BIM in Spain: new requirements for 2026 accelerate the digital transformation of construction

Spain reaches a new milestone in the deployment of BIM

For several years, Spain has been pursuing a proactive policy to develop the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the construction sector.

This ambition materialised with the adoption of the National BIM Plan in 2023, which defines a progressive schedule for integrating BIM methodology into public contracts falling under the General State Administration.

In 2026, this transformation takes on a particularly concrete dimension.

Requirements are no longer solely about companies’ ability to produce three-dimensional digital models. They increasingly focus on the quality, structuring, interoperability and reuse of information associated with built assets.

The challenge is evolving: producing a BIM model is no longer enough. Professionals must also be able to manage its data.

2026: BIM requirements advance in Spanish public procurement

The Spanish BIM Plan, approved by Order PCM/818/2023, organises a progressive introduction of BIM requirements in the public contracts concerned.

Since October 2025, a new stage of the national schedule has applied, with different levels of requirements according to the estimated value of contracts.

For the projects concerned, public buyers can request digital deliverables meeting precise requirements for the organisation, production and exchange of information.

The schedule provides for new stages in October 2027, followed by April 2030.

This progression encourages companies to anticipate several developments:

• The consistent structuring of information contained in models.
• The standardisation of object properties and classifications.
• The organisation of data exchanges between stakeholders.
• The verification of the quality and compliance of digital deliverables.
• The preparation of data for reuse during asset operation.

It is important, however, to distinguish the national schedule from the specific obligations of autonomous communities and the particular requirements defined in each public tender.

IFC is becoming a central element of information management

BIM authoring software, such as Revit, Archicad, Allplan or Vectorworks, primarily meets professionals’ modelling and documentation needs.

These tools enable professionals to design built assets, organise construction elements and produce the information needed for different project phases.

However, data from these environments often needs to be exchanged between stakeholders using different solutions.

This is precisely one of the roles of the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) format, an open interoperability standard developed within the buildingSMART ecosystem and standardised by ISO 16739.

Thanks to IFC, information about a built asset can circulate independently of the software used to produce the model.

But this interoperability raises a new issue.

Having an IFC file does not guarantee that its information is complete, consistent or ready for use.

Data can contain heterogeneous properties, different classifications, missing information or structures that do not match the recipient’s expectations.

Preparing and checking IFC files therefore become essential activities for ensuring reliable digital exchanges.

The automation of BIM checks is advancing in Spain

Among the most interesting developments of 2026 are initiatives aimed at using digital models to facilitate technical and administrative checks.

In Catalonia, a project announced in 2026 aims in particular to automate some of the checks required for certain planning permissions and environmental procedures using digital models.

The aim is to make administrative processes more efficient by using structured, verifiable information.

This initiative does not constitute a general obligation applicable throughout Spain. Nevertheless, it illustrates an important development in BIM use.

Digital models can gradually become a basis for automated verification, rather than simply documents for representation and coordination.

To make these approaches possible, information must be prepared according to rules that computer systems can understand and apply.

Data quality thus becomes a decisive condition for automation.

IFC, IDS and ISO 19650: towards better management of digital exchanges

The transformation of BIM practices is also accompanied by increasing attention to standards for organising and checking information.

Three references play an important role in this evolution.

IFC: exchanging information

The IFC format enables geometric and alphanumeric data about built assets to be shared between different software applications and stakeholders.

IDS: formalising information requirements

Information Delivery Specification (IDS) enables certain requirements expected in IFC deliverables to be described in a format that software can interpret.

It therefore facilitates automated checks of the presence and compliance of properties, classifications and other information.

ISO 19650: organising information management

The ISO 19650 series defines principles for organising and managing information throughout the life cycle of built assets.

Together, these approaches promote more structured, reproducible BIM processes that are less dependent on manual intervention.

Their application nevertheless depends on contractual requirements and the contracts concerned.

Simplebim: transforming IFC files into usable data

In this context, BIM professionals face a major challenge: preparing high-quality digital data without multiplying time-consuming manual operations.

This is precisely where Simplebim adds value to BIM processes.

Complementing authoring software, Simplebim enables professionals to work directly on IFC data to organise, transform, enrich and prepare it for its intended uses.

Its features enable professionals to:

• Standardise IFC information by harmonising properties and data structures.
• Enrich models by adding or transforming information needed for business processes.
• Filter and organise data to create deliverables tailored to different recipients.
• Automate repetitive processing through reusable rules and workflows.
• Improve deliverable quality by preparing information for checking and use.
• Facilitate openBIM exchanges by limiting manual reworking between authoring software and the systems that use the data.

Simplebim is not intended to replace authoring software.

It supports a complementary stage: preparing, transforming and using the digital data produced by that software.

This distinction becomes particularly important when organisations must process many IFC files, apply consistent requirements or regularly repeat the same data preparation operations.

A transformation that concerns all companies, regardless of size

Large construction companies, engineering firms and organisations with established BIM departments are naturally concerned by the industrialisation of digital processes.

The volume of their projects and the diversity of their stakeholders make information standardisation and processing automation particularly important.

But these challenges are not confined to large groups.

Architecture firms, specialist consultancies and smaller businesses can also benefit from more efficient methods for preparing their IFC deliverables.

For a small organisation, avoiding repetitive manual operations saves time that can be reinvested directly in design, coordination and the technical quality of projects.

For a large company, the ability to apply consistent rules to many files strengthens deliverable consistency and process reproducibility.

Regardless of company size, the aim remains the same: spend less time reprocessing data and more time creating value on projects.

Spanish BIM is gradually entering the data era

The developments observed in Spain confirm an underlying trend in the construction sector.

The value of a digital model no longer lies solely in its geometric representation.

It also depends on the quality of the information it contains, its ability to be exchanged and its suitability for supporting business processes.

The progressive deployment of the Spanish BIM Plan, administrative automation initiatives and the development of openBIM standards contribute to this transformation.

For professionals, the challenge now is to evolve working methods to make full use of digital information.

This evolution requires suitable tools, but also skills and an organisation capable of turning technological possibilities into operational benefits.

Simplebim: technology supporting new BIM processes

Automating IFC processing offers a practical opportunity to improve productivity, make exchanges more reliable and support the growing BIM requirements in Spain.

With Simplebim, professionals have a dedicated environment for preparing and transforming IFC information, complementing their usual authoring tools.

But adopting a new tool is not simply a matter of its features.

It also relies on understanding business needs, identifying processes to optimise and supporting teams.

“Technology makes transformation possible. Human expertise makes it operational, sustainable and value-creating.”

Would you like to automate your IFC processing?

Discover how Simplebim can help you structure your BIM data, automate repetitive operations and prepare IFC deliverables tailored to your project requirements.

Contact the Simplebim experts to discuss your needs and identify potential productivity improvements in your organisation.

Sources and references

Official State Gazette (BOE) — Order PCM/818/2023 of 18 July 2023, concerning the BIM Integration Plan in public procurement by the General State Administration ↗

BIM Plan in Spanish public procurement — Ministry of Finance ↗

buildingSMART Spain — Publications and resources on IFC, IDS and ISO 19650 ↗

Public Sector Contracting Platform — Spanish public procurement ↗

Professional monitoring article — October 2026. Requirements applicable to a project must be checked against the current legislation and contractual documents of the contract concerned.