The Institut Català de Finances (ICF) has activated two new financial support facilities aimed at promoting the sustainability and competitiveness of Catalonia's business in two strategic areas: tourism and the fight against climate change. In collaboration with both the Business and Employment Department and the Regional, Housing and Ecological Transition Department, it has launched two new subsidized credit facilities with a total allocation of over 140 million euros.
New ICF Lidera Turisme facility to modernize tourist accommodation
As part of the Pla Catalunya Lidera, the ICF and the Directorate General for Tourism have launched a new call for the ICF Lidera Turisme credit facility, with an allocation of 63.2 million euros. The aim is to finance projects for the improvement and modernization of tourist accommodation establishments in Catalonia. The Minister for Business and Employment, Miquel Sàmper, announced this new loan credit facility during a visit to Cardona (Bages), where he emphasized that "tourism is a strategic sector for Catalonia, which is why we are providing resources to implement improvements in quality and sustainability."
This facility makes it possible to finance investments to improve service quality, energy efficiency, accessibility, water management, or projects related to research, development, and innovation. Loans can range from 60,000 to 4 million euros, and it will be possible to finance all the projects within a maximum period of ten years and a grace period of up to two years.
The applicable interest rate will be variable (12-month Euribor plus a spread of between 1.5% and 3%), with a 2% subsidy provided by the Directorate General for Tourism, and funded through revenue from the tourist tax.
The call will remain open until 15 November 2025.
ICF Ecoverda Fons Climàtic, loans to decarbonize the economy
At the same time, the ICF and the Regional, Housing and Ecological Transition Department have activated the ICF Ecoverda Fons Climàtic subsidized credit facility, allocated with 78 million euros to promote climate change adaptation and mitigation projects in Catalonia.
This facility offers loans ranging from 150,000 to 5 million euros at subsidized interest rates (Euribor plus a spread of 1.3% to 2.8%, and a 1.3% subsidy), with resources from the Climate Fund. The period can be up to 20 years, with a grace period of two years. Projects eligible for financing may include projects in areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, water savings, biodiversity protection, and the transformation of the agro-industrial model.
The Minister for Economy and Finance, Alícia Romero, stressed that, "Never before has the ICF announced a financial resource allocation of this magnitude to drive projects in sustainability and the fight against climate change," and the Regional, Housing and Ecological Transition Minister, Sílvia Paneque, announced the intention for "Catalonia to lead the green transformation" and, for this reason, "We are going to facilitate access to credit on very favourable terms for companies and organizations committed to decarbonisation and climate adaptation."
Both credit facilities can now be applied for through the ICF’s official website.
If you need more information as a company, you can contact turisme@cambrabcn.cat.
