Self-employment often involves taking on risks that employees are only partially protected against: an illness can halt income, hiring the first employee represents a significant financial leap, and caring for a child or a dependent person may force a reduction in activity. The Canary Islands Government has sought to respond to these situations with the Autonomous Support Plan (Plan Respaldo Autónomos), a package of measures that has received the 2026 Self-Employed of the Year Award from the National Federation of Self-Employed Associations, ATA.
The jury of the twenty-fifth edition of these awards granted the recognition unanimously. ATA defines the initiative as an ambitious project that brings together several historic demands of the sector and seeks to facilitate the activity of the more than 147,000 self-employed workers on the islands. The organization highlights especially its combination of direct aid and tax measures to promote business continuity, competitiveness, job creation, and generational renewal.
Far from being a single subsidy, the plan proposes a guided path that covers different moments in the life of a business. Its main lines focus on four areas: work-life balance, protection during medical leaves, hiring staff, and access to financing.
Support to Keep Work-Life Balance from Forcing Closure
One of its central pillars is the Concilia program, divided into three modalities. The first finances the hiring of a temporary substitute when the self-employed person is on maternity, paternity, adoption, fostering, or risk during pregnancy or breastfeeding leave. It can also support the subsequent conversion of that contract into a permanent one.
The second line subsidizes the permanent hiring of a person who helps the professional care for children, older adults, or dependents. The subsidies generally amount to €7,500 and can rise to €9,000 when the person hired belongs to one of the priority groups established by employment law.
Concilia 3 covers 75% of the cost of childcare centers, nurseries, day centers, after-school activities, and other care services, with a maximum of €3,000. In cases of substitution due to pregnancy or breastfeeding risk, the aid can reach €8,800. (Canary Islands Government)
Protection in Case of Sick Leave
Another measure aims to prevent illness from becoming a threat to the survival of the business. The Temporary Disability program compensates the Social Security contributions paid during the first two months of leave, or the proportional part corresponding to a shorter duration.
The maximum amount is €700 per beneficiary and the call has retroactive effects from January 1, 2026. Access is available, under certain conditions, to self-employed individuals without employees, mutualists, and members of partnerships or communities of goods that conduct their activity in the Canary Islands.
Facilitating the First Hiring
The +Uno52 program pursues a twofold objective: to help the self-employed hire their first employee and to improve job opportunities for people aged 52 or older.
The aid amounts to €5,000 per permanent full-time contract and can reach €6,000 when the business is located in a municipality with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. The job must be maintained for at least twelve months. The call initially has a budget of €500,000.
Financing to Modernize the Business
The fourth major block subsidizes the interest on loans destined to finance investments related to the activity. The aid applies for up to three years and is paid in a single payment aimed at prepaying part of the principal.
The 2026 call has €600,000 and covers loans formalized since January 1. With it, the Government aims to facilitate investments to modernize, consolidate, or reorient businesses that could have difficulty accessing financing on affordable terms.
The Autonomous Support Plan is complemented by other policies, such as zero contributions for new entrepreneurs and raising the threshold for the IGIC exemption to €50,000 of revenue. The Canary Islands government announced on July 9 that all planned calls were already underway. For the self-employed, the true value of the plan now depends on swift processing, timely delivery of aid, and the budget matching the real volume of applications.
