For many SMEs in the province of Alicante, IVACE+i aid is the main source of public funding for innovation, digitalisation, energy efficiency or internationalisation. Obtaining the aid is only half the work: the other half is justifying it properly and on time. This guide summarises the common guidelines and tells you what to check in your terms. For the general framework, see our article on the auditor’s report on grant expenditure statements.
Which IVACE+i calls require an auditor’s report?
The IVACE+i brand covers support lines for business competitiveness (industry, energy, clusters, industrial estates) and IVACE+i Innovación, the Agència Valenciana de la Innovació (Valencian Innovation Agency), which manages the innovation programmes. Each line is governed by its regulatory terms and by the call resolution published in the DOGV (Official Journal of the Generalitat Valenciana), and that is where the justification method is set.
A general figure should not be taken at face value. It is common to read that IVACE+i requires an auditor’s report above a certain amount of aid, but that threshold, if it exists, is set by each call and may change from one year to the next. The national reference is Article 75 of Royal Decree 887/2006, which allows the terms to accept a simplified statement, without an auditor, for grants of less than €60,000. This is an option, not an obligation, and each body decides whether to apply it.
What is repeated in the calls that require a report is that the auditor must be an individual or firm registered as practising with the ROAC and that the report follows the agency’s template. IVACE+i Innovación, for example, publishes on its website a template ‘Informe de revisión de cuenta justificativa por persona auditora ROAC’ (review report on the grant expenditure statement by a ROAC auditor), which it updated on 13 January 2026 to adapt it to simplified costs.
Grant expenditure statement with a report versus simplified statement
| Method | When it applies | What is submitted |
|---|---|---|
| Grant expenditure statement with an auditor’s report (Article 74 of Royal Decree 887/2006) | When required by the terms; common in larger projects | Report on the activities carried out, abridged financial report and the ROAC auditor’s report using the agency’s template |
| Simplified grant expenditure statement (Article 75 of Royal Decree 887/2006) | Only if the terms provide for it and the grant is less than €60,000 | Report on the activities carried out, classified list of expenses and details of other aid; the awarding body checks a sample of supporting documents |
| Simplified costs | When the terms set lump sums, unit costs or flat rates | The documentation set out in the terms; the report template is adapted to this method |
The three rows are for guidance only: the applicable method is always the one stated in the terms and in the award decision.
Timetable for a typical justification
The specific dates depend on each call and, in multi-year programmes, on each phase or annual instalment. The sequence of work, however, is usually the same:
- On receiving the award decision: read the terms, identify the justification method, the eligibility period and the approved budget items, and open a folder for each item.
- During implementation: keep invoices, proof of bank payments, quotes, contracts, payslips and timesheets, and comply with the publicity obligations (including the ERDF logos if the project is co-financed).
- At the end of the implementation period: prepare the report on the activities carried out and the list of expenses, and hand the documentation over to the auditor.
- Auditor’s review: the auditor applies the procedures, reports any issues so that you can clarify them and asks you for a signed representation letter.
- Submission: you submit the justification through the agency’s online application before the deadline. IVACE+i Innovación, for example, uses its ‘Justifica’ application.
Our practical recommendation is to contact the auditor before the implementation period ends. Many issues, such as a late payment or a missing quote, can only be resolved if they are detected in time.
Extraordinary measures after the DANA
After the DANA (the severe floods of October 2024), IVACE+i adopted extraordinary measures for the companies affected, such as extensions to the implementation and justification periods. Its justification portal includes specific ‘Extra DANA’ phases. These extended deadlines were set by resolution and should not be confused with those of the ordinary calls.
If your company took advantage of these measures, the justification already submitted may be subject to subsequent checks. We recommend keeping all the documentation in order, including evidence of the damage and of the extensions granted. The Spanish General Grants Act (LGS) requires documents to be kept for as long as they may be subject to verification and control (Article 14.1.g) and sets a four-year limitation period for the right to demand repayment, generally counted from the end of the justification period (Article 39).
Costs that are often rejected
- Costs invoiced or paid outside the eligibility period.
- Cash payments or set-offs that leave no bank trail.
- Invoices with generic descriptions that cannot be linked to the project.
- Staff costs without time records or with allocation criteria different from those approved.
- Related-party suppliers without evidence that the price is at market value, where the terms require it.
- Purchases without three quotes when the expense exceeds the thresholds for minor contracts (Article 31.3 LGS).
- Recoverable VAT included as an eligible cost.
The sectors with most projects in the province, such as footwear in Elche and Elda, toys in Ibi and Onil, agri-food in the Vega Baja and technology companies in Alicante and Elche, share these risks. The specific issues usually lie in staff costs and specialised suppliers.
Frequently asked questions
Above what amount does IVACE+i require an auditor’s report?
It depends on each call. Check the justification section of your terms and of the call resolution published in the DOGV. Do not rely on general figures in circulation that do not specify the call.
Is the cost of the auditor’s report eligible?
Article 74.3 of Royal Decree 887/2006 allows it when the terms so provide and up to the limit they set. If your call allows it, the maximum amount will be the one stated in its terms.
Can I ask any auditor to prepare the report?
The auditor must be registered as practising with the ROAC. If your company is required to have its annual accounts audited, the general rule is that the review is carried out by your statutory auditor, unless the terms provide otherwise.
Can receiving several IVACE+i grants require me to have my accounts audited?
Yes, if in a financial year the total public grants you must recognise exceed €600,000. We explain this in mandatory audits for grants of more than €600,000.
Official sources
- IVACE+i Innovación: aid justification, manuals and templates
- IVACE+i: aid and calls for applications
- Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV)
- Royal Decree 887/2006, Regulation implementing the Spanish General Grants Act (BOE), Articles 74 and 75
- Order EHA/1434/2007 (BOE)
- Spanish General Grants Act, Law 38/2003 (BOE), Articles 14, 31 and 39
Controlaudit is an audit firm registered with the ROAC under no. S1604, based on Avenida Maisonnave in Alicante, and is familiar with the report templates of the Valencian agencies. If you need to justify IVACE+i aid, see our grant audit service, meet our auditors in Alicante and auditors in Valencia or write to us with the details of your call so that we can review together what your terms require.
Article prepared by Controlaudit’s technical team. Updated on 8 October 2026. This content is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice on your specific case.