Over 3,600 self‑employed to benefit from zero contribution in 2025

The Canary Islands Ministry of Economy, Industry, Trade and Self‑Employed has funded the entire budget allocated to this call.

The Ministry of Economy, Industry, Trade and Self‑Employed of the Canary Islands has just closed the 2025 “zero‑quota” call, recording a 36 % increase in the number of approved files. A total of 3,620 self‑employed individuals who started their activity in 2024 received the aid, amounting to €3.2 million—32 % more than in 2024. The most notable innovation of this round is the marked improvement in application quality: 44.24 % of the requests were approved without any need for correction, thanks to the joint work of the General Directorate of Self‑Employed and the Chambers of Commerce in streamlining procedures.

“The results of this call demonstrate the need for this assistance for those self‑employed who are starting their activity, and it also serves as motivation for new entrepreneurs, as shown by the month‑by‑month growth in the number of self‑employed workers in the islands,” said Manuel Domínguez, Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy, Industry, Trade and Self‑Employed.

The government announced that support for self‑employed workers will continue not only with a new edition of this call in 2026 but also through additional measures included in the Self‑Employed Support Plan, such as:

• Program Concilia – facilitates work‑life balance for self‑employed workers; the call will be published soon.
• +Uno52 – provides a subsidy for hiring a first employee aged 52 or older.
• Loan incentives – up to two points off the interest rate for self‑employed borrowers.
• Social‑security reduction – for those on temporary incapacity leave.

“The archipelago’s economy pivots on small businesses and the self‑employed; they are the employers who create jobs and generate economic activity,” the Vice President added.

Zero‑Quota 2025 – Key Figures

• Initial budget: €2.5 million.
• October 2025 increase: €800,000 (to meet the surge in applications), bringing the total budget to €3.3 million.
• Total applications received: 5,915.
• Applications approved: 3,620 (1,843 in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and 1,777 in Las Palmas).
• Distribution by island:
  • Gran Canaria: 1,229
  • Fuerteventura: 263
  • Lanzarote: 285
  • Tenerife: 1,556
  • El Hierro: 34
  • La Palma: 216
  • La Gomera: 37

These figures underline the growing reliance on targeted financial support to foster entrepreneurship across the Canary Islands.