclusion and independence of people who have suffered forced displacement in Spain.
Who can apply (2026 call)
- Organisations led mainly by people who have experienced forced displacement or are stateless, whose aims focus on the needs of these people and of host communities in Spain.
- Community organisations with proven experience in asylum, whose aims support displaced and stateless people and their real participation in Spanish society.
- An individual cannot apply. If you have a project, an organisation has to submit it. If the organisation is new or still being registered, we do not know whether UNHCR accepts it: we have asked.
What if you have temporary protection?
The page does not mention temporary protection, the status of many people displaced from Ukraine (what it is and how to apply). So it is not confirmed that an organisation run by people with temporary protection counts as led by displaced people. We asked UNHCR on 16 October 2026 and so far we have only received an automatic reply. UNHCR reported on 22 July 2026 that one of the 5 projects it supports this year is by Djerelo, a Ukrainian association in Catalonia, but that alone does not answer the question. The page also does not explain what "led mainly" means in practice: the board, the members or the project team.
What it funds
Projects for displaced or stateless people who live in Spain, with at least one of these aims:
- Independence and inclusion, for example through jobs or training.
- Learning the language and social and cultural integration.
- Women and girls: gender equality, protection from violence, education, safe work, health and safe spaces.
- LGBTIQ+ people, young people and children.
- Refugees with specific needs: older people, people with disabilities, survivors of torture, violence or female genital mutilation, trafficking victims or people with serious illnesses, including mental illness.
- Psychosocial wellbeing and mental health: community networks, sport, art, music, gardening or crafts.
- Participation and building associations.
- New solutions for access to information on rights and duties, education, training, jobs, entrepreneurship and housing.
What UNHCR values most
- That refugees, asylum seekers or stateless people take part directly in designing and running the project.
- The UNHCR "Age, Gender and Diversity" approach.
- Working in a network with other organisations.
- Projects that can grow and keep going over time.
How much and when
- Up to €10,000 per project and organisation, for one calendar year of work. In 2026 projects run from 1 April to 31 December 2026.
- Indicative 2026 calendar: proposals from 29 December 2025 to 29 January 2026, until 23:45 (Central European Time, Madrid time). After that, review, selection and agreements in February and March, and the selected projects announced in April.
- The previous call ran from 13 December 2024 to 12 January 2025. The next one has not been announced: based on those dates we expect it between December 2026 and January 2027, but that is our forecast, not UNHCR's.
- Projects selected in 2025: "Semillas de Barro" (Maletas de Cartón and Espacio Rojo), "Ser mujeres está bien" (Huellas Migrantes) and "Música Sin Fronteras" (Cumbres España), with ceramics, music and mental health care.
What to do now
- If you are already part of an association of refugees, displaced or stateless people, or of an organisation with experience in asylum, start preparing the project. Think about who it helps, which aim from the list it covers and how those people take part in designing it.
- If you are not part of one, look for such an organisation in your city or consider creating one with other people. We do not know whether UNHCR requires a tax ID (NIF), its own bank account or a minimum age for the organisation: we have asked that too.
- Check the grants page from December 2026: that is where UNHCR published the 2026 calendar. For questions, the page gives a contact email. Copy the address written in the text: the link in that same sentence leads to a different address, which rejected our email on 16 October 2026.
- If you are looking for money for your own business as an individual, this grant does not fit: see how to register as an autónomo (self-employed) and the flat rate.
Informational only; check the official source and a professional for your specific case.