Analysis of Restrictions on Public Funding and Management of R&D Projects Arising from Legislation: The Case of the Spanish Context

This article examines the challenges posed by national legislative frameworks in the European Union Member States regarding the management of publicly funded research and development (R&D) projects. Taking the case of Spain and its General Subsidies Act as an example, this study analyzes 55 R&D funding calls published by the Spanish Central Administration in 2021 and 2022. This research identifies key challenges associated with change management in these projects. This research performed a detailed review of relevant legislation and its application to R&D projects, alongside an analysis of regulatory bases making use of a flexibility index (FI) to assess the adaptability of grant conditions. Also, quantitative methodologies like Pearson’s correlation coefficient and principal component analysis were employed. The findings reveal that flexibility in project management, particularly concerning changes in scope, budget, and timeframes, is limited due to the rigidity of the legal framework. This lack of flexibility means a significant challenge for effective project execution, which inherently requires adaptability to manage uncertainty. This research suggests that future reforms should prioritize greater legal flexibility to improve the efficiency and success of publicly funded R&D initiatives. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of how regulatory constraints impact innovation management.