Iberdrola’s Basque JV: A Wake-Up Call for SME Growth Models
Public-private partnerships are nothing new. But what Iberdrola is building in the Basque Country goes far beyond investment. It’s a model SMEs should be watching closely.
When Spain’s biggest energy player teams up with the Basque Energy Agency to create Aixeindar, a renewables-dedicated joint venture, it sends a signal. Not just about wind or solar, but about scale, structure, and how collaboration is redefining who gets to deliver big.
Why This JV Matters (More Than You Think)
Through Aixeindar, Iberdrola and EVE are co-developing a portfolio that includes:
Labraza Wind Farm
40MW, €59M
Ekienea Solar Project
100MW, €70M
These projects aren’t just technically ambitious. They are economically strategic:
Thousands of jobs created
More than 73,000 households powered
A model for how local, public, and private sectors share risk and reward
That’s the JV playbook in action.
And here's the bit most SMEs miss:
You don’t have to be Iberdrola to do JVs right. You just need the right partner, clear terms, and aligned outcomes.
What SMEs Can Learn and Apply Today
At Williams Consulting, we broker these kinds of collaborations every day. Not at €70M scale, but with the same intent:
Matching specialist SMEs with slightly larger delivery partners
Structuring joint bids that hit compliance and capacity requirements
Facilitating Design and Delivery JV models for HV, BESS, and infrastructure projects
Whether it’s two SMEs joining forces to meet a DNO’s specification, or a scaling engineering firm needing a commercial arm, we make the collaboration make sense.
Examples from our network include:
A mid-sized contractor needing a design partner for a 132kV substation framework
A small firm of HV engineers teaming up with a civils firm to qualify for a multi-lot BESS bid
Multiple SMEs combining branding, resource, and compliance credentials to compete directly with incumbents
Why the Iberdrola JV Isn’t Just Big Player News
The Aixeindar model shows how joint ventures can:
Unlock local supply chains
Trigger inward investment
Reduce carbon at serious scale
Meet both political and technical targets
This is not gatekept innovation. It’s structural alignment.
For SMEs, this proves a point: You don’t always need to scale alone. You need to scale smart.
Ready to Plug Into Bigger Projects?
If you're an SME with a niche capability but struggling to scale
Or a slightly larger firm looking for reliable delivery partners
You might be one well-structured JV away from your next £500,000-plus contract.
We’ve helped build those deals from bid support to boundary agreements.
Curious what’s possible? Let’s map it out together.
Book a free strategy call »