Grants for comic creation: requirements and criteria

Revised on 8 November 2026. Should any information have changed, please notify me and I shall update it.

Since 2025, the Ministry of Culture has offered specific grants for creating comics. The 2026 edition reserved up to one million euros: 40 grants of 25,000 euros for the development of original and unpublished works in the official languages of Spain or in languages with legal recognition in the statutes of autonomy.

The grant is directed towards the work of authorship, not the publication or promotion of a finished book. It requires prior publishing experience, an anonymous project report and two finished pages. The ordinary deadline was brief: fifteen working days from the extract published on 4 June, although a correction extended it until 2 July 2026 at 23:59. The next call may change dates, annexes or requirements; this guide uses the 2026 one to prepare a future application in good time.

The 2026 call for applications

Funding. Up to one million euros: 40 grants of 25,000 euros per work. In cases of co-authorship, the amount is distributed according to the declared percentages.
Reservation. Twelve grants are reserved for projects where participation by women is at least 50%.
Work. Original, unpublished comic of at least 40 pages.
Language. Any of the official languages of Spain or those with statutory legal recognition.
Application deadline. From 5 June to 2 July 2026, following the extension published by the Ministry.
Status. On 20 October, the proposed final resolution and the list of proposed projects were published. The award should not be considered final until the corresponding resolution is issued.

Eligibility

Participation is open to adults with Spanish nationality or residence in Spain, either individually or in teams of up to six co-authors. The call for applications covers roles such as scriptwriting, illustration, inking and colouring. Each individual may only be included in one project.

The most restrictive requirement is prior publication. Each member must provide evidence of at least one 40-page comic published by a publisher, in print or digital format, in Spain or another country. Not just any public appearance of the work will suffice.

The following do not count:

Works produced within the framework of courses or seminars.
Self-published works.
Works financed in whole or in part by their authors.
Projects published via payment, subscription or crowdfunding platforms financed by the authors, even if a publisher is involved.
Contracts that oblige the author to purchase copies.
Works produced, illustrated or translated using generative artificial intelligence.

Experience is evidenced by the publishing contract or a declaration from the publisher confirming that the author did not finance the publication. A self-published webcomic may demonstrate a track record, but it does not satisfy this requirement. The guide "Presenting a comic project to a publisher" explains how to prepare the proposal that could lead to that first professional publication.

Personnel of the Ministry of Culture and those who have received a ministerial grant for comic creation or literary creation during the two preceding years are excluded. The comic grant is incompatible with the literary creation grant from the same Ministry: they may not be applied for simultaneously.

Excluded projects

The submitted work must remain unpublished until the resolution. Total or partial publication in print, on the web, or on subscription or crowdfunding platforms is not permitted. Showing pages in a private dossier does not equate to publication; uploading them to an open platform may do so. If a pre-agreement with a publisher exists, it must allow the work to remain unpublished during the processing period.

Also excluded are:

Projects produced with generative artificial intelligence. The application includes a declaration of responsibility and the Ministry reserves the right to verify the sample.
Works that already receive another grant or residency for the same project.
Adaptations of protected works without the authorisation of their rights holders.

If the project is based on a work in the public domain, document the author's date of death, the edition used and the new elements provided. If adapting a protected work, retain the written authorisation and verify that it covers the grant application, the creation and the future publication.

Assessment criteria

The panel assesses anonymous projects with a maximum of 50 points. At least 25 points are required to receive the grant.

Criterion	Maximum score
Artistic and technical quality: script, drawing, inking, colour and integration	30
Originality and innovation in content, technique and style	10
Cultural interest, contribution to the medium, audience and promotion of reading	5
Participation of women	5

Quality accounts for 60% of the score and resolves ties. A competent report does not make up for a weak sample. The two finished pages must demonstrate narration, drawing, lettering, colour if applicable and coherence between all these elements.

The five points for participation by women are awarded when it reaches 50%. Otherwise, the call assigns one point per woman author. The percentages and roles in the co-authorship annex must coincide with the reality of the project; do not formally reorganise the team solely to alter the score.

Documentation

The 2026 call required:

Annex I. Application, except for individual electronic submission when the form incorporates it.
Annex II. Data for each author and the previous published work.
Proof of publication. Publishing contract or declaration from the publisher.
Annex III. In co-authorship: representative, percentages, roles and signatures.
Annex IV. Anonymous project report of up to four pages, in Arial 12, with title, synopsis, structure, graphic style and approximate length.
Sample. Two finished, anonymous pages, which must form part of the final work.
Annex V. Bank account communication, in the indicated phase and form.

Administrative documentation must be submitted in Spanish. The sample may be in the original language. Always download the templates from the current call for applications: reusing annexes from another year may omit required fields or declarations.

Maintaining anonymity

The name must not appear in the report or the sample. Before uploading the PDFs:

Remove signatures, pseudonyms, watermarks and credits.
Check file properties and filenames.
Ensure that no URL, QR code or footer reveals the authorship.
Avoid biographical references that allow for identification.

The Administration is aware of who submits the application; anonymity is intended to separate that identity from the artistic assessment.

Preparing the report and the sample

With such a short deadline, the project should be prepared before the extract is published.

The report must explain a viable work, rather than promising an unstructured idea. Distribute the four pages among:

Premise, characters and conflict.
Narrative structure and intended ending.
Visual language, format, colour and the relationship between text and image.
Length, work schedule and contribution to the medium or its readers.

The sample pages must belong to the final work. Select a sequence that demonstrates narrative decisions, rather than two isolated illustrations. If dialogue is present, review the lettering and readability. If the project is collaborative, finalise the agreement regarding roles and percentages beforehand. The guide "Creating a comic or fanzine between several people" assists in documenting this.

Before the call for applications opens:

Verify that your previous publication meets the requirement.
Request a declaration from the publisher if you do not possess a sufficient contract.
Prepare the report and sample without identifiers.
Check that any pre-agreement with a publisher is compatible with the terms.
Obtain a digital certificate or Cl@ve.
Calculate a personal budget for 18 months: the grant is gross income, not a net monthly fee.

If you are awarded the grant

The grant is paid in advance following the resolution and is subject to applicable taxation and withholdings. The guide on prizes, scholarships and grants in personal income tax summarises the general treatment; the specific situation depends on how you conduct the activity and your other income.

The work must be completed within 18 months following the publication of the resolution. An extension of up to nine months may be requested before the deadline expires. The grant is justified by submitting the completed work. Failure to submit on time may result in a repayment obligation. "Justifying a cultural grant" explains the file, expenses, changes and document retention.

If published, it must incorporate the ministerial logo or the required legend and two copies must be submitted. During the four years following justification, the publication must be carried out with a Spanish publisher. Prior publication with a foreign publisher may lead to full repayment under the terms established by the call.

The grant funds creation, it does not guarantee publication. Completing the work and justifying it does not oblige a publisher to release it. Separate the subsidised schedule from any eventual publishing schedule from the outset.

Itinerary: I am going to sell or exhibit

This grant serves to produce a work, but it requires prior professional experience and conditions its subsequent publication. Before applying, review the contract, authorship and compatibility with any publisher or residency. If the project is published, document the grant in the credits and retain the resolution, annexes, submitted work and communications during the control period.

On the open conversation

If you have applied for or received this grant, you may write to me with verifiable information regarding the proposal, sample or justification. Do not send personal documentation or works subject to anonymity while the procedure is open.

Ministry grants for comic creation: requirements, criteria and how to prepare