Guide updated 11 July 2026
Is this aid for you?
A frequent cause of wasted time is preparing an application for an aid that did not admit your legal form. Learning to read the beneficiary spares you that.
The type of beneficiary rules
Each call defines who can apply. The most frequent categories distinguish natural persons with or without economic activity, SMEs, large companies and legal entities with or without economic activity. That data decides, before anything else, whether the aid is for you.
Where a self-employed person fits
A self-employed person is a natural person with economic activity. They fit in the aid for that category and often in those open to SMEs. If the call is only for legal entities, they are left out: check it in the rules.
Where an SME fits
A limited company, for example, is a legal entity with economic activity: it fits in aid for SMEs and in that open to companies in general, and is left out of that reserved for large companies or for entities without economic activity.
The practical rule
Before spending time on it, look in the rules for the section on beneficiaries and confirm that your case is there. In every open aid we also show you who has won it so far, by legal form.
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Frequently asked questions
Does aid for SMEs include the self-employed?
Often yes, because a micro-enterprise can be a natural person with activity. It is decided by the definition of beneficiary in each call.
What is an SME for the purposes of aid?
The European definition: fewer than 250 people and a turnover of up to 50 million euros or a balance sheet of up to 43 million.